Road Traffic Act 1988, section 1

Causing death by dangerous driving

Part I Principal Road Safety Provisions

Definitions used in section 1 3

drive

“driver”, where a separate person acts as a steersman of a motor vehicle, includes (except for the purposes of section 1 of this Act ) that person as well as any other person engaged in the driving of the vehicle, and “drive” is to be interpreted accordingly,

Defined in s.192(1) · see it in the full Act
mechanically propelled vehicle

(aa) in subsection (1) “mechanically propelled vehicle” does not include a vehicle falling within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of section 189(1) of this Act ,

Defined in s.21(3) · see it in the full Act
road

“road”

Defined in s.192(1) · see it in the full Act

Cases considering section 1 25

R v Mark Roberts

[2026] EWCA Crim 751 · 5 June 2026

The court applied the obligatory five-year minimum disqualification for section 1 offences, subject to special reasons, and substituted that period after quashing the unlawful order (see paras [3]; [33]).

R v Connor Mears

[2025] EWCA Crim 515 · 8 April 2025

The court upheld the 12-year sentence for the section 1 offence. It accepted that the identified high-culpability and aggravating features justified an uplift from the guideline starting point, subject to a one-third reduction for the early guilty plea (see paras [8]; [12]).

Kai Nathanial Holder v R

[2023] EWCA Crim 5 · 13 January 2023

The court applied the offence provision through the definition of dangerous driving in section 2A. It held that the helmet issue could be considered as part of the driving in the circumstances of the case. (see paras [11]; [21])

5 more judgments, and what each says about section 1, are in the case-law panel in the full Act.

Amendments and notes

1 notes from legislation.gov.uk

Amendments

  1. F1Ss. 1-2A substituted (1.7.1992) for ss. 1-2 by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 107:1), s.1; S.I. 1992/1286, art. 2,Sch.