Do DBS Checks Reveal Motoring Offences?
Motoring offences are very common. Even the most law abiding amongst would probably admit to breaking the speed limit at times. Despite the fact that most people do it unintentionally, exceeding the speed limit is still considered a motoring offence, usually punished by way of a fine and points on a licence.
Other more serious motoring offences are considered criminal and may end up in court, resulting in a driving suspension, criminal conviction, or in the most serious cases, imprisonment.
This article will explain what type of motoring offences show up on a DBS check.
Consequences of motoring offences on job applications
If the motoring offences are not too severe, there are not too many of them, and you only need to drive to get to and from a place of work, it probably won’t be an issue.
However, if the role you are applying for involves a lot of driving, especially jobs where you are required to carry passengers (such as taxi or bus driver), motoring offences may hamper your application or even disqualify you from the role.
Most jobs that involve a lot of driving or carrying passengers, will require you to inform your employer of any driving offences and points on your licence prior to application, as well as keeping them informed of any offences or points you get while working for them.
Does a DBS check reveal motoring offences? If so, which types of offence show up?
The DBS check does reveal some, but not all, motoring offences.
The main thing to realise is that there are different levels of severity when it comes to motoring offences. They are generally categorised into two types:
- Fixed Penalty Offences – These are minor driving offences that are punishable by a fine and points on the licence or the completion of a speed awareness course. Examples of fixed penalty driving offences are minor speeding offences, driving in a bus lane, or stopping in a yellow box junction. Fixed penalty driving offences are not considered criminal offences and therefore do not show up on a DBS check.
- More serious motoring offences – These offences include drunk driving, reckless driving, driving without insurance, or persistent disregard for speed limits. These kinds of offence often end up in a conviction or warning, and will be visible on a DBS check. In other words, if it is a recordable offence in the eyes of the police (anything more than a fixed penalty), it will be stored on the police national computer (PNC) and will show up on a DBS check.
If you have one or more serious motoring offences, do not be too disheartened. The DBS applies a filtering system to their checks for some offences, and they may drop off your record after a set period of time. This often depends on how old you were at the time of the offence and the severity of it. For instance, if you were convicted of drunk driving at the age of 18, this will probably drop off your record within a relatively short period of time. Conversely, if you have multiple convictions of driving while drunk and without insurance, ranging from the age of 20 to 40, these may never be stricken from your record.
Honesty is the best policy
As with many things in life, honesty is the best policy. If you are applying for a job that involves a lot of driving or regularly carrying passengers, you need to be honest with your employer and inform them of any offences or points on your licence. If you don’t, and they find out at a later date you could be in breach of your contract.
Get in the driving seat
Many employers will ask for a DBS check to be carried out, but not all will go that far. If you’re unsure as to whether you have any motoring offences or the status of them, you can request an online basic DBS check to check your own record for any unspent convictions.
Remember, if you don’t reveal a motoring offence that your employer later discovers, you could jeopardise your chance of being hired or fired if you’re already under contract.
To find out more about DBS checks and how to apply for a basic check online, get in touch today.