Stronger sentences set out for dangerous driving

16th Sept 2020

New legislation allowing for tougher sentences to be handed to motorists responsible for fatal collisions on the roads is set to be brought in next year.

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The move will increase the maximum penalty for those who cause death by dangerous driving – or by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs – from the current maximum of 14 years to a life sentence.

Typical examples of dangerous driving include travelling too fast or aggressively, ignoring traffic lights and road signs and being avoidably and dangerously distracted, such as by using a hand held mobile phone.

The legislation was first pledged by the Ministry of Justice in 2017. Road safety charity Brake’s director of campaigns Joshua Harris welcomed this week’s announcement but questioned why crash victims have had to wait three years for its arrival.

“Road crime is real crime and it is high time that the Government, and the law, recognised this,” he said. “Years of Government inaction have added to the suffering of road victims who have not been delivered the justice they, and their loved ones, deserve.

“The Government must now implement these tougher sentences as first priority,” he added, “and then urgently initiate a review of the flawed legal framework for road justice”.

The new rules will also introduce a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving. This seeks to ensure that careless drivers who leave victims with long term injuries are punished appropriately.

The Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland said: “This Government has been clear that punishments must fit the crime but too often families tell us this isn’t the case with killer drivers.” He said the new legislation, to be brought forward early next year, would ensure dangerous drivers “feel the full force of the law.”

* A report due to be published by the Road Safety Foundation and insurer Ageas later this week will reveal the scale of progress made to improve road safety over the last 20 years.

The ‘Looking Back, Moving Forward’ report will show that fatalities on the UK road network mapped by the Foundation fell by 48% between 1997-1999 and 2016-2018.

(Photograph: admin_design - Shutterstock)

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