Skip advert
Advertisement

Dangerous drivers who cause death could face life in prison

A new law makes causing death by careless driving equivalent to manslaughter, with tougher potential sentencing

Speed camera accident

A law coming into force this week will give judges options to hand out much tougher sentences to drivers who cause death through the worst cases of careless or dangerous driving.

As part of the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, drivers who kill on the roads will face sentencing as severe as that facing offenders guilty of manslaughter charges, which in some cases could include life imprisonment.

The act also includes a new offence of causing serious injury by careless, or inconsiderate, driving, which allows for imprisonment of up to 12 months and the imposition of a fine.

Advertisement - Article continues below

While the new act of parliament has proved controversial for what campaigners have alleged is a ‘chilling effect’ on public rights of protest, the updates regarding the most serious driving offences have received widespread support. Safety organisations and victims groups have long called for tougher sanctions on drivers receiving sentences they regard as too lenient, and the changes to the law were first proposed back in 2017. After the act received royal assent in May, the changes come into force this week in England, Wales and Scotland, but not in Northern Ireland where different rules apply.

Before the changes were applied, the maximum sentence for careless driving was 14 years, but much shorter sentences have been commonplace. With the threat of a life term now on the statute books, the government hopes drivers will think much more carefully about the risks of using mobile phones while driving, while dangerous drivers killing while high on drugs or drunk will potentially be kept off the roads for longer.

"Too many lives have been lost to reckless behaviour behind the wheel, devastating families”, said Justice Secretary Dominic Raab. "Those responsible will now face the possibility of life behind bars."

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding told the Daily Express: "Drivers exhibiting the worst behaviour on the roads are a danger to us all.

"Those who behave with disregard to the risk they pose deserve the stiffest penalties when their actions rob others of their lives. Involuntary manslaughter already carries a maximum penalty of up to life imprisonment so it is hard to argue that killing someone with a car doesn't warrant a possible sanction of similar severity."

Do you agree with this change in the law? Tell us your thoughts in the comments...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Current affairs and features editor

Chris covers all aspects of motoring life for Auto Express. Over a long career he has contributed news and car reviews to brands such as Autocar, WhatCar?, PistonHeads, Goodwood and The Motor Trader.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
‘Secret’ UK courts are fast-tracking speeding fines say magistrates
Speed camera van window
News

‘Secret’ UK courts are fast-tracking speeding fines say magistrates

New guidance from Magistrates’ Association calls for reform and aims to expose ‘secret’ Single Justice Procedure system
26 Mar 2024
Low on stock: Only 1-in-10 UK supermarkets offer electric car charging
Polestar 2 and LEVC TX connected to Sainsburys EV chargers
News

Low on stock: Only 1-in-10 UK supermarkets offer electric car charging

A survey by Zap-Map and the RAC reveals only 13% of supermarkets are equipped with EV chargers, despite a 59% increase in the past year
22 Mar 2024
Mis-sold car finance scandal: could you be due compensation?
Missold car finance
News

Mis-sold car finance scandal: could you be due compensation?

Did you buy a car on finance between April 2007 and January 2021? You could be owed thousands!
21 Mar 2024

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in
Skoda Enyaq iV - front cornering
News

Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in

Skoda’s family-friendly EV with 348-mile range is our Car Deal of the Day for 26 March
26 Mar 2024