Dangerous drivers face 5 years in Jail

New laws are being proposed which will mean dangerous drivers who cause serious injury could face five years in jail under plans announced by Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke. A new offence of “causing serious injury by dangerous driving” would carry more than double the current maximum sentence applicable. Mr Clarke said: “We have listened to the victims of dangerous drivers, their families, MPs, judges and road safety groups and their experiences have directly informed these changes.”Making our roads safer is a priority – five people died on our roads each day last year, so we need to do everything we can to further improve safety.”Andrew Howard, the AA’s head of road safety, said it would “make sentences more proportionate to the devastation dangerous driving causes and should also deter people from driving badly”. A spokesperson from the Institute of advanced Motorist, Vince Yearley, said: “Dangerous driving can result in anything from near misses to serious injuries. But the maximum jail term for dangerous driving must relate to the driving offence – not the consequences, however awful.”The changes will be part of the Government’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. If this Bill goes ahead I think it will act as a deterent to dangerous drivers and reduce the amount of serious road traffic accidents which cause so many catastophic injuries each year .