Dangerous drivers could be jailed for up to 14 years

Drivers who cause death or serious injury by speeding or using their mobile phone could get 14 years in prison, under new proposals being considered by the government.

The move would bring the maximum punishment for death by dangerous driving in line with manslaughter. Drink drivers and motorists caught racing on public roads would also be subject to the new rules, while those who cause multiple injuries could face an additional 14 years for each death caused.

The maximum punishment for causing death by careless or dangerous driving is currently five years’ in prison; however, government statistics show that in 2015 the average sentence served was less than four years. As a result the Ministry of Justice has launched a public consultation to see if there is a case for increasing the maximum prison sentence and issuing longer minimum periods of disqualification.

According to Department for Transport figures, there were 186,000 reported casualties and 1732 deaths on Britain’s roads in 2015. However, while reported road deaths are 45 per cent down on a decade ago, the government said it accepts that there is a ‘gap in the law’ and it needs to provide courts with the ‘right tools to deliver justice.’

The public consultation will close on 1 February 2017 and follows the decision to increase the penalty for using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel from three to six points.