Tougher safety measures for drivers

Tougher measures aimed at keeping Britain’s roads safe have been introduced.

New rulings state that motorists living outside Britain will be issued with on-the-spot fines if they cannot provide a satisfactory address and those behind the wheel of heavy goods vehicles may be hit with penalties if their lorry is overloaded or if they have broken safety regulations.

Jim Fitzpatrick, the road safety minister, commented that the measures mean that any driver putting themselves or others at risk will face consequences: “The only way for drivers and hauliers to avoid tough penalties will be to obey our traffic laws and ensure their vehicles are fully roadworthy.”

Drivers who kill

A Portuguese lorry driver was last month jailed following a road traffic collision in which six people were killed. Paulo Jorge Nogueira de Silva’s 40-ton articulated vehicle collided with a car that was queuing in slow moving traffic on the M6 in Cheshire last October.

David and Michelle Statham and their four children – aged between ten weeks and 13-years-old – were all killed instantly in the crash.

The court heard that Mr de Silva may have been using a satnav device on his laptop shortly before the incident.

Mr de Silva stated he had seen electronic signs warning him that queues were ahead, but he could not tell the court how the crash had happened.

The 46-year-old was convicted of causing death by careless driving, rather than the higher offence of causing death by dangerous driving. It is likely he will serve no more 18 months in prison.

Long sentences for drivers who kill rarely materialise

Judges were last year advised to impose tougher sentences on motorists convicted of causing death by dangerous or careless driving – according to guidance from the sentencing guidelines council (SGC), in cases where drink, drugs or persistent bad driving are factors, drivers could find themselves locked up for 14 years.
Drivers who cause death as a result of talking or texting on a mobile may face a prison sentence of up to 7 years.

The current law allows maximum sentences of 14 years for causing death by dangerous driving or by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs, but it is unusual that this translates into long spells in prison for drivers who kill. The prosecution service risks having a charge dismissed if it is deemed to be too harsh and judges who impose a long sentence stand a greater chance of having it overturned at appeal.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “These new guidelines are a step in the right direction but there appears a strong possibility that they will not translate into stiffer sentences.”

What is the ETA?

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance and breakdown cover while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.