Is This Really Enough?

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/story/1255801/ten-years-in-prison-for-banned-drivers-who-kill

Personally I would like to see the following for disqualified drivers:

Driving whilst disqualified 5 years
any injury caused whilst driving 10 years
committing any crime in addition to disqulaified (eg car theft) 10 years
Death whilst disqualified - life (real life not wishy washy liberal life as given to the skull cracker)

[jno]

my recollection, possibly faulty, is that drivers who killed someone used to be charged with manslaughter; but juries just wouldn't wear it - they simply didn't believe accidentally killing someone with a car was on the same level as accidentally killing someone with a gun.

You'd probably get the same thing today: in the absence of factors like drink or police chases, how many jurors are going to jail someone for 10 years for a traffic accident?

[Old_Geezer]

Probably as many as there are %wise in the US ?

[jno]

how many's that?

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe because having a car is a normal thing and so killing someone accidently with it is seen as a sad consequence that could happen to anyone. Owning a gun is pretty specialised and so one tends to think less of an accident and more of a lack of care that ought not ever occur.

[New Judge]

“…and killing someone in the car when you're not banned should be 15 years minimum.”

So a young child runs out from between parked cars as you are tootling along at 20mph and you hit him. He unfortunately dies from his injuries. Fifteen years inside “a horrible violent prison” for you then, Noodlearms? We need to be a bit careful.

I agree, Youngman, that the penalty for "ordinary" driving whilst disqualified (which is a maximum of six months custody) is hopelessly inadequate. Furthermore, the sentencing guidelines for the offence suggest that custody should not be considered at all unless there are aggravating features present.

These latest announcements sound a step in the right direction but once again sentencing guidelines will come into play. Very few, if any, of those convicted will be sentenced to the maximum penalty and even if they are they will serve at most half of their sentence in prison and in many cases considerably less than that. This country has no intention of getting tough on those convicted of serious crime.

[royfromaus]

What about drivers who have no licence at all?

[royfromaus]

and killing someone in the car when you're not banned should be 15 years minimum.


Did you get carried away and go into a frenzy whilst typing?
That is absurd.

[Bazile]

to be fair he did say 'speeding motorists '