Government Outlines Tougher Proposals On Road Safety

Serious injury specialists at leading national law firm Irwin Mitchell have welcomed the government’s plans to introduce an offence which will see the maximum sentence for dangerous drivers increase, stating that the move will be vital in improving safety on the UK’s roads.

A proposal has been put forward as part of the Sentencing and Rehabilitation Bill which would mean that anyone found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving would face up to five years in prison, which is a significant increase on the current guidelines which result in the vast majority of offenders receiving sentences of less than two years.

National law firm Irwin Mitchell, which acts for people who have suffered serious injuries in car crashes and road traffic collisions in the UK and the families of those killed in such incidents, has joined a number of road safety charities and other organisations in backing the sentencing reforms.

Stephen Nye, a Partner and serious injury specialist at the law firm’s Birmingham office, said: “We work day-in day-out with clients who have had their lives turned upside down by the actions of reckless, dangerous drivers on our roads.

“We work tirelessly to ensure those injured are able to gain both access to justice and funds that will replace lost earnings and help them to secure the specialist rehabilitation and care required as a result of their injuries. For many, life is never the same following serious injury, but funding and early attention to rehabilitation is vital to enable crash victims to get the most from life despite the difficulties they face.

“Any move which looks to actively promote safer driving on our roads has to be welcomed and this move demonstrates a clear signal from the government that motorists who put the lives of others at risk will face stiff sentences”

“Too many people are seriously injured and killed in road traffic collisions, and this tougher sentencing policy reflects the terrible consequences that dangerous driving can have.”