The government has officially announced plans to bring legislation forward a year to punish motorists who kill someone by dangerous driving.
Those that have caused a fatality by racing, speeding or using their mobile phones will officially face a life sentence from 2021. This could also be applied to those motorists that have killed someone whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
This reform seeks harsher punishment for erratic behaviour, and will hopefully effectively reduce the number of deaths on the road. Sadly, last year 174 people were sentenced in some form for causing fatalities on the road.
This statistic is one the government is clearly seeking to eradicate, and the new legislation and laws will hopefully enlighten the public of the severe ramifications that dangerous driving can have.
This is all following a consultation in 2017, that saw a staggering 90% of people involved calling for reform regarding the laws surrounding motorists that cause fatalities and serious injuries. Out of those 90%, a further 70% agreed that those drivers found guilty of death by dangerous driving deserved to face life in prison.
These new laws, and the strong support from those involved, really highlights the severe effect dangerous driving is having on so many, and also demonstrates how seriously the government considers these crimes to be. As the roads become increasingly busier, it’s becoming imperative that drivers understand the importance of safety on the road.
The standard required to pass a driving test has gradually increased over time, as new drivers are consistently required to comprehend the importance of safe driving. These new laws just highlight the approach the government is taking to ensure safe driving is improved at all times.
Here at TrackDays, we absolutely encourage safe driving at all times. Public roads are in no way a playground for vehicles, and we believe strongly in trying to contribute to helping our customers understand the values of safe driving.
We have partnered with Young Driver for a number of years now to try and help young adults understand how important safety on the roads are with our Young Driver Training packages.
These are aimed at those aged 11 - 17, and are designed to help them get a head start before they take their driving lessons at 18.
Data has shown that those that start their driving experiences from a younger age have fewer crashes and are generally considered safer drivers. Plus on all of our experiences and events, our customers are given a safety briefing to ensure they understand the dangers that cars and other vehicles can have.
If you are looking to help your children understand a bit more about driving and the importance of knowledge on the roads, then please check out our Young Drivers packages.