To think we need to take death by driving much more seriously

[DynamoKev]

3 years 9 months for the senseless killing of this woman cyclist is inadequate.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/josephine-gilbert-herbert-wyatt-cyclist-4812635.amp

YANBU. My 17 year old son witnessed his friend killed by a driver doing 73mph in a 40mph zone as they walked home from a night out. Driver then pleaded not guilty despite overwhelming evidence against him putting my son and his friends through the trauma of having to stand as witnesses and re-live the horror again. He got 4 years. Disgusting.

Yes definitely. I don't know why sentences are so lenient for dangerous driving. A man who killed two girls when they were out running with their athletics club because he was drunk and went through a red light got 6 years. He'll be out in 3. In fact he's probably out now, as it was in 2016. Free to go back to his life even though he killed two 17 year olds.

Wow that's a truly shocking story. 30 years would have been better. The circumstances are so aggravating.

We need to take having a driving licence much more seriously. It should not be death by dangerous driving in any case, it should be charges of manslaughter. Or murder if you are unfit to drive through drugs or drink.

Yes I also agree. Also what is the point of sentencing for 6 years if they only serve half? It's an outrage.

The maximum sentence for death by dangerous driving is 14 years. Death by Reckless or careless driving is five years. Assuming you actually receive the maximum sentence, it's likely you would only serve half. Although I don't know if under new legislation if it would be 2/3 now. It is ridiculous.

Yep, if the car was actually invented today, think about what the regulations would be. There is no way we would let 17 year olds drive for example.

The sentences for dangerous driving and death by driving are far too low.

Yes, the sentences are woeful.
When I was at school, my bf’s 17yr old sister was killed by a teen drunk driver. He got 18 months, her family got a lifetime of grief.

When I say the sentences are far to low, I also partly mean that fact that they are usually out in half the time because the jail's are full, and they are not a dangerous prisoner (when not behind the wheel).

@Mogwaimug

The maximum sentence for death by dangerous driving is 14 years. Death by Reckless or careless driving is five years. Assuming you actually receive the maximum sentence, it's likely you would only serve half. Although I don't know if under new legislation if it would be 2/3 now. It is ridiculous.

If someone spent 14 years actually in jail for killing someone due to their neglect, that would be about right.

Yanbu, this method of killing people needs addressing. Texting whilst driving, using the phone, drink driving, drug driving, speeding, driving uninsured, driving whilst banned - all need to be treated more seriously.

YANBU and I don’t really understand why it’s not taken more seriously, with much longer sentences.

YANBU
But can take comfort from fact that in US you can kill a cyclist with your car and get nothing. No fine. Keep your license. Not charged with a crime at all. Pretty much the only way to get charged in US is if you drive into a kill several cyclists at once.

If you’re drink/drug driving at the time, you’d only get charged with a DUI or DWI, not actual charges related to killing a person.

Several years ago a member of my family was killed by a speeding driver. He was given a suspended sentence, a fine and a 5 year ban.
Following the accident my family member spent 8 weeks in intensive care in an induced coma after suffering horrific injuries before we finally had to turn off life support.
At the time I was too distressed to care about the punishment. Nothing could bring the person back. Now I feel angry that it was so lenient.

YANBU, I was involved in a fatal accident and the person who caused it only got 6 points on her licence for careless driving.

Initially she tried to blame us despite several eyewitness accounts and the evidence proving otherwise; she then changed her story and said she couldn't remember anything.

1 person dead and another with life threatening/changing injuries leaving a lifetime of pain and unable to work. Yet she was able to carry on with her life like nothing happened.

I have thought this for years. What a tragic case, that poor young woman and her family.

Who on earth are the 10% of people voting YABU?! Probably people who speed.

Unfortunately, deaths and injuries caused by appalling driving are too often regarded as "just one of those things that happen", almost as if we should expect them and that there's "nothing to see here"

When actually this is just another example of sentencing which in no way reflects the seriousness of the crime

Reform of these offences is underway, the death by dangerous driving bill is due for second parliamentary reading on January 15th, proposes up to life sentence for death by dangerous and introduction of a new offence of causing serious injury by dangerous/reckless/careless driving to fill a gap in current legislation.

@richardthethird1485

We need to take having a driving licence much more seriously. It should not be death by dangerous driving in any case, it should be charges of manslaughter. Or murder if you are unfit to drive through drugs or drink.

No murder requires intent, manslaughter requires intent.

Unless you are about to overturn most of our legal system you cannot conflate the two.

@tttigress

When I say the sentences are far to low, I also partly mean that fact that they are usually out in half the time because the jail's are full, and they are not a dangerous prisoner (when not behind the wheel).

But long sentences have been shown to have no effect on crime rates or recidivism.

Its only satisfying your "revenge". If the out xome of a 5 year prison sentence is the same as a 14 year one whats the point?

You've just wasted an extra 9 years

It should be manslaughter. Everyone knows you shouldn’t drink and drive, so if you get behind the wheel of a car drunk you are accepting responsibility for that crime. Ditto driving without a license or insurance. Maybe when you get or renew your license you should have to sign to acknowledge that you know all of the above are illegal, and the penalties they incur.
Driving crimes make me so angry because it is such a pointless waste of life, and many times it is not the idiot that suffers- as seen in the above article. It also seems so stupid when they get banned from driving for 3 years etc- the ban didn’t stop them last time!

I agree OP. Nearly 2,000 people a year die on our roads. If that number of people were dying in plane crashes we'd be screaming for something to be done about it.

Who on earth are the 10% of people voting YABU?! Probably people who speed.

I haven't voted either way but find it interesting you immediately assume people saying YABU are people who speed, especially as there doesn't seem to be anything in this tragic story to suggest speed was the issue.

The driver was clearly not fit to be driving because of eyesight issues. His licence had been revoked because of that so yes, it was criminally irresponsible of him to continue. At the same time one can see how someone with no other way of earning his living might have been tempted to chance it. He is 65 so in another year would be state pension age and could presumably retire. Not trying to defend his decision, how could you, but can sort of imagine the circumstances which might lead someone to take that risk.

As to the sentence, well he has gone to jail. I think for most ordinary people that would be a big and shocking punishment, regardless of the length of the sentence. Of course it does nothing for the suffering of the family, but actually their hurt and loss will be the same whether he does 3 years or 30. The difference is just vengeance.

In summary, I think dangerously driving is taken seriously. But it is not the same as murder. Being criminally irresponsible is bad
But deliberately setting out to kill someone is worse

I agree. And not just for killing either - the penalties for injuring someone are also woefully inadequate.To cut a very long story short I suffered life changing injuries in a car crash some years ago. The police originally wanted to charge the other driver with causing serious injury by dangerous driving but the CPS didn't think there was enough evidence to successfully prosecute (no witnesses) so they opted for the lesser charge of careless driving instead. The other driver pleaded guilty and was fined a few hundred pounds and given 8 points. I lost my job and was left with a lifetime of pain and mobility problems. The police officer who was in charge of the case was very apologetic but said this is quite a common scenario. But at least a conviction meant that the other party's insurers accepted liability. Had there been an unsuccessful prosecution for the more serious charge my insurers would probably have had to share liability and I would have been in an even worse position.
The experience has left me very cynical, and quite convinced that in many cases the punishment most definitely doesn't fit the crime. There is no way people would get off so lightly if they killed or injured others with weapons other than motor vehicles.