MPs moved this week to empower courts to imprison motorists who cause death by careless or inconsiderate driving.
Many families have protested when, after the death of loved ones, they hear that the driver of the car involved escaped with a fine. At the bidding of road safety minister, Dr Stephen Ladyman, MPs this week reinstated to the Road Safety Bill the power – removed by peers – to allow the lower courts to jail offenders.
Labour MPs also rejected a Conservative amendment to remove the power of Crown courts to hand out jail terms of five years, despite a plea from the shadow transport minister, Owen Paterson, that ‘it cannot be right to imprison someone for a moment of carelessness’. Dr Ladyman also rejected a call from theLiberal Democrats to delay acting until the ~Law Commission~ had carried out a review.
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