The Brake Blog

On Sunday 4 December, it was announced that the government has launched a consultation on proposals to increase penalties for drivers who kill while driving dangerously, carelessly or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The new proposals mean criminal drivers could face the same sentences as those charged with manslaughter. In the latest Brake blog, Ceinwen Briddon writes about how her family felt let down by the legal system after her daughter’s killer, who was well over the drink-drive limit when he crashed into and killed Miriam Briddon, was only sentenced to five years in jail.

On January 12th the Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland presented the Criminal Driving (Justice for Victims) Bill in the House of Commons using the ten minute rule. Backed by 31 fellow MP’s this Bill will aim to increase sentences for those convicted of criminal driving offences that lead to serious injury or death. Here Greg Mulholland explains why he has been working on this bill.

Something as simple as having a bite to eat whilst driving can be a distraction, it's seen as being in charge of a vehicle without due care and attention and that's why it is prohibited on UK roads. Yet due to the complacency of many drivers and certain things being socially accepted, such as having food at the wheel, drivers are constantly putting themselves and other road users at risk. Here Tori Atkinson, from The Car Loan Warehouse, asks if it's time to get tougher on drivers whose bad habits are putting all road users in danger.