D
Danny Colyer
Guest
Hardly news to most of us, of course, but it's nice to see politicians
starting to get the idea:
<URL:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3968583.stm>
A group of MPs has accused the government of failing to take deaths on
Britain's roads seriously.
A Transport Select Committee report says there is public anger that a
death is apparently regarded as less serious if it is caused by a driver.
Drivers are often charged with careless driving, over dangerous driving,
as it is easier to convict them on, it says.
The report calls for an urgent overhaul of the motoring offences system,
with tougher sentences and higher fines.
One police officer reportedly told the committee that a driver who
punched another motorist could end up spending five years in prison, but
he would only get two years for causing serious injuries while at the wheel.
The Home Office is currently reviewing the road safety laws, but the MPs
said the government did not seem to understand that a tougher approach
was needed.
"Where death or injury is involved, it appears that police and
prosecutors take a more lenient view of drivers' behaviour than does the
general public," the report said.
A change of police attitudes should be part of a "radical" overhaul of
the system, it added.
"The Association of Chief Police Officers' road death investigation
manual sets out admirable principles which should be applied to cases of
serious injury, as well as death.
"But the best manifesto in the world will not produce results unless
individual forces and individual police officers take road deaths and
injuries as seriously as they take cases of manslaughter or grievous
bodily harm," it concluded.
The committee also said transferring the responsibility for policing the
main road network from police to the Highways Agency was "fundamentally
misguided" and that the drop in police breath tests was "extremely
disturbing".
The MPs criticised attempts to make speed cameras more acceptable
through tough guidelines and said it would have been better to push the
message that speeding is dangerous and offenders will be punished.
They rejected "outright" a government proposal for lower penalties for
speeding in built-up areas and said variable penalties were only
meaningful if speed limits were enforced.
--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine
starting to get the idea:
<URL:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3968583.stm>
A group of MPs has accused the government of failing to take deaths on
Britain's roads seriously.
A Transport Select Committee report says there is public anger that a
death is apparently regarded as less serious if it is caused by a driver.
Drivers are often charged with careless driving, over dangerous driving,
as it is easier to convict them on, it says.
The report calls for an urgent overhaul of the motoring offences system,
with tougher sentences and higher fines.
One police officer reportedly told the committee that a driver who
punched another motorist could end up spending five years in prison, but
he would only get two years for causing serious injuries while at the wheel.
The Home Office is currently reviewing the road safety laws, but the MPs
said the government did not seem to understand that a tougher approach
was needed.
"Where death or injury is involved, it appears that police and
prosecutors take a more lenient view of drivers' behaviour than does the
general public," the report said.
A change of police attitudes should be part of a "radical" overhaul of
the system, it added.
"The Association of Chief Police Officers' road death investigation
manual sets out admirable principles which should be applied to cases of
serious injury, as well as death.
"But the best manifesto in the world will not produce results unless
individual forces and individual police officers take road deaths and
injuries as seriously as they take cases of manslaughter or grievous
bodily harm," it concluded.
The committee also said transferring the responsibility for policing the
main road network from police to the Highways Agency was "fundamentally
misguided" and that the drop in police breath tests was "extremely
disturbing".
The MPs criticised attempts to make speed cameras more acceptable
through tough guidelines and said it would have been better to push the
message that speeding is dangerous and offenders will be punished.
They rejected "outright" a government proposal for lower penalties for
speeding in built-up areas and said variable penalties were only
meaningful if speed limits were enforced.
--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine