Burrowes hails victory for campaign to get tough on dangerous drivers
11th January 2010
Last week the Government announced that the maximum sentence for dangerous driving was to be increased from 2 years imprisonment to 5 years following a long campaign by road safety campaigners including David Burrowes MP.
Soon after being elected MP in 2005, David Burrowes took up the campaign of his constituents, the Galli-Atkinson family, who lost their daughter Livia when in 1997 she was the victim of a tragic crash caused by a dangerous driver who received a lenient sentence. Although the maximum sentence for death by dangerous driving has increased to 14 years, together with the Galli-Atkinson family, David Burrowes’ has for many years highlighted the gap in the law for dangerous drivers who cause serious injury.
In October 2006, David Burrowes made an unsuccessful attempt to change the law by tabling an amendment to the Road Safety Bill to increase the sentence for dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm. He spoke in the House of Commons during the passage of the Bill on 9th October:
“The concern that I and others have is the gap between those convicted of dangerous driving and those convicted of death by dangerous driving. The gap in sentencing is too large, considering the serious injuries that often result from such incidents. They [the Government] should reflect whether we need further legislation or an increased penalty for dangerous driving to plug the gap that still exists for those who have suffered serious injuries but not death.”
David Burrowes said after the Government announcement on 5th January 2010:
“I am pleased that the Government has finally accepted that the current penalties for dangerous driving are insufficient. It is a welcome victory for our long standing campaign and a victory for common sense and justice for road crash victims of dangerous drivers. I pay tribute to the tireless and courageous campaigning of the Galli-Atkinson family and other road safety campaigners for all their work in achieving this important planned change to the law.”
