NEW CARELESS DRIVING OFFENCE GOOD – PENALTY COULD BE BETTER SAYS BMF
10 November 2005 - BMF

The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF), the UK’s largest riders rights organisation, has welcomed the recent Government decision to introduce a new offence of ‘Causing Death by Careless, or Inconsiderate, Driving’ - but says the penalties do not go far enough.

Introduced as part of the Report Stage of the Road Safety Bill, the BMF see the new offence as signifying a welcome culture change – signalling that careless or inconsiderate driving is not to be taken lightly - but questions the length of sentence, ‘the tariff’, that will be available to judges. The BMF considers that punishment should more properly fit the crime with a minimum sentence of 10 years for the offence, not the suggested 5 years.

The BMF has long supported national road safety lobby groups in their efforts to toughen the laws relating to road deaths. For too long say the BMF, a death following careless driving has merely been seen as the unfortunate consequence of a driver’s inattention.

Motorcyclists in particular suffer from driver carelessness where a ‘Sorry mate I didn’t see you’ excuse has often become an acceptable reason for a car-bike collision, even if the motorcyclist has been seriously injured or killed.

BMF spokesman Jeff Stone said: ''While we support the introduction of the new offence, the problem, will be ensuring that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is able to run with a prosecution and persuade a jury of perhaps mainly drivers, to convict a fellow motorist who they might see as much a victim as a perpetrator.”

The new offence will also mean that from the point of view of those bereaved by the actions of errant drivers, justice will not only be done, but be seen to be done, an important element for the bereaved family and often overlooked, say the BMF.

www.betterbiking.co.uk

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