Pictured: Stephen Nye
Serious injury specialists at leading national law firm Irwin
Mitchell have welcomed the government's plans to introduce an
offence which will see the maximum sentence for dangerous drivers
increase, stating that the move will be vital in improving safety
on the UK's roads.
A proposal has been put forward as part of the Sentencing and
Rehabilitation Bill which would mean that anyone found guilty of
causing serious injury by dangerous driving would face up to five
years in prison, which is a significant increase on the current
guidelines which result in the vast majority of offenders receiving
sentences of less than two years.
National law firm Irwin Mitchell, which acts for people who have
suffered serious injuries in car crashes and road traffic
collisions in the UK and the families of those killed in such
incidents, has joined a number of road safety charities and other
organisations in backing the sentencing reforms.
Stephen Nye, a Partner and serious injury specialist at the law
firm's Birmingham office, said: "We work day-in day-out with
clients who have had their lives turned upside down by the actions
of reckless, dangerous drivers on our roads.
"We work tirelessly to ensure those injured are able to gain
both access to justice and funds that will replace lost earnings
and help them to secure the specialist rehabilitation and care
required as a result of their injuries. For many, life is never the
same following serious injury, but funding and early attention to
rehabilitation is vital to enable crash victims to get the most
from life despite the difficulties they face.
"Any move which looks to actively promote safer driving on our
roads has to be welcomed and this move demonstrates a clear signal
from the government that motorists who put the lives of others at
risk will face stiff sentences"
"Too many people are seriously injured and killed in road
traffic collisions, and this tougher sentencing policy reflects the
terrible consequences that dangerous driving can have."