The Guardian
Two court cases last month illustrate how confusion over legal definitions are feeding into a culture of poor driving standards In 2024, 1,602 people were killed on British roads. Only a small proportion of these resulted in a surviving driver being prosecuted. When we hear about the sentencing in such cases, the public reaction is often a mix of sorrow, anger and, increasingly, confusion. Why do some drivers who kill receive only short prison terms? Why are some charged with the lesser offence of “careless” rather than “dangerous” driving? After more than two decades researching this area of law, I believe our legal framework for prosecuting drivers needs to change. Most of us rarely do anything that could easily kill another person – except when we drive. For many of us, passing our driving test is a rite of passage. It represents independence and adulthood in a car-centric society. When we first learn to drive, we are hyper-aware of the need to concentrate. But once we have passed, most of us never look at the Highway Code again, and the careful habits drilled into us by instructors fade away. Sally Kyd is a professor of law at the University of Leicester Continue reading...
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