Clause 19 - Careless, and inconsiderate, driving
Road Safety Bill
9:25 am
Mr Christopher Chope (Shadow Minister, Environment and Transport; Christchurch, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 52, in clause 19, page 24, line 23, leave out 'level 5' and insert
'''level 5, when the offence involved a collision resulting in death or serious injury and in all other cases level 4''.'.
The clause increases the maximum penalty for careless or inconsiderate driving by doubling the maximum fine from £2,500 to £5,000, but it does not differentiate between the consequences of such driving. The thinking behind the Government's move to increase the maximum penalty was to try to give some consolation to the people, or the relatives of people, involved in an accident resulting in death or serious injury. At present an accident resulting in death which is caused by careless driving carries a maximum penalty of a £2,500 fine, whereas one caused by dangerous driving carries a maximum penalty of no fewer than 14 years' imprisonment.
The Government have tried to fudge this serious issue, which I think is common to all constituencies. In the clause they merely increase the maximum fine without saying whether it would be applicable in a particular set of circumstances. I accept that my amendment would be only a halfway measure, but, if accepted, it would at least initiate a recognition by Government that the maximum penalty for causing death or serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving should be greater than that for careless driving.