Road safety charity Brake is backing Leeds North West MP Greg Mullholland as he aims to change the law to improve justice for the victims of road crime.

Mullholland is presenting the Criminal Driving (Justice for Victims) Bill in the House of Commons this afternoon (January 12) after launching his manifesto in Parliament last year.

His manifesto highlights issues with how the justice system deals with cases of criminal driving, and makes a number of recommendations for change.

It has been developed by Mulholland in partnership with Brake, other campaigning organisations, bereaved families, and a cross-party group of MPs and peers.

The Bill will seek to increase sentences for those convicted of criminal driving offences that lead to serious injury or death and also get rid of the charge of careless driving.

It will also demand improvements to the treatment of the victims of criminal driving offences and their families within the justice system.

Alice Bailey, campaigns and communications officer for Brake, said: “Too many victims of crashes caused by dangerous drivers are simply not getting justice at the moment.

"They and their families are often left feeling let down and insulted by the use of inappropriately-termed charges and overly lenient sentences.

"Drivers who have killed while taking illegal risks have too often been labelled ‘careless’ in the eyes of the law, and given insultingly low sentences, when their actions can only be described as dangerous and destructive.

"Greg has seen first-hand the devastating consequences of crashes on two families in his constituency, and Brake supports hundreds of victims and their families whose lives have been torn apart every year.

"They have already suffered so much and we must make sure their pain is not compounded by a lack of justice. It’s time this bill became law."

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