Jail for Careless Driving under Tough New Driving Laws

Oct 15 2008

Under new laws, drivers who kill whilst ‘avoidably distracted’ face going to prison. The courts have been given new powers to stop people from walking free from court after being convicted of causing death by not paying due care to the road or other road users.

The type of ‘avoidable distractions’ considered by the courts will include:

• Using a mobile phone (calling or texting)
• Drinking and eating
• Applying Make-up
• Anything else which takes their attention away from the road and which a court judges to have been an avoidable distraction.

The new laws will also penalise drivers who are uninsured, disqualified or unlicensed.

These new laws will carry a custodial sentence of

• Up to five years for causing death by careless driving
• Up to two years for causing death by driving while uninsured, disqualified or unlicensed

Road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick said “Last year, the number of people killed fell below 3,000 for the first time since records began in 1926, but eight people are still dying on the roads every day.

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