Death by Dangerous Driving Sentenced More Harshly
Figures released by the government under the Freedom of Information Act (released, September 2016) highlight the numbers of people found guilty of, and convicted by courts across England and Wales for, causing death by dangerous driving.
Although it might be expected that the figures have risen year on year, this is not the case according to the government statistics.
In fact, figures for those found guilty and sentenced for this offence were highest in 2010/11 (the first period given in this table), with 130 people being found guilty by the courts. In 2012/13, by comparison, just 94 people were convicted.
Although this figure rises to 105 in 2014/15, it is not possible to say what the figures are for a more recent period as the table ends with the partial year April to December 2015, during which period 91 people were convicted.
Immediate custodial sentences were imposed in most cases where drivers were convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, although this is not always the case.
The majority of people convicted of this offence were sentenced to a custodial sentence between 3 and 7 years in length, with the average custodial sentence lengths varying from 47.8 months in 2010/11 to 60.02 months in 2014/15.
A much lower proportion of offenders were given custodial sentences ranging from 7 years up to 14 years. In one instance (2010/11), this was as low as one sixth of the people who received a custodial sentence of between 3 and 7 years.
However, this differential increased over the years for which the data was recorded, bringing the recent most punitive custodial sentences to around a third of those imprisoned for 3 to 7 years.
In short, this would appear to suggest that sentencing for those found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving has become harsher. This is a grave example of how important specialist representation is when faced with a charge like death by dangerous driving.
If you have been charged with Causing Death by Dangerous Driving, contact our office today on 01623 397200 for free initial advice.
