A MAJOR road safety group made up of emergency services and senior politicians has backed The Press’s efforts to get tougher sentences for dangerous drivers.

The 95 Alive York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership aims to lower the number of road deaths in the region, and has thrown its weight behind The Road To Justice campaign.

We are calling on the Government to re-write guidelines to give judges more power to sentence dangerous drivers for longer, and the group decided to back the campaign at a meeting last week.

A spokesman for the group said: “Much of our work is focused on training and educating all road users, especially the next up and coming generation, about the consequences of inappropriate behaviour on our roads. Prevention is our key priority in saving lives on the roads.

“Where tragedy has not been avoided, it is necessary that judge and jury have the appropriate tools to make case by case decisions on the appropriate course of action and sentence.”

Cllr Ian Gillies, City of York Council’s executive member for road safety and a former police officer, said he is hopeful of the campaign making changes after seeing first hand the damage a fatal crash can cause a family.

He said: “I have seen what it does to families and there is nothing worse than knocking on a person’s door to tell them their husband that left for work this morning isn’t coming home.

“If dangerous drivers take a life, sentences should be handed out accordingly unless there are some mitigating circumstances.

“I welcome this campaign run by The Press to take this to those who make the laws.”

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We believe reckless drivers responsible for killing or inflicting life-changing injuries should not be punished lightly.

We believe guidelines need to change to give victims and families a sense of justice when they walk out of the courtroom to begin rebuilding their lives.

To support the campaign, go to https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/156369 and sign the petition to urge MPs to take action, or follow the campaign on twitter @PressCampaign