THE Government has vowed to hand out tougher sentences to drivers who kill or maim others - a year to the day since The Press launched The Road to Justice campaign.

Our campaign called on ministers to re-write sentencing guidelines for reckless drivers as we told the stories of dangerous driving victims in York.

This time last year, no-one had ever received the maximum sentence of 14 years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving and judges were bound by strict guidelines which made it hard to apply the jail term.

We told the story of Linda Atkinson, who suffered life changing injuries when she was hit by a speeding car as she waited at traffic lights on her moped in St Maurice’s Road.

Doctors came close to turning off her life support machine, but she eventually pulled through and spent months in a wheelchair.

Stephen Briddon, the driver of the car which struck Linda, admitted dangerous driving and was jailed for two years and eight months, and banned from driving for four years and four months.

The Government announced in December last year that it would launch consultation on changing the sentencing guidelines.

Today the Ministry of Justice is maintaining a strong stance by outlining that drivers who kill “must face the full force of the law”.

A spokesman added: “While we can never compensate for the loss of a loved one, we are clear that the punishment must fit the crime.

“Last year the Government issued a consultation that will see the maximum sentence in this area increase from 14 years to life. We will announce our response to the consultation in due course.”