No warnings, no arguments, it’s straight to jail! That’s the message being sent out to people who persistently text and phone while at the wheel.
The Sentencing Guidelines Council, which advises courts in England and Wales, is behind the new rules that demand stronger punishment for anyone causing a death on the road while using a phone. Harshest sentences will be handed out to drivers who are sending text messages at the time – the guidelines suggest between four and seven years in jail.
If a driver is distracted by a handheld phone, the sentence is between two and five years. The difference recognises that texting requires the driver to look away from the road.
Meanwhile, the SGC has stated that uninsured drivers responsible for a road death won’t be put behind bars. Other new rules, which include killing through careless driving while drunk or on drugs, will carry jail terms of two to 14 years.