Petition calling for lawmakers to increase sentencing for banned drivers collects 150 signatures per hour

The facts of this case are very similar to the deaths of Ross and Claire Simons in Bristol last year. The driver was uninsured, driving while banned, and had a history of substance abuse. He got 10 years. The victims' family started a petition calling for a tougher sentence, and it was championed by our local MP, which prompted David Cameron to announce a sentencing review this autumn.

On the one hand this is good. There needs to be a really clear message sent out that driving while banned is a serious offence, and that it will Mess Your Life Up if you're caught doing it.

On the other hand, this has done nothing to change physical conditions for cycling where the accident happened (which are and were abysmal - joke cycle lanes with cars parked in them, the local school trying to make helmets compulsory after one of their pupils was knocked off).

It's not going to increase detection rates for driving offences, and given that the driver who killed Mr & Mrs Simons was fleeing from the police at the time the accident happened, I'm not convinced it's a deterrent. In the words of Bez of these parts, it's "legislating for headlines", not real change.

Sit in a cinema and film Fast and Furious 6 on your camcorder or Go Pro will get you 2 years and 9 months in prison. Knock a cyclist down and kill them you might get prosecuted and if in the unlikely event you are and then found guilty the punishment will be feeble, quite derisory really, a slap on the wrists, you might even get away with just a fine, or get off totally with a SMIDSY defence.

A film that glorifies dangerous driving is worth a more severe sentence for some one who illegally records it than some one who is a dangerous driver and kills a vulnerable road user such as a cyclist. Perverse. The justice system is totally fucked up.

It's difficult to comment on something like this. I just do not understand. How can someone so skilled at breaking the law not be deemed a threat to society?
Don't judges feel a sense of shame when someone they let off lightly goes on to murder someone?

A case of an Islamic preacher who was jailed for 10 years for inciting people to commit acts of terror. He didn't kill anyone himself, neither was it proven that anyone was inspired by him to kill, but potentially it could have happened.

But someone so skilled at breaking the law, band from driving, was drunk driving and had aggravatingly taken a vehicle, kills two people - only gets 10 years and isn't banned for life. Wow. I wonder what odds I'd get from the bookies that he would commit crime again.

It must take a special forgiving kinda person to be a judge. And the law, somehow seems broken if it is not able to protect the public from such menaces.

Unfortunately I cannot support this as worded as it will not allow a Judge to look at any mitigating circumstances. 14 year sentence no matter what!

Let's suppose a Doctor is found to have driven dangerously and killed some people while rushing to the scene of an accident, where he knew his intervention would save lives. Clearly he's has made a grave error of judgement by driving dangerously; but he has done it with the best of intent. Would you lock him up for 14 years? I wouldn't.

We need to focus on getting the Police to investigate properly; the CPO to instigate correct charges and judges to apply current sentencing options to full effect and if they are not appropriate lobby to provide more options.

Rather than focus on draconian laws (which only ever affect the poor and less privileged in our society) we need to focus on changing behaviour; prison rarely changes behaviour and is therefore purely a tool for punishment or revenge.

Out in a couple of years under current ruling. It sickened when I first heard of the terrible news, it sickens me now.

And What is the point of a 15 drivers ban, he was driving without a license at the time of his selfish actions, he clearly does not care.

A bolt gun would be more apt, this man is utter scum but the legal system is a sham and makes a mockery of us all. I hope this campaign means we see a change.

Hayley, you are brave and are rightly challenging a stupid law, I expect your supporters will increase dramatically.

Driving while banned should equal a life ban. Driving is not a right.

Signed. The most fitting punishment for Alexander Walters should have been a bullet in the head but sadly this will never happen.

Deepest sympathy to those involved. Tragic.

67 previous offences, over twice the legal limit and used drugs 24hrs earlier. Why is this 'person' still permitted to breathe oxygen?

Signed, and emailed many cycling contacts to sign

Sad situation, condolences to the families, government needs to wake up the driving menace on the roads!

So wrong on so many levels (the circumstances and sentence, that is, not the petition).

Signed.

Signed (and shared) the first time round, but worth promoting again. Around 17,000 signatures now, or 10,000 in past 2 weeks.

Signed.

His fifteen year driving ban is about a hundred years too short.