BACK OFF.. OR GO TO JAIL

Road hogs whose tailgating or dangerous driving leads to death will face stiffer penalties

- MARCELLO MEGA

DRIVERS who cause death by aggressive driving such as tailgating will face the stiffest sentences available to courts in Scotland.

The Scottish Sentencing Council wants tailgating and other aggressive means of driving to be treated in the same way as causing death by racing on public roads.

The Scottish Campaign Against Irresponsible Drivers (SCID) welcomed the proposals, Secretary Margaret Dekke said: "Families bereaved by bad driving offences, and the public at large, have great difficulty in understanding sentencing decisions.

"These decisions would be better understood if a starting point were agreed and the court could adjust a sentence accordingly for aggravating or mitigating circumstances." Current sentence ranges for causing death by dangerous driving go up to 12 years in prison and reflect the upper limits of sentences imposed by Scottish courts.

The council has produced its first guideline on causing death by driving to try to deliver greater consistency in outcomes and assist public understanding of how such cases are dealt with.