In response to the jailing of Ian Carr last week, the ABD has called for all joy-riding offences to be taken more seriously, with more effort put into apprehension and tougher sentences on conviction.
Carr was convicted after the stolen car he was driving crashed into a family hatchback killing Rebecca Sawyer and critically injuring her 18-month-old sister Kirsty.
The ABD is concerned that those who steal cars and drive them unlicenced and uninsured are able to get away without fear of a serious penalty.
The ABD has in the past attempted to find out just how many people are killed or seriously injured by such drivers but no statistics seem to be available. The ABD worry that they are being lumped in with other 'speed related crimes' and criminalising ordinary motorists.
ABD Chairman Brian Gregory said: "The courts must take vehicle theft seriously, this offence is not like stealing a bag of sweets from a shop, it has more in common with randomly firing a firearm in public and hoping nobody gets hurt. It's about time proper statistics were collated for the number of deaths and injuries caused by such drivers".
ABD spokesman Nigel Humphries added: "It seems that whenever television companies produce programmes on speeding they report children who have been killed by 'speeding drivers' then casually mention that the car was also stolen as though it's an insignificant factor. The government appears to take a similar view, relying upon their beloved but ineffective cameras and reduced speed limits to solve a problem which they obviously cannot. Only by bringing back traffic officers will these menaces be apprehended. Only when the courts hand out appropriate sentences will they be stopped".
ABD Website
Carr was convicted after the stolen car he was driving crashed into a family hatchback killing Rebecca Sawyer and critically injuring her 18-month-old sister Kirsty.
The ABD is concerned that those who steal cars and drive them unlicenced and uninsured are able to get away without fear of a serious penalty.
The ABD has in the past attempted to find out just how many people are killed or seriously injured by such drivers but no statistics seem to be available. The ABD worry that they are being lumped in with other 'speed related crimes' and criminalising ordinary motorists.
ABD Chairman Brian Gregory said: "The courts must take vehicle theft seriously, this offence is not like stealing a bag of sweets from a shop, it has more in common with randomly firing a firearm in public and hoping nobody gets hurt. It's about time proper statistics were collated for the number of deaths and injuries caused by such drivers".
ABD spokesman Nigel Humphries added: "It seems that whenever television companies produce programmes on speeding they report children who have been killed by 'speeding drivers' then casually mention that the car was also stolen as though it's an insignificant factor. The government appears to take a similar view, relying upon their beloved but ineffective cameras and reduced speed limits to solve a problem which they obviously cannot. Only by bringing back traffic officers will these menaces be apprehended. Only when the courts hand out appropriate sentences will they be stopped".
ABD Website
