KILLER drivers could now be facing a lifetime behind bars under new legislation, the government has confirmed.

Motorists who cause death by speeding, street racing or while on a mobile phone are among those who may be handed the maximum punishment.

Thousands of people backed tougher penalties for the most serious road offences in a public consultation after the plans were announced in December last year.

The Government will now push on with the measures, which will see life sentences introduced for those convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs.

Justice Minister Dominic Raab said: "We've taken a long hard look at driving sentences, and we received 9,000 submissions to our consultation.

"Based on the seriousness of the worst cases, the anguish of the victims' families, and maximum penalties for other serious offences such as manslaughter, we intend to introduce life sentences of imprisonment for those who wreck lives by driving dangerously, drunk or high on drugs."

In 2016, 157 people were sentenced for causing death by dangerous driving and 32 were convicted of causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence, the MoJ said.

Jason Wakeford, director of campaigns for road safety charity Brake, said the move marked a "major victory for the families of victims" and campaigners.

He said: "We applaud the Government for at last recognising that the statute books have been weighed against thousands of families who have had their lives torn apart through the actions of drivers who have flagrantly broken the law."

Oxfordshire's killer drivers:

  • June 2014 - Robert Blackwell admitted death by dangerous driving. He killed 14-year-old Liberty Baker as she was walking to Henry Box School and was hit by Blackwell's car. He was jailed for four years
  • January 2015 - Rafal Czarniewski killed Marcin Zaleski on the A420 Buckland near Faringdon. He was jailed for three and a half years.
  • June 2016 - Lewis Stratford killed Australian national Gavin Roberts' on the A34 after he made emotional phonecalls to his girlfriend. He was jailed for three years and eight months.
  • August 2016 - Thomas Hunter killed three-year-old Isla Wiggin and seriously injured her pregnant mother Collette, who also lost her unborn son in the crash on the A34. Jailed for six years.
  • August 2016 - Tomasz Kroker killed Tracy Houghton and three children on the A34 after losing concentration because he was changing music on his phone. He was jailed for 10 years.

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