Prison Sentences for Sleeping Drivers Who Kill?

Drivers who kill someone because they have fallen asleep at the wheel should automatically face at least two years in jail, courts have been told. The independent Sentencing Advisory Panel said judges should consider imprisoning every motorist who causes death by dangerous driving.

Falling asleep at the wheel - which until now has been considered a mitigating factor - should actually make the crime worse and lead to a longer sentence, the panel said. Panel chair Professor Martin Wasik said: "Falling asleep is more likely to aggravate than mitigate the seriousness of an offence because drivers do not normally fall asleep without warning. The proper course of action for a motorist who feels drowsy is to stop driving and rest. It should be regarded as an aggravating factor and we recommend should be sentenced with two to five years imprisonment."

Courts have in the recent past recognised that an employer can bear the responsibility for accidents involving over-tired drivers.
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