Adelaide Advertiser: Dangerous drivers face life in jail - 30 July 30, 2006

Drivers who kill or seriously injure a person could face life behind bars under new laws in South Australia. And they could also be disqualified from driving for ten years after completing any jail term. Motorists who kill or seriously injure someone in aggravated circumstances would face a maximum life sentence, SA Attorney-General Michael Atkinson said. “In the face of public outrage against those who cause death and serious injury by dangerous driving, the Kapunda Road royal commission recommended that these types of offences be treated the same as manslaughter,” he said.

The royal commission examined the handling of the case of an Adelaide lawyer found guilty of driving without due care after the death of cyclist Ian Humphrey. Eugene McGee received a fine and his licence was suspended for 12 months. Under the new laws, an offence of dangerous driving becomes aggravated if a driver attempts to escape police, has a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or higher, drives while disqualified, or exceeds the speed limit by 45km/h or more.

For non-aggravated offences, a reckless driver whose driving leads to an incident in which someone is maimed or killed will receive a maximum sentence of 15 years jail for a first offence and life for a subsequent offence. “Previously, people who failed to stop after killing a person with a motor vehicle could be sentenced only to one year in jail for failing to stop,” Mr Atkinson said.