The Home Office claim that the new offence of causing death by careless driving will act as a deterrent and make drivers more careful on the road, but the Association of British Drivers claim the law will not achieve this aim and that the government is missing an important opportunity.
 
ABD Road safety spokesman Mark McArthur-Christie explained:

"Whilst this law will give just retribution for those killed by such drivers, it will not make the roads safer. Most who drive in a careless manner simply do not believe they are going to kill somebody so will not adjust their habits. The real and serious problem of drivers not taking care will therefore remain unaddressed. The ABD have for many years called for the police and the judicial system to crack down on careless drivers before they kill using the perfectly adequate existing laws. Sadly, prosecutions for careless driving are not taken seriously by the court system and the police are therefore reluctant to take careless drivers to court. Prosecutions therefore remain extremely rare"

ABD Chairman Brian Gregory said:

"Careless road users are one of the biggest problems on the road, inattentive driving is one of the biggest killers yet the government still fail to act, instead concentrating on non-dangerous numerical speed offenders. This is nothing more than a token gesture towards relatives of the victims of such drivers, but these drivers need to find themselves in court or being re-educated BEFORE they kill."