Motorists have been warned they could face tougher driving laws for road offences after a landmark petition demanded change.
The petition called on Labour to overhaul sentencing for dangerous drivers, after a teenage boy was killed by a repeat offender travelling at almost 100mph while drinking behind the wheel.
The campaign, backed by thousands of Britons, demanded that the Government close the "gaping hole in justice" which has seen many offenders "walk free" after just a few years, despite leaving victims' families serving a life sentence of grief.
The petition was started by the family of 17-year-old William Ray, who died in June 2024 when a motorist drove her Audi Q2 into the back of his stationary car at temporary traffic lights in Lincolnshire.
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The petition has received thousands of signatures from angry Britons demanding change
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The driver, who had a string of prior convictions, including driving without insurance, speeding, and running red lights, was found to have been drinking before the crash and had even allowed her child to sit without a seatbelt in the vehicle.
She received a 10-year jail sentence but would only serve six years and eight months before being released. The family has now warned that this exposed the failure of the UK's sentencing laws to act as a deterrent or deliver justice.
The petition detailed: "We are serving a life sentence, but she will walk free in under seven years. That is not justice. Dangerous drivers must be taken off our roads for good."
It directly calls on the Labour Government to act, with campaigners warning that the public has lost confidence in the system.
The driver had been drinking behind the wheel and travelling at almost 100mph
| GETTYThe family argued that sentencing guidelines, set by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, are "woefully outdated" and leave judges with limited options even in the most catastrophic cases.
Under UK law, the offence of dangerous driving carries a maximum of two years' custody, while causing death by dangerous driving can attract a life sentence in serious cases.
It states: "The offence of driving without due care and attention (careless driving) is committed when your driving falls below the minimum standard expected of a competent and careful driver, and includes driving without reasonable consideration for other road users."
Campaigners have warned that offenders typically serve just under a decade of their sentence before being released.
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"That is no deterrent at all," the Ray family said. "It tells reckless drivers that they can drink, speed, and kill someone — and still be back on the roads in a few short years.
"Had the law been tougher, had her licence been revoked, William would still be alive today. Labour must act now."
The petition has already gathered thousands of signatures, with one supporter stating that the driver "should have been given life", warning that "when she gets out, she will do it again."
Motorists can be issued a hefty fine for dangerous driving
| DEVON AND CORNWALL POLICEAnother person shared that "every life is precious" and that the law must change before "more families are destroyed".
Campaigners have demanded Labour increase mandatory minimums for death by dangerous driving, introduce whole-life tariffs for the worst offenders, and ensure repeat dangerous drivers are permanently banned.
The Rays said: "This is about protecting the public. It's about sending a message that reckless drivers who take lives will face the full force of the law. No other family should endure what we are going through.
"Our roads should be safe for everyone, and it starts with holding accountable those who endanger lives through irresponsible, selfish actions."