ROAD safety campaigners have had their hopes of tougher sentences being introduced for death crash drivers dashed this week.

MP Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem, Leeds North West) and the family of Otley teenager Jamie Still, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2010, aged 16, have been pushing for a crackdown for years.

After seeing reports suggesting yesterday's Queen's Speech would include details of longer jail sentences in such cases, they hoped to be celebrating a major step forward.

Instead, the announcement – the Queen's address at the state opening of Parliament, which lays out the Government's legislation for the coming year – contained no such mention of the issue.

Mr Mulholland, who introduced the Criminal Driving (Justice for Victims) Bill in the House of Commons in January with cross-party support, has written to the Ministry of Justice asking for an explanation regarding the omission.

But the MP, who was named Brake's Road Safety Parliamentarian of the Year in February, is still hopeful an announcement may yet be made in the coming days.

He said: "It is disappointing there wasn't an announcement in The Queen’s Speech on tougher penalties for criminal drivers who kill, considering it had been reported this was going to be included.

"I hope we will hear such an announcement in The Queen’s Speech debates during the next week, when more detail is laid out about the Government's plans for the year.

"We know the Ministry of Justice is undertaking a review into this area of sentencing. What we must now hear from Ministers is the exact timetable and when they will actual bring forward legislation.

"This is much needed and long overdue, and I will continue to press the Government until this happens – something campaigners and families of victims will keep campaigning for."

Jamie Still's family, including his sister, Rebecca, grandfather, Peter Strong, and mother, Karen Strong, have all been campaigning to get the law changed.

Karen, speaking after hearing details of The Queen's Speech, said: "This is very disappointing but, unfortunately, it is what we have gotten used to following Jamie's death.

"We have been let down by everybody that has been involved, except Greg. I know he will continue to champion our cause.

"Hopefully, the tougher penalties will be passed soon, so they can be a deterrent and give other families the justice they deserve, before more families suffer like ours has."

Jamie, a student at St Mary's School in Menston, was hit by a car in Boroughgate, Otley, on New Year's Eve, 2010.

The driver responsible was found to have been twice over the legal drink-drive limit and speeding.

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