Act now over menace of boy racers
Call for tough sentences after FOURTH danger driver in court
CALLS have been made for a crackdown on the menace of dangerous driving on our roads after a fourth boy racer was hauled before the courts.
Tyler Branche, 19, of Royds Street, Accrington, (pictured-aboveright) reached speeds of 73mph in a 30mph zone and drove through red lights, on the wrong side of a road, around blind bends and over a humpback bridge at 60mph.
He is the fourth boy racer to appear before Burnley Crown Court in unre- lated cases in recent weeks. Luke Pilkington, 19, of Whalley Road, Accrington, was locked up after reaching speeds of up to 80mph in 20mph residential areas in Accrington in a stolen Audi A6.
And Robert Lesley Bell was spared jail after reaching speeds of more than 70mph in 30mph zones along Hyndburn Road while over the drinkdrive limit.
Council leader Miles Parkinson has called on the courts to hand offenders ‘the heaviest fines and sentences possible’.
CALLS have been made for a crackdown on boy racers after a FOURTH man was hauled before the courts for dangerous driving.
Tyler Branche, 19, of Royds Street, Accrington, reached speeds of 73mph in a 30mph zone and drove through red lights, on the wrong side of a road round blind bends and over a humpback bridge at 60mph.
He has been locked up for 16 months.
He is the fourth dangerous driver from Hyndburn to appear before Burnley Crown Court in recent weeks in unrelated cases.
Luke Pilkington, 19, of Whalley Road, Accrington, was locked up after reaching speeds of up to 80mph in 20mph residential areas in Accrington in a stolen Audi A6 before crashing into a parked car on Royds Street.
Robert Lesley Bell, 20, was spared jail after reaching speeds of more than 70mph in 30mph zones. He was caught speeding on Hyndburn Road while over the drink drive limit.
And disqualified driver James Honey was jailed after driving at 110mph the WRONG WAY down a motorway before crashing into a police car.
After the latest case, road safety campaigner Rennie Pinder called on police and courts to clamp down on the menace of dangerous driving by doubling fines, licence points and driving bans.
He said: “There are not enough police officers around because the money and staffing levels aren’t there. We have to look at it in a different light. We have tried to educate people and by putting speed cameras out, but they are ignoring them.
“The only way to do it now is by doubling everything up and that will reduce it considerably and make people think twice.
“If they do 90mph in a 30mph zone then they will be banned but it should be for twice as long.”
The Altham parish councillor, who helps operate four speed cameras in Accrington, Huncoat, Rishton and Altham, said the data they record shows some drivers are travelling at ‘alarming speeds’.
Council leader and former firefighter Miles Parkinson has also called on the courts to hand offenders ‘the heaviest fines and sentences’ possible.
He said: “It’s such a dangerous issue because motor vehicles are weapons. For anyone killed in a motor vehicle accident I’m led to believe it costs the state upwards of £1 million when you add in all the investigations, the emergency services and the NHS. It’s a waste of public resources and a waste of human life.”
A Lancashire police spokesman said: “Speeding is an emotive issue for residents and is something we are committed to tackling, and to this end we regularly conduct speed checks and enforce fixed, mobile and average speed cameras right across the county.”
Honey, 25, of Ascot Way, Accrington, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance, failing to stop after an accident and all while in breach of a suspended prison sentence.
He was jailed for 23 months, disqualified from driving for five years and ordered to take an extended re-test.
Bell, of Manor Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drink driving and was given an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, with a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 100 hours unpaid work.
Pilkington pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, handling stolen goods, using a car without insurance – and all while subject to a suspended sentence order.
He was sent to a young offenders’ institute for 18 months.