Driving bans: Jan Woodward gets the law changed

A woman whose daughter was killed by a drunken driver has won a fight against convicts being allowed to serve their driving bans while in prison.

Jan Woodward mounted her campaign for a change in the law after the death of her 19 year old daughter Kelly three years ago.

She was prompted to take action when Andrew Burrell, then 20, admitted causing death by dangerous driving while twice over the legal drink-drive limit.

An original 30 month prison sentence was increased on appeal to four and a half years with a five year driving ban, allowing him to drive within months of leaving jail.

She has now received official confirmation that the law has been changed with Royal Assent to The Coroners and Justice Act.

Mrs Woodward, from Billingham, Teesside, said: “It’s a bitter-sweet thing. I just hope that people who follow me get more justice than I got.”

(In a civilised society a drunk driver who kills someone should get a lifetime driving ban. So there's still some way to go in reforming the law.)