IN December last year, the Ministry of Justice began a consultation on road traffic laws relating to offences of causing death or serious injury.

Under plans put forward by ministers, dangerous drivers who kill would face the possibility of life sentences, a proposal labelled a “historic opportunity to right a long-standing wrong” by the T&A in our official response.

The results of the consultation are yet to be published, but alongside praising the milestone 10,000th Steerside offence, many of the district’s MPs said they would be raising the issue in Parliament this week.

Judith Cummins, Labour MP for Bradford South, said: “This is a very welcome milestone in the battle to make our roads safer.

“The police response to the public outcry about dangerous drivers across Bradford is commendable and no less impressive given their budget has been cut by a third over the last seven years.

“But I know the police will not be complacent and there is still much more to do. What we now need is for the Government to back our police with the funding and resources they need, and to take steps to toughening up sentences for those convicted of dangerous driving.

“I will be pressing ministers to bring forward their response to the consultation on sentencing.”

Imran Hussain, Labour MP for Bradford East, said: “Any initiative that seeks to crack down on dangerous driving in Bradford has my full support, but we need do more and we need to ensure that West Yorkshire Police have the resources and funding they need to catch offenders, resources that I will be demanding the Government grant.

“To fully maximise the impact of efforts to tackle dangerous driving, we also need to provide our judges and legal system with sentencing powers that can properly deliver justice, so it is shocking that the Government have yet to release their findings on their consultation to strengthen sentences which ended five months ago, and I would urge them to do so as soon as possible.”

Labour MP for Bradford West, Naz Shah, added: “I commend the action taken by West Yorkshire police to crack down on dangerous and unsafe driving practises.

“While the 10,000th offence is welcome in some ways, it also highlights the scale of the problem.

“The police operation is one aspect of how we have to tackle the attitude towards driving in the district. We have to continue to work with and educate drivers on the responsibilities they have to other road users and pedestrians.

“I have requested an update from the Government as to when the consultation results will be made available. I will continue to follow this issue and will look very closely at what the department recommends.”

John Grogan, the newly-elected Labour MP for Keighley, said dangerous and careless driving was a topic mentioned regularly on his recent general election campaign.

He said: “I think that Operation Steerside, which itself was inspired by the T&A’s Stop the Danger Drivers Campaign, is beginning to make a real impact in making many drivers in West Yorkshire take that bit more care.

“Tougher sentencing though is the only thing that is likely to influence those drivers who recklessly risk the lives of others on a routine basis.

“I shall be tabling a Parliamentary question next week asking when the findings of the Government’s own consultation on driving offences and sentencing policy are likely to be published.”

Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, said: “The T&A should be very proud of the fact that their campaign has sparked action from the police resulting in so many prosecutions.

“I am pleased the police have responded so positively to the dangerous driving that we all know happens with too much regularity in the Bradford district, but clearly the problem has not gone away.”

Jason Wakeford, a spokesman for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “These figures show that Operation Steerside continues to be very effective in clamping down on illegal activity. We welcome initiatives like this, which clearly show that road users who flout the law and put lives in danger will be caught.

“We have long campaigned for better justice and support services for those bereaved and seriously injured by road crashes. Victims are betrayed time and again by our justice system, which is why there must be tougher charges to better reflect the suffering caused by drivers who kill or injure others on the road.

“The MoJ is yet to publish its response to last year’s consultation and we call on the department to do so without any further delay.”

A spokesman for the MoJ said: “The Government is now considering the dangerous driving consultation responses. Any announcement will be made in due course.”