The daughter of a woman killed alongside her lifelong friend has launched a campaign for tougher sentences for killer drivers – as the man responsible for the double-death announced he would appeal against his jail term.

The news of the appeal has shocked the victims’ devastated families but has strengthened their own resolve to get more justice by changing the UK’s death-by-dangerous-driving law.

Last month Daniel Witter, 23, was sent to prison by Judge Jonathan Durham for “wiping out two priceless individuals” when he killed Janet Herd, 49, and Linda Tansley, 48, both of Thackley on August 26.

The close friends had been returning home from an annual school reunion in Apperley Bridge when Witter ploughed into their car in a powerful Mercedes-Benz he had stolen.

Now Janet Herd’s eldest daughter, Jennifer, 25, of Wrose, is battling her grief to launch an on-line petition to change the death by dangerous driving law which currently sets the maximum penalty at 14 years.

She wants judges to take in to account if more than one life is lost and to give separate sentences that run on from each other.

She said: “As it stands at the moment it makes no sense. If Witter had stabbed by mum and her friend to death he would have got longer, the deaths would have been viewed separately. A car to him was a weapon, it was his knife. He should have got a sentence for each life he took. How many more Daniel Witters are there out there? How many more families will have to suffer?”

And she revealed on the night of the crash the death toll could have been higher as two other friends had also been offered a lift by Mrs Tansley.

“He could have killed them all and still have got just the 12 years,” said Jennifer.

Bradford Crown Court had heard how Witter had ignored screams to slow down from his four terrified passengers and took bends at high speed while being pursued by police.

He was on the wrong side of Apperley Lane, Apperley Bridge, heading for Bradford, when he crashed into Mrs Tansley’s Ford Fiesta at a speed of up to 80mph. The Fiesta was pulling out of a junction and hardly moving at the time of the impact.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC had said it was the worst case he had seen in 35 years, branding Witter’s character and attitude “despicable”.

Witter had 27 previous convictions for 44 offences, dating back to when he was 13, included drink-driving, driving stolen cars, robbery, theft and breach of an Asbo.

At the sentencing the Judge said that although the women’s relatives wanted Witter jailing for the longest possible time and that the case had “every conceivable aggravating feature”, he could not impose a sentence of life imprisonment despite it being “a sentence he has inflicted on the families.”

Jennifer Herd’s on-line petition has so far been signed by 800 people. Family and friends have also been collecting names on paper.

Miss Herd, who has two children and is expecting another in March, plans to take the petition to 10 Downing Street.

She said: “We don’t feel 12 years is enough for two precious lives. If he behaves himself he could be out in six to eight years even without the appeal. Three or four years on each of those lives is just a mockery. All our lives have been devastated. We can’t wait to get Christmas and the New Year over, we’ve had nothing to celebrate. Alfie, my son, kept asking Santa to bring his Nana back – we’re heartbroken and it was made worse hearing that Witter was going to appeal against his sentence.

“My sister, mum and me were so close, we took on the world together. Now we’ve lost her it sometimes feels as though there is no world left to take on but we will get this petition through, we are determined to make something positive happen out of this terrible tragedy.”

To see the online petition go to petition.co.uk/sentences-for-each-life-lost, click on sign a petition and type Janet Herd in the keywords box.

The Court of Appeal has confirmed it is processing an appeal by Witter against his sentencing.

As well as causing the women’s deaths by dangerous driving, Witter, from Town Street, Armley, had also admitted to aggravated vehicle taking, using a vehicle without insurance, driving without a licence and driving when two to three times over the legal alcohol limit.