THE family of six-year-old Rebecca Sawyer, who was killed by a man in a stolen vehicle, will today urge Home Secretary David Blunkett to tighten the law.
Rebecca was killed on December 31, when banned driver Ian Carr jumped red traffic lights and crashed into the Sawyer family's car. Kirsty's two-year-old sister suffered critical injuries but recovered in hospital.
It was later discovered that Carr already had 89 previous convictions for driving offences, including one for causing death by dangerous driving.
Today the family, from Ashington, Northumberland, will meet Mr Blunkett in London and hand over a petition urging him to recognise a new offence of manslaughter by driving.
The petition, organised by a North-East newspaper, is calling for a possible life sentence for dangerous drivers who kill when there are aggravating factors such as driving while disqualified, uninsured or driving a stolen vehicle.
The family will also speak to MPs at a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on road safety, along with road safety charity Brake and the Sawyer's MP, Denis Murphy.
The Home Office has already announced that it plans to increase the maximum prison sentence for causing death by dangerous driving from ten to 14 years.
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