IAM spokesperson Vince Yearley said: "Dangerous driving can result in anything from near misses to serious injuries. But the maximum jail term for dangerous driving must relate to the driving offence - not the consequences, however awful."

The following figures represent the number of accidents caused last year by various types of dangerous driving activity (Department for Transport statistics):
 
•           18,803 accidents were caused by careless, reckless or hurried driving.
 
•           3,862 accidents were caused by aggressive driving.
 
•           Aggressive, careless, reckless or hurried driving caused at least one death a day.
 
•           5,858 accidents were caused by drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol, resulting in 160 deaths.
 
•           A significant 32,525 accidents were caused by illegal manoeuvres such as exceeding the speed limit, illegal turns, disobeying traffic signals and disobeying rules pedestrian crossings.
 
•           14 deaths and 139 serious accidents involved a stolen vehicle.