Consultation on tougher penalties for hit-and-run

A consultation on “tougher actions” for hit-and-run drivers will be held the government has confirmed, following a campaign by a victim’s family.

Ryan Saltern was killed in a hit-and-run in St. Teath in North Cornwall in 2019.

The Department for Transport said failing to report a road incident was “completely unacceptable” and they were “considering tougher actions”.

Noah Law, MP for St Austell and Newquay, said he was “so happy” for the Saltern family “that the government has listened to their experience”. MP for North Cornwall, Ben Maguire, said it was an “important huge step forward”.

On Wednesday, the UK government launched the first major road safety strategy in over a decade, aimed at lowering the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on the roads.

Part of the new strategy would be a consultation on widening sentencing laws for hit-and-run offences, following a campaign for Ryan’s Law launched by the Saltern family.

The Road Safety Strategy 2026 would see the government take tougher action on drink-driving, drug-driving, illegal number plates, and introduce minimum learning periods for learner drivers, to make roads safer.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy and failing to stop and report an incident on the roads is completely unacceptable.

“Our new Road Safety Strategy sets out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.

“As part of this we are considering tougher actions for those who fail to stop and report a road traffic incident, including reviewing the penalties.”

Wayne Shilling, 39, of St Teath, was driving home from a carnival in the village in July 2019 when he hit Saltern, who died at the scene.

Shilling was given a four-month suspended sentence, disqualified from driving for 12 months, given an evening curfew for four months and ordered to pay a £207 victim surcharge and prosecution costs.

Ryan’s Law was first brought before Parliament by Maguire, through an amendment to the sentencing bill in October.

Maguire said the consultation announcement was “one of the proudest days I’ve had since I was elected MP for North Cornwall”.

He said: “It’s at consultation stage so we don’t know the precise detail yet… we know the direction of travel now from this government is to tighten the rules around hit-and-run and crucially to increase sentences for those hit-and-run perpetrators who fail to stop, who fail to administrate and fail to call for help to make sure they get the proper sentences and justice is done.”

Law said he was “so happy” for the Saltern family “that the government has listened to their experience and that, through Ryan’s memory and their own personal strengths, they have successfully pushed our government to include their recommendations in the new Road Safety Strategy”.