Last updated 19:29, Thursday, 27 November 2008

THE father of a Cockermouth man who died in a crash caused by a speeding drink driver has welcomed Government proposals to tighten driving laws.

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Tougher Drive laws: John Thompson in a family photograph with his son Andrew, left, who died in a 130mph crash last year, and his other sons Stuart and Matthew

But John Thompson, of Coniston Drive, wants to encourage drivers to consider the possible consequences before getting behind the wheel.

Andrew Thompson, 27, died after being thrown from an overloaded Mini Cooper on the old A66 road at Great Clifton in January 2007.

The car, containing six people and a dog, was driven by Mark Houghton, of Main Road, Flimby.

Last November Houghton, 21, was jailed for eight years and given a 10-year driving ban after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and obtaining motor insurance by deception by failing to disclose a previous careless driving conviction.

The court heard he had been driving at 130mph shortly before the crash.

In a bid to reduce British road deaths, the Government is considering higher penalties for people driving at more than 20mph above the speed limit, with fixed penalties of six penalty points instead of three.

The introduction of drug-drive limits is being considered to make prosecutions easier.

“Any measures to improve the way youths drive would help,” said Sellafield design engineer Mr Thompson.

“It may have saved Andrew’s life if it had been done earlier.”

Andrew was one of 2,946 people to die on British roads last year and his father, whose wife Joan died of a brain tumour in 2003, said not a day goes by when he and surviving sons Stuart, 27, and Matthew, 21, do not think of him.

Mr Thompson, 58, said: “It changes your life forever. It makes you a different person, all because of the actions of a stupid young boy.

“It’s difficult for me to allow my other sons to have the freedom they should have.

“It’s hard for them because they both looked up to their brother.

“Because I was on holiday when it happened they had to do things like identify his body. That’s the effect dangerous drivers have on people’s lives.”

As Christmas and the anniversary of Andrew’s death draw near, life is even harder for those left behind.

“I have got my other sons to keep things going for but it’s hard. Outwardly you try to be strong for them but inwardly you’re falling apart.

“If you’re out enjoying yourself and you laugh you feel guilty. Life goes on but your mind is always on the person you have lost.”

Mr Thompson would like people to be vigilant about drivers getting in their cars after drinking and wants to see insurance procedures tightened up to make false declarations impossible.

But mostly he would like to see drivers take responsibility for their actions.

He said: “Drivers should just imagine if it was their loved one in the car with them or think about how their parents would feel if they were to die.

“I just wish people could feel my pain so they wouldn’t do it.”