SIR — As the ward member for the location of Bethany Paige Adams' fatal car crash, I was astounded at the leniency of the sentence for the death of a young girl.

What is the deterrent to other young people of similar mind set?

This small ward, which includes the A39 as well as the A358, has seen six fatal accidents in the last six years.

On top of that there are at least a further four to six serious incidents per year.

To re-engineer the highway black spots would potentially lead to even faster driving on these lethal roads.

A simple trial solution, designed to send a very clear message to young and inexperienced drivers who cause fatalities, is to impose a driving ban to last up to the age at which the driver's insurance company would deem the young person to enter a lower risk category (usually aged 25 years) but with a minimum of a three-year ban.

This should be concurrent with a very much tougher community work sentence of, say, 1,000 hours.

Prison is an expensive luxury and is inappropriate.

In this and many similar incidents, the other occupants receive a life sentence.

This will not stop the carnage but it just might make all drivers think a bit harder.

Cllr Stuart Dowding,

West Quantock Ward,

West Somerset Council.