A man dies in a car accident. The driver involved is fined £100 for careless driving. That is the price of human life under our absurd motoring laws.

Brighton magistrates imposed the pitifully low fine on Leighton Long, from Woodingdean, who admitted a charge of careless driving. They were unable to send him to prison for this offence.

Long's car crashed into a parked truck last year, killing his front seat passenger, Michael Tugwell, instantly.

Long had been drinking and had owned the car only a week. He was not insured and witnesses gained the impression he was travelling fast.

A woman has been widowed and three young children have to grow up without a father.

Magistrates' hands were tied by the careless driving offence. Surely the prosecution could have brought a more serious charge against Long?

But this case once again shows how pitifully inept the motoring laws are at dealing with accidents in which people are killed.

Ever since the death of PC Jeff Tooley at Shoreham, The Argus has been campaigning for action. Yet nothing is ever done.

The Government urgently needs to introduce a new driving offence so that in these cases the punishment can fit the crime.

Otherwise there will be more cases like this one where the driver of a car involved in a fatal crash is given a ludicrously small fine.