'Ryan's Law' is being debated in Parliament after fatal hit-and-run in Cornwall
Ryan Saltern's family are calling to widen the legal definition of causing death by dangerous driving
A campaign that was launched after the death of a young dad from Cornwall, following a hit-and-run, is being debated in Parliament.
More than 167,000 people signed the petition for 'Ryan's Law', which makes it eligible for a debate.
The petition is calling for the legal definition of causing death by dangerous driving to be widened.
31-year-old Ryan Saltern lost his life after the collision at St Teath in 2019.
The driver involved in the incident pleaded guilty to failing to stop and failing to report the accident and was given a four-month suspended sentence.
Since Ryan's death, his family have campaigned tirelessly for hit-and-run drivers to face tougher sentences.
In December 2020, their first petition received over 100,000 signatures which meant the matter would be debated in Parliament.
Although the driver involved was not convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, Ryan's Law wants to widen the legal definition of that.
The discussion is being held in Parliament today (Monday 15th November).
Ryan's dad, Mark Saltern, told us how it has been a difficult time for the family.
"Since the knock at the door it's been really tough, we've had to deal with the grief and we've been in some really dark places I must admit, but we've got the help, there is help out there, and obviously from family and friends. The friends we've gained since starting the petition alone has been incredible.
"We just want people to not go through what we've gone through, the grief of losing a loved one, the end result at the end of the day is to help other families get some sort of justice, we didn't get justice for Ryan, so that's what we're fighting for.
He said: "People are getting killed, innocent people are getting killed, by drink or drug drivers and uninsured drivers and they don't stop, they flee the scene. So this is to give those victims a fighting chance to survive, they are leaving these people dying in the road, how is that right."
You can find the Ryan's Law petition, which has now closed, here.
On 21st March 2021 the Government responded to the petition, saying: "Ministers are aware of the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Ryan Saltern and extend their sympathy to family and friends.
"Failure to stop and report offences are often referred to as “hit and run”, but this is not an accurate reflection of the offence. The offence is designed to deal with behaviour relating to failing to stop, not as an alternative route to punish an offender for a more serious, but unproven offence.
"The vast majority of failure to stop and report offences involve low level traffic incidents, for example where a driver clips the wing mirror of another vehicle in a narrow street.
"In a small number of cases, the failure to stop or report may be related to an incident which leads to the death or serious injury of another person. Where there is evidence the driver caused harm, there is a range of offences for which the driver may be charged including causing death or serious injury from dangerous or careless driving. In these cases, the courts will treat the failure to stop as a further aggravating factor in the sentencing decision. Where there is evidence that the driver tried to frustrate justice or avoid detection, they may also be charged with perverting the course of justice, which carries a life sentence as a maximum penalty.
"The Government takes this issue seriously. The Department for Transport is looking into the issue of such incidents of failure to stop resulting in death or serious injury, and exploring whether there are further options that can be pursued."
Ryan's Law is being debated in Parliament today (Monday 15th November).