Road safety charity Brake, has renewed calls for tougher charges and penalties for drivers who kill and injure following the publication of government criminal justice figures for 2013.

The figures show the large proportion of drivers who kill and seriously injure being let off with relatively low penalties, reinforcing the importance of a forthcoming review of charges and penalties, recently announced by government.

In total, 438 drivers were convicted of causing death or bodily harm. Just over half (55%) were given immediate prison sentences, up slightly from 54% in 2012. Only one in seven (14%) were given more than five years in prison, a small increase from one in ten (10%) in 2012.