If I were to drive a car, and my intentions were dishonourable, I would find myself in a court driving without due care and attention, probably get a few months' driving ban and a paltry fine.

In the right hands, knives, guns, baseball bats and cars do not in themselves represent a threat. However, the law should be changed so that irresponsible, dangerous and ignorant car-drivers who kill and maim are treated as criminals who carry knives, guns and baseball bats to use them as a weapon of attack.

The legal system doesn't appear to see cars as weapons. It is about time the legal system was changed so that cars are seen as lethal weapons. Those who cause the death and maiming of others should be tried and punished as though they had committed murder and grievous bodily harm with a deadly weapon which a car is when in the hands of an irresponsible driver.

It is time for drivers to have to resit their driving exams every five years. If they fail their driving tests at this point, their full licence is automatically reduced to a provisional licence and compulsory driving lessons would follow.

They would have three months to get their skills up to scratch before having their full licences restored and having sat a further new driving test to see if they're competent enough.

I would like to further ask if the age for anyone learning to drive should be raised to 21 instead of 17? Would not these two measures at least go some way to improving the lot of all the many decent, law-abiding drivers out there who are honourable and decent drivers?

I wish Dawn, Imogen, Brian, Becky, Harvey and June (Spalding Guardian, July 3) every success and hope that they succeed in getting the sentencing of drivers changed to reflect the horrendous loss of life.

ALAN LONG

St Thomas's Road

Spalding