Professor Sally Kyd, University of Leicester

Professor Sally Kyd from the University of Leicester is one of the UK’s leading experts on driving law and criminal justice. She has spent more than two decades studying how our legal framework responds when drivers cause death or serious injury. Her research challenges some long-held assumptions about what makes someone a “competent and careful driver.” In our latest episode (24 April 2026), James Luckhurst hears from Professor Kyd about the current legal framework for driving offences in the UK. The conversation focuses on the distinction between careless and dangerous driving, as well as the need for a comprehensive review of the law.Two recent fatal driving sentences are examined: Javonnie Tavener and Madeleine Lonsdale – discussing the rationale behind the charges, judicial reactions and the implications for legal consistency and public understanding. Professor Kyd considers the gap between public expectations and actual sentencing in fatal driving cases, as well as the influence of media narratives and the challenges of outcome and hindsight bias in public opinion.