Table 4: Major driving offences sentenced within each offence group, by most serious offence, 2006–07 to 2012–13 Offence group Offences sentenced in cases Number of cases (percentage of all cases) Culpable driving causing death Culpable driving causing death 65 (18%) (105 cases) Culpable driving causing death and 38 (11%) negligently causing serious injury Culpable driving causing death and 2 (1%) dangerous driving causing serious injury Dangerous driving causing death Dangerous driving causing death 88 (25%) (124 cases) Dangerous driving causing death and 33 (9%) dangerous driving causing serious injury Dangerous driving causing death and 3 (1%) negligently causing serious injury Negligently causing serious Negligently causing serious injury 78 (22%) injury (78 cases) Dangerous driving causing Dangerous driving causing serious 51 (14%) serious injury (51 cases) injury Sentencing factors The analysis examines sentencing factors (or variables) relating to the circumstances of the offence, the victim(s), and the offender. The selection of factors for analysis has been informed by stakeholder consultation, judicial commentary, and an examination of prior research in the area. The selection of factors was not limited to only those factors known to directly influence sentencing outcomes. Instead, a broader approach was taken, that sought to identify profiles of offending behaviour within major driving offence cases, in addition to identifying those factors that may have contributed to the sentence imposed. The sentencing remarks were coded for the factors set out in Table 5, Table 8, Table 13, and Table 17. If one of these factors was referred to by the judge in the sentencing remarks it was coded accordingly, regardless of the weight or degree of relevance attached to the particular factor by the judge. Most of the sentencing factors had binary values of ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Some sentencing factors had multiple values; for example, prospects of rehabilitation had values of positive, negative, or not stated.
Table 4: Major driving offences sentenced within each offence group, by most serious offence, 2006–07 to 2012–13 Offence group Offences sentenced in cases Number of cases (percentage of all cases) Culpable driving causing death (105 cases) Culpable driving causing death 65 (18%) Culpable driving causing death and negligently causing serious injury 38 (11%) Culpable driving causing death and dangerous driving causing serious injury 2 (1%) Dangerous driving causing death (124 cases) Dangerous driving causing death 88 (25%) Dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing serious injury 33 (9%) Dangerous driving causing death and negligently causing serious injury 3 (1%) Negligently causing serious injury (78 cases) Negligently causing serious injury 78 (22%) Dangerous driving causing serious injury (51 cases) Dangerous driving causing serious injury 51 (14%) Sentencing factors The analysis examines sentencing factors (or variables) relating to the circumstances of the offence, the victim(s), and the offender. The selection of factors for analysis has been informed by stakeholder consultation, judicial commentary, and an examination of prior research in the area. The selection of factors was not limited to only those factors known to directly influence sentencing outcomes. Instead, a broader approach was taken, that sought to identify profiles of offending behaviour within major driving offence cases, in addition to identifying those factors that may have contributed to the sentence imposed. The sentencing remarks were coded for the factors set out in Table 5, Table 8, Table 13, and Table 17. If one of these factors was referred to by the judge in the sentencing remarks it was coded accordingly, regardless of the weight or degree of relevance attached to the particular factor by the judge. Most of the sentencing factors had binary values of ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Some sentencing factors had multiple values; for example, prospects of rehabilitation had values of positive, negative, or not stated.