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On the other hand, what's the point in locking up someone who (a) statistically will never do it again and (b) never intended or foresaw that this would happen?

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I suppose people would take getting into and driving a car more seriously

Would they? A lethal accident is something like once per million journeys. I don't think about that risk when I start my car. Adding a prison sentence would still not make me think about it, because it's such a tiny risk...

Sorry if that's a bit blunt. It would definitely be better if people were more safety aware.

Maybe making people watch videos like this as part of (re)training of drivers would be more effective?

If you knew that the penalty for killing someone while speeding was 10 years in prison then would you stay under the speed limit?

No, No more than I currently do anyway. I already strongly don't want to kill anyone. But I also know the chances of me doing so are very very low. So that 10yrs is very heavily discounted by the tiny probability of it happening.

I guess an analogy for this is that I don't change my behaviour after I buy a lottery ticket. Sure it is not technically impossible that I will be a millionaire soon. But I don't take the precaution of lining up a lawyer and a tax accountant because the chances of it coming to pass are so tiny...

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