Premier Matteo Renzi on Wednesday
defended the government's new law creating the felony of
vehicular homicide, saying it brings justice by ending a
situation in which recklessness behind the wheel was punished
too lightly. The law sets prison terms of 2-7 years for drivers
who wrongfully kill one person, and up to 18 years if there are
multiple victims. The term for killing one person while drunk is
12 years. Licenses can be confiscated for a term ranging from
five to 30 years. "The families of the victims don't see this
law as a vendetta, but as a way of having justice for people who
are no longer with us," Renzi said as he signed the law before
victims' family associations. "Everyone must acknowledge that
the punishments up to now were absolutely too soft. As of
tomorrow, we have to work harder so our roads are safer and this
infinite slaughter ends".
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