ACT Justice Reform Initiative's Lorana Bartels, Gary Humphries want improved access to safe driving education

Responding to the ACT's parliamentary inquiry into dangerous driving, co-chairs of the ACT chapter of the Justice Reform Initiative Lorana Bartels and Gary Humphries have called for bolstered education over tougher punitive measures.

"What we need to really pursue is what will make people safer," Ms Bartels said.

"If tougher sentences are not going to do that, let's not go down that path. Let's do what will actually make people safer and make others not experience what these victims have tragically gone through recently, which is loss of life on the road."

The bipartisan inquiry has focused on criminal punishments, rehabilitation and the support provided to victims.

Public hearings were held throughout October, November and December, but the findings of the inquiry are not expected until next year.

It followed the death of 20-year-old Matthew McLuckie, a blameless victim killed in a head-on impact with a stolen car on Hindmarsh Drive in May.

His father, Tom McLuckie has been advocating for tougher sentencing for serious offences committed by repeat offenders.

Mr McLuckie has had three petitions tabled in the Legislative Assembly, collectively supported by more than 7000 people.

They have called for an independent review of ACT judicial outcomes, sentencing guidelines for grievous and reckless driving, and an independent review of the judicial appointment process.

Matthew was one of 18 people killed on ACT roads last year.

It was the worst death toll since 2010, when 18 people also died.

Ms Bartels is a professor of law and criminology, while Mr Humphries is a former ACT chief minister and ACT senator.

They believe patching inequities in the ACT safe driving education system are the answer to preventing road deaths.

The advocacy group is calling for the territory government to waive the $188 fee for the "Road Ready" course for all drivers.

It is offered for free to Year 10 students currently, but not all young drivers have the opportunity to participate.

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The group also wants to see the course extended to the ACT's prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre, to ensure incarcerated adults are prepared to drive safely when they return to the community.

Mr Humphries, who was involved in efforts to establish the Alexander Maconochie Centre during his time in the Legislative Assembly, said sentencing had not been "a great success" in improving road safety.

"If you send people to jail, and they come out, without any strong sense of having changed their behaviour, which is often the case, then you've got a problem," he said.

"You've got to ask yourself, 'Why jail in those circumstances'?"

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