A report out last week recommends that bad drivers should be treated as a threat to public health. The MPs study shows that almost 3,000 people are being killed each year as the result of road accidents.

In 2007 there were 247,780 road accidents reported, with 27,774 people being seriously injured as a result of these accidents.

Drink related road accidents were responsible for 460 deaths which have lead to calls for tougher penalties for those found to be driving over the allowed alcohol limit, and for the legal alcohol limit for drivers to be lowered.

The Commons Transport Committee Chairman Louise Ellman said "The deaths of three thousand people and injuries to a quarter of a million are a staggering price to pay for mobility."

The report claims that in some areas, half of the vehicles being driven are by uninsured drivers.  It also calls for more areas to be altered into 20mph zones.