A grieving family have called for a change in the law after a motorist involved in a crash in which their son was killed was fined £200.
Antonio Rhodes, 33, was riding a Kawasaki 650cc motorbike along Oxford Road, Gomersal, when he was in collision with a car as it pulled out of Dewsbury Road.
The driver, Mushtaq Hussain, 65, of Track Road, Batley, was charged with careless driving after the accident last May.
After pleading guilty to the charge at Bradford Magistrates' Court yesterday he was fined £200 with £70 costs and disqualified from driving for 18 months.
Brian Rhodes said his son left the family home for an evening ride with a friend when the tragic accident happened.
"He had all his protective gear on and bright lights - everything possible to make himself visible," he said. "The visibility coming up to the junction was 300-400 metres.
"Mr Hussain came out of the junction within 55 metres of him. That caused Antonio to crash with the rear of the car and he finished up on the pavement."
Antonio severed his aorta, the body's main artery, and died later in hospital.
In mitigation, Hussain's solicitor Kenneth Green said momentary inattention by Hussain - who had 32 years of accident-free driving, without any convictions or endorsements - had tragic consequences. "Nothing will bring back the unfortunate person who died and Mr Hussain expresses his extreme condolences for what happened," he added.
But Mr Rhodes says a new law should now be introduced to enforce tougher punishment. "I think the law should be changed," he said. "The offences of careless driving and causing death by dangerous driving are too far apart. There should be a law for causing death by undue care and attention.
"This sentence isn't long enough."
Antonio's mother Filomena, 65, described her son as a generous man.
"He was an angel," she said. "About a month before the accident he went to the supermarket. He saw this old lady struggling and he took her home - he didn't know this lady but that's the kind of man he was."
Mr Rhodes said his son's death has had a terrible effect on the family. "You can't put down in words how devastated we are," he said.
Mr Green has lodged an appeal against Hussain's driving disqualification.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article