A MOTORCYCLIST who lost his leg in a crash on the M65 said there needs to be a law change to reflect the seriousness of his injuries.

James Jackson, 61, of Green Lane, Blackburn, had the lower part of his right leg amputated following a horror collision last March.

But the man convicted of careless driving after the crash was just fined £210 and given nine points on his licence, meaning he can stay on the road.

Mr Jackson has now spoken out about the devastation of losing his leg and said he is now in pain every day.

His calls have been echoed by road safety charity Brake which said it ‘fully supported’ his call for tougher penalties.

He was riding his Harley Davidson on Sunday, March 6, between junction three and four when he swerved to avoid a stationary car in the fast lane, after apparently having broken down.

But he clipped the vehicle as he passed it when it moved from the lane. He was sent flying through the air, suffering multiple fractures to his right leg, a broken rib and jaw injury.

Last week the driver of the car, a Ford Fiesta, Paul Birmingham, 28, of Derwent Close, Rishton, was convicted after trial of driving without due care and attention.

But because of the restrictions placed on magistrates by sentencing guidelines, he was fined £210 with £415 costs and given the maximum nine penalty points. There is a maximum fine of £2,500.

Mr Jackson slammed the outcome and said that he is now the one with a life sentence.

“I was cruising along and suddenly there was a car stopped in the fast lane. I had no time to stop and tried to move round it. As I got very close it turned across and there was no gap. We hit and I went flying through the air and then skidded along the road surface.

“I won’t ever get on a motorbike again. It is just too dangerous. I was nearly killed and have to live the rest of my life with one leg.

“Yet what is the impact on the driver’s life? There needs to be more robust laws in place to reflect the impact of the incident on the victim’s life.

“He is still driving. All that has been taken away from me.”

Mr Jackson, a retired motorbike courier who used to work for the BBC, has 35 years experience on motorcycles.

He said that after a cold winter, he had decided to take his £5,000 Harley for a ride to re-charge the battery. He decided to ride on a Sunday because he thought it would be ‘quiet and safe’.

Following the accident, he had three major and three minor operations, but lost his leg below the knee in April.

In July he was given a prosthetic leg and has been making good progress since then.

Mr Jackson said the current law was ‘not fit for purpose’ and that Mr Birmingham should be ‘embarrassed’ to still be on the road.

When the Lancashire Telegraph approached Mr Birmingham, at his home he said: “I’m not happy with the verdict either. I don’t agree that I was driving without due care and attention.”

Martin Howard, spokesman at road safety charity Brake, said: “The penalties handed out to this driver pale into insignificance in comparison with the devastation and emotional trauma that his actions have caused.

“Brake fully supports Mr Jackson’s calls for more robust driving laws, to help provide justice for road crash victims across the country.

Tougher penalties for law breakers would also send out a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated, helping to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads every single day.”