SUSAN Ward was no doubt looking forward to the coming weekend when she drove home along the Pershore to Evesham road on that summer's evening in August last year.

The nursery director was probably thinking about how she would spend the next two days of leisure, perhaps anticipating doing something pleasant with her family during her well-earned break.

No one will ever know. For in an instant, her life was destroyed by all the callous randomness of chance. Warehouse worker Imed Boudhina, driving in the opposite direction, decided to overtake another vehicle and collided head-on with Mrs Ward's car. She died in hospital later that day.

Boudhina has been convicted of careless driving, banned for five years, and fined £2,000. Many people may wonder why the charge was so low down the scale - how come this man was not accused of causing death by dangerous driving, an accusation that would have carried more severe penalties?

However, the charge levelled against Boudhina would probably have been considered as the one most likely to stick'. This is how the law works.

Nevertheless, despite Boudhina's obvious contrition, and the fact that he also suffered horrendous injuries, the citizen will undoubtedly wonder... what price a human life?

Susan Ward died that day but the family she left behind must now serve a life sentence of grief and misery. As the carnage on Britain's roads mounts, this newspaper therefore wonders whether the punishment really fits the crime.