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A GOLD Coast MP says his daughter harbours no animosity towards an elderly driver who crashed his car into her in a shopping centre carpark, severing her leg but wants the laws changed to stop older motorists from being a menace on the roads.

Ronald Leopold Petfield, 88, walked free from court yesterday despite prosecutors pushing for jail time over the accident last month at a Brisbane shopping centre.

Peter Lawlor, the ALP Member for Southport and former tourism minister, said Petfield should not have been on the road but did not deserve to go to jail despite his daughter Ali France’s horrific injuries.

Mr Lawlor said he and his family were focused on getting Ms France better and on campaigning for new laws to get dangerous elderly drivers off the road.

“I don’t see what sending an 88-year-old gentleman to jail is going to achieve,” he said.

“Ali has no animosity towards the gentleman she just says that he shouldn’t have been on the road.”

Petfield, of Ashgrove, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday to driving without due care and attention on May 11 this year at the Highpoint Shopping Centre.

Ms France, 38, was hit by Petfield’s car while waiting for the carpark’s lift with her son Zac, 4.

She pushed Zac out of the way but was pinned against a car, suffering a partially collapsed lung. She had to have one of her legs amputated above the knee.

Prosecutor Sergeant Michelle Clarke said Petfield was remorseful but had no memory of the crash due to possible dementia.

Petfield had surrendered his driver’s licence, but police asked for close to the maximum penalty of either six months’ jail or a $4000 fine.

Defence lawyer Ken Mackenzie said his client was a World War II veteran who had been a Brisbane City Council bus and tram driver for more than 30 years.

Magistrate Michael Barnes said Ms France would suffer significant hardship for the rest of her life. He disqualified Petfield from holding a licence absolutely but ordered no further punishment.

Mr Lawlor said he had met Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk to lobby for compulsory driving tests for elderly drivers.

“We’ve got an ageing population (and) I don’t think it’s sufficient for people to effectively drive until they’ve had an accident,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s reasonable that doctors are able to give (medical) certificates for 80-year-olds to be able to drive for five years.”

Mr Lawlor said his daughter was battling her “life-changing” injuries bravely.

“She’s very positive she realises she’s got a few challenges ahead of her but she’s up for the challenge,” he said.

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