Legislators erred when they let two bills fizzle that would have created a vehicular homicide statute in the state of South Carolina.

Currently this state has no law that penalizes a driver whose negligence causes an accident that kills someone. The proposed bills would have created penalties that include possible imprisonment for those who cause a fatal wreck if it happens when they are driving illegally -- with a suspended license, for instance.

The bills were proposed by two Spartanburg-area legislators in response to a 2002 accident that killed a 27-year-old man. The driver -- a repeat offender, driving under suspension and without insurance -- received a $116 fine, according to the Hilton Head Island Packet.

Unfortunately, some fatal accidents are unavoidable. Any legislation should be crafted so it doesn't punish people for what is a genuine accident. But too many people endanger lives by zipping around South Carolina's roads with reckless abandon. The Legislature should not protect these drivers. It only makes sense to create sanctions to hold them accountable when their negligence kills.

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That penalty doesn't have to be prison every time -- the proposed bills offered a range of sanctions that included license suspension and fines of up to $10,000.