Drivers could lose their licence after two speeding offences under new government proposals.
Motorists would automatically receive six penalty points if they were caught breaking the speed limit by a significant margin. Currently, drivers are disqualified if they amass 12 points on their licence.
Excessive speeds are likely to be defined as 50mph in a 30mph zone, 70mph in a 50mph zone or over 90mph on the motorway.
Until now only courts could endorse a driving licence with more than three points. If police believe a stiffer punishment than the standard three-point fixed penalty is required, they must pass the case on to the courts.
Government ministers want six-point fixed penalties to be imposed without a court hearing.
The consultation document containing the proposals also suggests a 'sliding scale' of punishment for speeding offences. Minor infringements – where drivers are caught at only a few mph over the speed limit – could warrant just 2 points.
Motoring groups estimate that 40 per cent of drivers have received penalty points for speeding.
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Re: Government plans more penalties
Agree with TegTypeR in the matter.
I belive that Motorways are far safer at 90 which is 20mhp over the legal limit than doing 50 in 30.. no good driver would EVER do 50MPH in a built up area, when you could have children running out in front on them etc & any driver that does needs to given 6 points & big fine.
it is not speeders who worry me it is bad driver who have no understanding of speed, road condtions or what is around them... who will drive long a country road that is a 60 limit at 47 then drive through a 30 at 47 again
Re: Government plans more penalties
I feel sorry for them that someone has told them it was speeding which was the cause and that their sorry had been hijacked by someone to use as anti-speeding. Simply put the disease was drunk driving, speeding and not being in control of the vehicle was the symptoms.
Re: Government plans more penalties
These proposals were chucked out a couple of years ago, thankfully. TRL323 and a more recent report by DFT both state that a significant number of accidents are caused by inattentive driving, that is not looking to see where you or others are. Much more than excessive speed.
If you look at the roads today, how many people are speeding? Yet this still has a lower accident rate than drink and drug driving. What about those who continue to insist on having a mobile phone stuck to their ear? When is real action going to be taken against that danger?
The only reason that speeding motorists are being targeted is because you can tax them. If road safety was genuinely the goal we'd be putting in engineering solutions to dangerous roads.