Graphic: Clocking
up the points
Novice drivers could face an automatic ban after a single speeding offence,
and would have to retake their tests, under proposals for a tightening of
road safety laws.
Thousands of experienced motorists could also face automatic six-month
disqualifications after two offences if the maximum number of points issued
with a fixed penalty is doubled to six.
Ministers have dropped plans to balance the harsher penalties outlined
yesterday with a reduction in the number of points imposed for minor
breaches of a speed limit.
The consultation paper on road safety compliance issued by the Department for
Transport suggested that police should no longer have to take careless
drivers to court. Instead, it said, they should have the power to issue a
£60 fixed penalty and three points. Offences that would become punishable by
a fixed penalty include driving too close to the vehicle in front, failing
to signal before turning, swerving, sudden braking, passing too close to a
cyclist and failing to display lights at night.
Drivers who have held their licences for less than two years are already
liable for a ban if they accumulate six points. Other drivers are banned
after getting 12 points within three years. Under the proposals, novice
drivers could be disqualified on their first offence as ministers want to
increase to six points the penalty for exceeding the limit by more than 15
or 20mph.
In 2006, 26,400 drivers were disqualified for “totting up” 12 points within
three years. More than a million are driving with six points on their
licences and could, therefore, be only one flash of a speed camera from a
ban. There are 1.8 million people on the roads who have passed their tests
within the past two years.
The department has retreated on plans to reduce to two points the penalty for
those who drive at only just over the speed limit. The paper says that such
a move could be dangerous because of the potentially deadly effects of small
increases in speed. However, the DfT admits in an appendix to the document
that introducing a two-point penalty alongside the new six-point penalty
“may improve perceptions of the fairness of speed enforcement, improving
respect for speed limits”.
The appendix dismissed suggestions that a two-point penalty would result in
more speeding. It said: “This impact is not thought to be significant.”
Ministers are considering two speed thresholds for the new six-point penalty:
under the harsher option, drivers would get six points for driving 15mph
above the limit in 20mph and 30mph zones; the other option is a 20mph
margin, meaning that drivers would not get six points unless doing 40mph in
a 20mph limit or 50mph in a 30mph limit. On motorways and dual carriageways,
where the limit is 70mph, the two options for the six-point threshold are
90mph and 95mph.
The fine for speeding fixed penalties will remain £60 regardless of the speed.
Ministers had previously suggested it could be raised to £100 for higher
breaches and lowered to £40 for minor breaches.
The document states that the proposals could result in more drivers being
disqualified but that the impact “has not been quantified”.
The Police should concentrate and focus on catching Crooks & those abusing kids and babies instead of targetting soft and easy preys-the hardworking Motorists.
Tim, manchester, England
Why does an older driver have more right to speed then? If a 40 year old with 20 years experience hits and kills someone isnt as bad as if a 17 year old does it?
Martin, UK,
Penalties for speeding offences would be more acceptable if the speed limits were more sensible. In too many places, speed camera (ie toll booths) are placed on roads with absurdly low limits such as 30 mph dual carriageways.
M smith, Expat Bangkok, Thailand
I lost my licence for 2 minor offences 5 years ago. One, briefly 7mph over as I accelerated to keep up with traffic, then I followed a bus through a red light 18 months later. 6 points in 2 years. Automatically revoked. Friends crashed cars and got nothing. The law needs to get its priorities right.
Andrew, Shanghai,
If they are so keen on keeping people at the spped limit why do they only have signs showing the speed limit AFTER a revenue camera?If the speed limit was displayed more often people would more than likely stick to it.
Paul Bosworth, Burton on Trent, England
Just another ploy to raise more money.
Paul , Milton Keynes, UK
That is absolute rubbish, if the govermetn invested more money in the the countrys infostructuer in the first place that would dromaticly reduce accidents and if they are proposing this extrem mesher whiy dont thay just modify the Driving test and they wont have to wast police time!!
B Phillips , Piltdown , East Sussex
Actually policing insurance would be better, most accidents are caused by kids in cheap, souped up cars they can't afford to insure so they don't.
If it's impossible to be and un insured driver the streets would be much safer.
Skid pan lessons would also help.
Kieran, st andrews,
I think there are probably enough unlicensed and therefore uninsured drivers on the roads as it is, surely increasing this number will not contribute to road safety.
john dyer, Reading,
Whatever the speed limit, there will always be drivers who think that the rules don't apply to them. And for some reason, they all seem to drive BMWs...
Simon, Birmingham,
How about raising the age when people are allowed to drive? Make it 25 or older. No cost to the politicians - lots of young people don't vote.
Ian Burgess, Bristol,
why are laws constantly being tightened?Will a law ever be relaxed here or is it always one way traffic just to make our daily lives more restricted.one day people will say enough is enough and rebel.They can't put us all in prison
Kevin, London, England
Passing too close to a cyclist would carry a fixed penalty. Do the turbo stripes really make pigs fly faster? Has anyone ever been prosecuted for driving in a cycle lane?
Adam Osen, London, England
What about cracking down on the hundreds of thousands of drivers on the roads with no licence, tax, mot or insurance who do so because they only pay a piddling fine when they cause damage or kill?
Charlie, Nottingham,
Oh look, New Labour doing something pointless, vindictive and stupid. Again.
Let's get rid.
Steve, Sheffield, UK
Speeding causes around 6% of road fatalities.
What about the other 94% ??
Cliff, Portishead, UK
Far more of an issue is the moron sitting in the middle lane of the motorway when the inside lane is clear. They should be banned instantly because they have just turned a 3 lane road into 2 lanes. Why don't we just build 2 lane motorways and save the money!
Steve, Bromsgrove,
points for "swerving, sudden braking, "
So do you get more or less penalty points for trying to avoid running stupid people over? I thought those were how you avoid an accident. Obviously that's not the point of this legislation though.
Russ, High Wycombe, UK
If you drive for a living then you are responsible for how you drive, you take a risk you pay the consequence if caught.
Speeding is easy for governments to impose fines etc because of cameras, rather than more police to catch drivers comitting other road offences other than speeding.
LD, London,
As a high mileage driver since 1985 I get frustrated that the fun of driving has been taken away by the now common belief that anyone doing the speed limit is 'getting in the way'. Trying to be law abiding and safe requires thick skin to cope with constant aggression and abuse that you get.
Stuart Hannah, Leicester, England
Who exactly is going to enforce these new laws? The same non existant police force that enforce the current laws? Once again the government propose sensible laws but with no additional police. Our well trained traffic Police are much more effecive than any amount of camera!
Stuart Hannah, Leicester, England
the government yet again making our lives more difficult with tighter laws and regs. i'm all for watching speed in a built up area but the slow drivers cause more problems than the fast ones on motorways and dual carriageways..the 80 year old doing 45mph in the right hand lane on the a38
chris, derby,
This is just not tough enough. Drivers who lose their licence for a second time for speeding should lose it for life. Speeders are a a risk to life and this should be reflected in the punishment handed down. Causing death be reckless or dangerous driving should be automatic life imprisonment.
D Case, Newquay,
So the highest risk will be a salesman rushing to a meeting trying to save a 100 jobs by getting a customer signed up. Meanwhile, layabouts, drunks, pot smokers and school runs get away with murder.
KR, Stockport,
Another brilliant Labour policy. We're in the grip of recession and rail fares are increasing whilst the service is declining, therefore, the obvious thing to do is to ensure more people lose their jobs through driving disqualification and more people are late for work, losing the economy millions.
Will, Liverpool , UK
There is no reason why speed limits on motorways cannot be increased to 80mph. But the measures outlined above will mean an increase in the amount of unregistered cars, with unlicenced drivers, on the roads, as speed cameras do nothing to stop them.
David Leslie, Perth, Scotland
GPS speed limiting of cars will immediately resolve speeding without penalising drivers. Win-Win. Public transport is not safe and most people are fearful of using public transport because of knife crime and thugs.
Andy Wilk, London , UK
Very sensible proposals to improve road safety. If people are worried about losing their jobs etc. the answer is in their own hands - drive within the law.
We all need to realise this is about US, not everyone else. Every driver believes they are a good driver, it's always the others!
Martin, East Grinstead,
This proposal is rubbish.. I believe more accidents are caused by 'old' drivers. I believe drivers should re-take their test or their driving re-evaluated at the age of 50. Legal action should be taken on people who do not signal correctly. People who dont signal cause road rage with other road use
Richard Goose, Dewsbury, England
this is a load of old tosh its just another way of taking away hard earned licences to ruduce the amount of traffic and therefore reduces statistics it wont stop unlicenced and illegal drivers being stupid on the roads
steve chatfield, swansea , wales
It is designed to target motorists for financial gains. Next they do is reduce speed limit on roads to get motorists trapped. As it is the laws are strict, just and fair. Why not catch the real culprits and drunk drivers rather than those who honestly work hard to earn their daily bread and butter.
B Tank, Isleworth, UK
More disqualified drivers will lead to more driving whilst disqualified and therefore without insurance.
Restrict speed in dangerous areas eg. schools, villages, shopping areas to save lives and reduce injuries - do not use this as a source of income or to pad-out police statistical returns.
R Bingham, Lauzun, France
I have no issue with speed trapping when applied as part of a balanced road safety strategy.
However the message being received loud and clear is that you can drive any way you like so long as it is not fast.
There are far more dangerous driving habits than speeding but they are mostly ignored.
Allan Bean, Tamworth, UK
It now seems that drivers in this country are treated worse than murders and thug's, in N.Ireland more suicides happen in the young male population, should this not become an important topic of interest instead of trying to get drivers banned and basically tax people under the disguise of a “fine”
Niall Graham, Toomebridge, N.Ireland
Whilst i agree that speed limits need to be enforced, myself having 3 points for exceeding the limit by 7mph. I would like to point out that if you ban drivers they may lose their jobs they then claim benefits, they may lose houses which would their innocent families.It must be proportionate & fair
chris, Merthyr Tydfil , UK
Jeremy Clarkson:
"The speed we’re allowed to drive should be based on our IQ. This way, Stephen Fry would be allowed to travel at 160 while Kerry Katona would be limited to 2mph"
Jeremy would have to drive in reverse.
Matt, Northampton ,
Why not enforce the speed limits? What is the point of a 30 limit that means 40? Get drivers who are unable to control their vehicles speed to pay for gps controlled speed limiters. Motor use is costing this country a fortune in imported fuel, cars and wasted time.
Clive Stringer, Devon, England