Don’t Risk Harsher Punishments For Speeding - Drive Safely!
Harsher punishments for speeding come into force today, 24th April 2017. And at Philip Paul we welcome any changes designed to promote considerate driving and keep our valued customers safe on the roads.
As of Monday 24th April 2017, the penalties for being caught speeding are changing. Under the new regulations, fines will now be divided into three different bands; A, B and C.
Band C is reserved for the most serious offences, such as speeds of 51mph+ in a 30mph zone or 101mph+ in a 70mph zone. The new penalty for being caught at these speeds is between 125-175% of the drivers weekly salary.
At the other end of the scale, Band A fines, such as being caught at between 31-40mph in a 30mph zone, will range between 25-75% of the driver’s weekly salary. Band B fines can see you losing between 75-125% of your weekly wage.
President of the AA, Edmund King said that the changes are an effective way of penalising offenders while the Sentencing Council recognised the need for fines that increase in severity relative to the seriousness of the offence.
The financial penalties are not the only deterrent to speeding either. Points and/or disqualification from driving are now mandatory with any speeding violation. Band A fines all come with 3 points regardless of speed; Band B fines will see you disqualified for between 7-28 days or receiving 4-6 points; Band C fines have a disqualification period of between 7-56 days or 6 points. There is also a note that states “where an offender is driving grossly in excess of the speed limit, the court should consider disqualification of 56 days”. Certain factors can increase or reduce the seriousness of the offence, though this will be at the discretion of the court and can depend on your character/conduct, previous convictions, or other factors.
Fines are capped at £2,500 for motorway offences and £1,000 for speeding incidences on other roads.
Though many motoring groups, among others, have welcomed the changes as a way to improve the safety of our roads, some people have questioned how effectively they will be implemented given that full-time officers dedicated to policing the roads (outside of London) dropped by 27% between 2010 and 2015. RAC Foundation director, Steve Gooding, while voicing his support for the income-based system also said that the capped limit on fines means that there is not a “level playing field”, referring to those on high incomes.
Whatever your views on the new speeding penalties, be sure to take extra care with your speed from today onwards.