The New Fines for Speeding

[tazzman600]

I got an interesting email today regarding the new fines for speeding. I've pasted below the crux of the mail. Thought I'd bring it to everyone's attention.

As you’ve probably heard in the media, the speeding fine increases I did a blog post about back in January came in to force this week. The new fine guidelines apply if you're summoned to Court for a speeding offence and not for fixed penalty notices, which remain at £100. Now, we can be fined up to one and a half weeks income... Even driving at 1mph over the speed limit can now land you with a fine of half your weekly income! There are now three bands of speeding fine: A, B and C. "Band A" new penalty: Half your weekly income (and 3 points): 20mph zone: 21 – 30mph 30mph zone: 31 – 40mph 40mph zone: 41 – 55mph 50mph zone: 51 – 65mph 60mph zone: 61 – 80mph 70mph zone: 71 – 90mph "Band B" new penalty: All of your weekly income (plus 4-6 points and up to 28 day ban): 20mph zone: 31 – 40mph 30mph zone: 41 – 50mph 40mph zone: 56 – 65mph 50mph zone: 66 – 75mph 60mph zone: 81 – 90mph 70mph zone: 91 – 100mph "Band C" new penalty: 1 ½ weeks income (plus 6 points and up to 56 day ban): 20mph zone: 41mph + 30mph zone: 51mph + 40mph zone: 66mph + 50mph zone: 76mph + 60mph zone: 91mph + 70mph zone: 101mph + The maximum fines are now £1,000, or up to £2,500 for speeding on a motorway! Considering that motorways are by far the safest types of road to drive on, this seems absurd to me... But the real question that pops in to my head is; What ever happened to the Governments pledge to "End the war on Motorists”?   So how many of you are now rather angry?

[jeebowhite]

Yup.

I understand what they are saying to a degree, hell to some 60 quid is a days lunch, but to some that's vital. I don't agree with it, I don't like it, but the war on motorists is never going to end... I have learned to stop deluding myself and just hope I didn't get clocked this morning... I may have touched 62, 63 at a push in the 60 zone of our stupid motorway (I don't call them smart, I've seen more intelligent pond life) and that's the specially idiotic people in my local towns and places....

50 percent a weekly wage for a slip up is too much for an accident, like this morning I had the sun in my eyes, burning my retinas, saw the sign but couldn't focus on that, getting my speed right, not allowing the car beside me to plow into me or not having the car behind me ram me. Something had to give!

I suppose though, we still have the SAC, which is less than the old ticket for a first offence or first in three years!

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[tazzman600]

I wonder if any traffic officer would actually book a driver for doing 62 in a 60 for example.

[Dagger]

Just now, tazzman600 said:

I wonder if any traffic officer would actually book a driver for doing 62 in a 60 for example.

 

 

Yes because they have targets to hit

 

 

[Turvey]

2 hours ago, Dagger said:

 

 

Yes because they have targets to hit

 

 

I think there are police officers on here that would refute those allegations. 

[tazzman600]

I'd have thought so too. Those fines are only if the speeder goes to court. I then wonder if a traffic officer would give the speeder a court ticket for doing say 41 in a 40.
I think not because I've been overtaken by traffic police cars whilst I've been driving at the speed limit of that road.

[Dagger]

21 hours ago, Turvey said:

I think there are police officers on here that would refute those allegations. 

 

 

The Police force aren't a service any more they are a Business and Business's need to hit KPI / Targets 

 

 

[stef123]

On 28 April 2017 at 8:43 PM, tazzman600 said:

I wonder if any traffic officer would actually book a driver for doing 62 in a 60 for example.

Some of them would love it! 

[jmurray01]

8 minutes ago, stef123 said:

Some of them would love it! 

Sadly, you are right.  Not all, but some.

[Commencal24]

What happens to those caught speeding who are not working? Or those who's weekly wage is not the same every week?

[jeebowhite]

It comes out of benefits. These are still an income. You would likely arrange with the courts a repayment plan though.

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[tazzman600]

I received another email with a Q & A part. I'll copy and paste it later as it answers a lot of questions.

[tazzman600]

Here's the Q & A part of the email I got

 

- Is there still a 10% buffer? Well, technically there never was. The National Police Chiefs' Council has always recommended Police forces don’t prosecute until drivers exceed the limit by 10% plus 2mph to account for speedometer error. However, as the law stands, Motorists are liable for a speeding ticket the moment we exceed the speed limit with no official "buffer", so it's up to individual Police forces in each area. We've seen that Police forces and camera partnerships have been getting much tighter with their tolerances across the UK since the introduction of "smart motorways". The trend seems to be going towards zero tolerance, presumably as this rakes in more money... - What happens if you are unemployed or have no income? Under the new sentencing council guidelines, drivers claiming to have little or no income can have their whole household’s income and assets assessed by the court. The fines that retired Motorists will receive are likely to be based on private or state pensions and their savings. As you can tell, the sentencing council have anticipated the "I don't earn anything" argument and have set aggressive (and on the face of it quite unfair) guidelines as a preemptive response... - Do these new fines apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland? No, they only apply in England and Wales. - You mention points and a ban. Please clarify as surely it should be one or the other? You're quite right, the email should have read: "Band B" new penalty: All of your weekly income (plus 4-6 points *or* up to 28 day ban). ...and "Band C" new penalty: 1 ½ weeks income (plus 6 points *or* up to 56 day ban).

[jmurray01]

2 hours ago, tazzman600 said:

- Do these new fines apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland? No, they only apply in England and Wales.

Well thank God for that!!

[Turvey]

4 minutes ago, jmurray01 said:

Well thank God for that!!

But if you stuck by the speed limit at all times........

 

 

[jmurray01]

11 minutes ago, Turvey said:

But if you stuck by the speed limit at all times........

 

 

Oh I do, but sometimes there are more important things to be looking at whilst driving (like road ahead) other than checking the speedometer every 5 seconds to ensure you haven't gone 1MPH over the limit!!