New moves by the Government to promote safer driving have been welcomed by motoring organisations but the question is, – with the introduction of new offences and tougher fines will it prove difficult to enforce them due to a shortage of traffic police?
Fixed penalty fines for most motoring offences increase significantly on Friday and simultaneously the Government is also introducing the punishment for some careless driving offences.
Fixed penalty levels for most motoring offences – including using a hand-held mobile phone at the wheel and not wearing a seatbelt – will rise to £100 to bring them into line with the penalties for similar non-motoring fixed penalties, the Government has announced.
Careless driving offences deemed ‘less serious’ such as tailgating and middle lane hogging will also be dealt with through fixed penalty fines. The fixed penalty for careless driving will be £100 with three points on a driver’s licence. However, the most serious examples will continue to go through the courts, where offenders may face higher penalties.
The new level of fines for fixed penalty offences is:
- Non-endorsable (where the driver does not receive points on their licence) £30 fixed penalty notice will rise to £50
- An endorsable (where points are given) £60 and non-endorsable fixed penalty notice will rise to £100
- An endorsable £120 fixed penalty notice relating to a duty to identify a driver will rise to £200
- The fixed penalty notice for driving with no insurance will rise from £200 to £300
Additionally, graduated fixed penalties (mainly for commercial goods and passenger carrying vehicles and including offences like drivers’ hours and overloading) and financial deposits (for drivers without a satisfactory UK address) increase as follows:
- A £30 non-endorsable fine will rise to £50
- A £60 endorsable and non-endorsable fine will rise to £100
- A £120 endorsable and non-endorsable fine will rise to £200
- A £200 endorsable and non-endorsable fine will rise to £300
The increased £50 non-endorsable fixed penalty notice applies to a range of existing offences including:
- Neglect of traffic regulations (eg failing to conform to traffic signs – give way, roundabout vehicle priority, box junction road markings)
- Negligent use of motor vehicle (eg not in proper control, driver not having full view ahead, opening door as to cause injury)
- Vehicle registration and excise licence offences (eg not displaying tax disc, registration mark not easily readable)
- Motorway offences (eg stopping vehicle on hard shoulder)
- Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition (eg windows not clear and unobstructed, no windscreen wipers)
- Neglect of pedestrian rights (eg driving elsewhere than on the road)
- Lighting offences (eg lamps not showing steady light, misuse of head/fog lamps)
- Noise offences (eg causing unnecessary noise, sounding horn at night)
- Load offences (eg exceeding weight restriction)
- Cycle and motorcycle offences (eg cycle on foot path, not wearing protective headgear for motorcyclists)
The increased £100 endorsable fixed penalty notice applies to a range of existing offences including:
- Using a mobile phone whilst driving
- Speeding offences
- Motorway offences (eg reversing on a motorway, driving on hard shoulder/central reservation)
- Neglect of traffic directions (eg not stopping at red traffic light)
- Neglect of pedestrian rights (eg stopping within limits of zebra/pelican/puffin crossing)
- Load offences (eg danger of injury due to number of passengers or manner in which they are carried)
- Motorcycle offences (eg carrying more than one passenger)
The increased £100 non-endorsable fixed penalty notice applies to a range of existing offences including:
- Failure to wear a seat belt whilst driving
- Vehicle test offence (use of motor vehicle without test certificate)
- Miscellaneous offences (failure to display vehicle licence) Miles Better News Agency
