In a survey carried out by the website**, 84% of respondents said they didn’t know what the new sentencing guidelines – which come into force on Monday - meant, while more than half (56%) were completely unaware that the penalties for speeding were changing.
Under new rules laid out by the Sentencing Council, the changes mean that magistrates have the power to fine motorists by up to 150% of their weekly take-home income, while even minor offences can lead to fines of up to 50% of an offender’s weekly income. There will be a cap of £1,000 per offence, or £2,500 if it is committed on a motorway.
HonestJohn.co.uk’s Managing Editor, Daniel Powell, said:
“While most people agree that excessive speed has no place on our roads, and that greater deterrents are likely to reduce the amount of deaths and injuries related to speeding, the new fines policy appears to have entered the law almost unnoticed.”
The new speeding fine structure comes into force tomorrow Monday (April 24) and gives judges and magistrates the power to fine motorists up to 150% of their weekly income for the worst speeding fines, or up to 50% of their income for creeping over the limit, within 10mph of the prevailing maximum.
While the new rules set the bar for speeding fines, there are no plans to remove the option of Speed Awareness Courses for first time minor offenders. At present, those caught speeding by a small amount are frequently offered a half-day awareness course in lieu of points on their licence, with the courses costing the same as the equivalent fixed penalty. How these will be charged under the new system is as yet undefined.
“While the new fines are clearly a deterrent, the bigger issue here is that prevention is better than cure,” added Powell. “One very real concern is that, while speeding is easier to police, there are greater road safety concerns attached to driver distraction than creeping slightly over the speed limit.
“If sentencing guidelines for speeding are heading this way, then in an era of more connectivity behind the wheel, we should be addressing concerns around mobile phone use, in-car app and sat nav distractions in much the same way. Harsher fines are a deterrent, but we can’t help but think a better, more modern approach to driver education would have a greater influence on road safety.”About HonestJohn.co.uk
HonestJohn.co.uk is the website that champions for fairness to car owners by publishing expert, unbiased information to help consumers make informed choices about their cars. The site has more than 2.0m unique visitors each month.
The website was established in 2000 in response to reader questions to the Honest John column in Telegraph Motoring. It gives free advice and information and aims to help raise standards for the consumer. It provides honest answers to direct questions about the best cars and the best deals for consumers, written clearly and displayed in a user friendly way.
* Fines based on individuals with a standard tax code of 1150L. Take home pay will vary depending on personal circumstances
** Sentencing guidelines survey carried out via www.HonestJohn.co.uk on an independent panel of British driving licence holders aged 18-84 on April 19, 2017.
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