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New drivers to face ban for speeding only once
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent20.11.08
NEW drivers could be banned from the road if they commit a single offence of doing 45mph in an 30mph zone.
Under tough speeding penalties proposed by ministers today, motorists could get six points on their licence for such a breach.
That is enough to revoke the licence of a driver who has been on the road for less than two years. More than 1.6 million people would be affected.
More experienced drivers would face a ban after two six-point penalties for speeding.
Motoring groups warned a crackdown on drivers doing 45mph in a 30mph zone risked a public backlash.
However, they backed a plan to impose six penalty points for breaking the speed limit by 20mph on motorways and in 50mph zones. The measures are part of a wider road safety package which includes:
●A new offence of drug driving.
●Further consultation on whether the drink-drive limit should be lowered.
●Better enforcement of seatbelt laws.
●New measures to crack down on careless driving.
Currently, most speeding offences lead to a three-point penalty and a fine, and cases are only taken to court if police are seeking a tougher penalty.
Ministers will now consult on whether the definition of excessive speeding should be 45mph or 50mph in urban areas. Andrew Howard, head of road safety for the AA, raised concerns about defining 45mph in a 30mph zone as "excessive" speeding. "It could cause confusion among motorists or make them feel they are hard done by," he said. The RAC Foundation said it supported the new system in principle.
But its research manager, Elizabeth Dainton, added: "It's really important that the Government understands the public mood on this issue and pitches the points at the right level so that they don't anger the public.
"If they get it wrong, some motorists will be unfairly penalised and may lose their licence as a result."
Road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick, insisted the Government was targeting the worst speeders: "This is about making sure that the minority who are are endangering other road users and vulnerable pedestrians are not allowed to get away with it."
Under the drug-drive rules, police would be issued with devices to measure how much cannabis, cocaine or heroin motorists have taken.
Mr Fitzpatrick told BBC Radio 4: "Drugs are killing people on our roads." He said motorists also risked a criminal record if they drove under the influence of "even some prescription drugs ... if people drive when the medical advice says that you should not".
He said research showed that about one in five of the 3,000 people killed on the roads each year had "illegal substances in their system". Ministers want to target regular users who are mainly men aged between 25 and 35.
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Reader views (18)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
How are we to enforce these new rules? The main thing that everybody agrees is that speed cameras only catch those who are legal owners of cars that are insured taxed etc. The real villains have satnavs that tell them where the cameras are and enjoy abusive driving away from them.
Put the bobby back on the beat, and increase the number of car patrols. Above all, give back discretion to the Police officer. Not every stop requires a court appearance!
- Dene Wood, Grays, Essex, That little country by the sea that used to have
Liz reckons this law "targets those who are trying to obey the law" and is "another reason not to vote Labour".
Rubbish. 45 in a 30 zone is not trying to obey the law - it is deliberately breaking it. Would she vote Tory to allow her to keep on speeding?
- Austen, London
To target soley speeding is missing the point. Yes, target speedsters, but we also need to target dangerous driving that is missed by relying on cameras; the amount of people who undertake, swerving in and out of lanes constantly; the people who chat on their mobiles and wander across the road, this is but an example of some of the things I see each time I get into my car. We need to see a return to more high visibility policing on the roads.
- Claire, North London
