Breaking News!!! Changes in Speeding Laws
New changes came into force in relation to speeding on Monday 24th April. As personal injury lawyers who have handled cases for clients who have been seriously injured and even died due to speeding drivers we welcomed these changes. There has been
Over 100,000 speeding fines are issued each year, which result in the HM Treasury recovering millions of pounds in revenue. No-one likes a speeding fine but the reality is speeding kills.
The change means that speeding motorists will now face much harsher fines. Judges will be able to hand out longer sentences with a view to acting as a deterrent and also punishing those who offend. This followed a consultation in 2016 that discussed how the harm caused by speeding and risk to the public should be taken into account. As a lawyer who has represented the families of loved ones killed in an accident this has been a long time coming.
With the new guidelines, drivers will face points or disqualification depending on the offence. Fines will now be determined in categories – a Band A fine is 50 per cent of someone’s weekly income, Band B is 100 per cent and Band C is 150 per cent. The changes do not affect those who are just a couple of miles an hour over the limit, for them nothing will change but the big difference is how they will affect those who are driving well in excess of the speed limit.
So for example anyone caught driving at more than 101mph in a 70mph zone could be disqualified for up to 56 days and fined up to 175 per cent of their weekly income.
The new table that has been introduced is as follows:
| Speed Limit (mph) | Recorded speed (mph) | ||
| Band C | Band B | Band A | |
| 20 | 41 and above | 31 – 41 | 21 – 30 |
| 30 | 51 and above | 41 – 50 | 31 – 40 |
| 40 | 66 and above | 56 – 65 | 41 – 55 |
| 50 | 76 and above | 66 – 75 | 51 – 65 |
| 60 | 91 and above | 81 – 90 | 61- 80 |
| 70 | 101 and above | 91 – 100 | 71 – 90 |
| Points/disqualification | Disqualify 7 to 56 days or 6 points | Disqualify 7 to 28 days or 4 to 6 points | 3 points |
If you have kept a clean license then you may still be able to circumvent the points hit by attending a speed awareness course. Previous speeders will not be extended such opportunities seeing their points total climb further.
These changes follow the general approach that has been taken by the Government who have also cracked down on mobile phone users who had much harsher penalties introduced on 1st March.
Safe driving saves lives. It is simple as that. The worst offenders who recklessly drive putting the lives of the public at risk will now receive harsher sentences. Hopefully these new laws will act as a deterrent and reduce the number of people seriously injured by speeding drivers.
Ayesha Nayyar.
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