Looks Like the Government is short of money again!

[crem]

As ever, it would seem that when short of money, the government turn immediately to the ever ready to be milked cash cow! (the motorist)

 

New penalties to tackle careless driving

Careless drivers will be targeted under new proposals announced for consultation by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.

The proposals would make fixed penalty notices available for careless driving, giving the police greater flexibility in dealing with less serious careless driving offences and freeing them from resource intensive enforcement processes.

The fixed penalty will also enable the police to offer educational training as an alternative to endorsement. Drivers would still be able to appeal any decision in court.

 

 

Major public concern

Mike Penning said:

“Careless driving is a major public concern and a cause of deaths and injuries on our roads.

“These changes support both police enforcement and, for some cases, the associated offer of educational training for motorists unaware of the full, potential consequences of driving carelessly.

“We also need to make sure that the penalties for a wide range of fixed penalty motoring offences are set at reasonable levels, consistent with the potentially severe consequences of some infringements.”

Proposed penalty

The proposed fixed penalty for careless driving will be £90 with three points on the driver’s licence. The most serious example will continue to go through court, where offenders may face higher penalties.

Other proposals

Other proposals announced for consultation today also include plans to increase the payment levels for many motoring fixed penalty offences, such as speeding, not wearing a seat belt and using a mobile phone whilst driving. The proposals would see penalties for these offences increase from £60 to £90.

Similar increases to other fixed penalties are also being considered for non-endorsable offences (such as vehicle defects) insurance offences and graduated fixed penalties (such as driver hour regulations).

Penalty levels for parking offences

There are no plans to make any changes to penalty levels for parking offences. Fixed penalty levels for most of these motoring offences have not increased since the year 2000, and are now lower than other penalties of a similar severity.

The consultation will close on 5 September 2012

[MARTIN3030]

Also reported here;

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2159522/Drivers-face-90-spot-fine-points-wrong-lane-tailgating.html

[tiredTraveller]

I'm fine with that - tailgating gets on my nerves no end.

The fact that 'careless driving' seems to be defined in such a loose and subjective way worries me though - If one person is going to be judge, jury and executioner by the roadside then I'd want something a bit more specific.

[crem]

The trouble with this is we all have our own personal opinions on what is "careless" or not. As an instructor, I often have cars following closely behind me, too close in my opinion, but when does it become so close that it is now "careless driving"? Would that be when I think it is too close, or when the guy in car behind me thinks it is too close?

 

Not to forget, reading right through the story, not only do they want these new fines, but they are planning to increase all the existing £60 fines up to £90 at the same time.

[Aretnap]

If one person is going to be judge, jury and executioner by the roadside then I'd want something a bit more specific.

They're not. Nobody's obliged to accept a fixed penalty.

[Aretnap]

The trouble with this is we all have our own personal opinions on what is "careless" or not. As an instructor, I often have cars following closely behind me, too close in my opinion, but when does it become so close that it is now "careless driving"? Would that be when I think it is too close, or when the guy in car behind me thinks it is too close?

Ultimately when the magistrates think he's too close; likely they would take the Highway Code 2 second rule as a starting point.

 

Not to forget, reading right through the story, not only do they want these new fines, but they are planning to increase all the existing £60 fines up to £90 at the same time.

Given that the level of fixed penalties hasn't increased since (IIRC) 2002 it was always inevitable that there'd be a big hike eventually. The increase isn;t that much more than cumulative inflation since then (33%).

[Surfer01]

No issues with it at all. Pity it was not increased to £200 and driving licence suspended as it might make some idiots on the road think twice. I hate tailgaters and people who cut you off on a motorway by switching lanes so that they can take the next exit. However by the same token people who cause an obstruction by travelling at 30mph in a 60mpg should also be penalised as they cause accidents. No fun pulling bloodied bodies out of a wreck and then having to tell relatives their next of kin have been killed in a car accident!

[crem]

I think the very nature of this thread shows why it should be left as it is with careless driving being left in the hands of the magistrates who (hopefully) can come to a considered, impartial decision.

 

Clearly we all have our own "pet hates" as to what offends us on the road, and I bet the police officers do too, and that is no way to be dealing with these matters at the roadside. For example, top on my list are mobile phone use (already an offence of course) and people driving without lights when visiblity is dark or poor.

 

"Tailgating" has been mentioned a number of times already on here, but I bet we all have slightly different definitions of what that distance is for when it becomes tailgating. I suspect my definition of what gap should be maintained would be slightly higher than many other people's on here due to the fact I spend my time trying to teach good practice driving on the road.

[sailor sam]

Driving without dipped headlights in poor visibility is already an offence I believe. Another of my pet hates are middle lane hoggers. The effectively reduce a 3 lane motorway into a two lane one. IMO they should get a £100 fine and 6 points minimum.

 

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[Aretnap]

I think the very nature of this thread shows why it should be left as it is with careless driving being left in the hands of the magistrates who (hopefully) can come to a considered, impartial decision.

Ultimately it still will be. Anyone will be able reject a fixed penalty, opt for a court hearing and be no worse off than they would be under the current system.