New speeding fine laws are not in affect – here’s what you need to know
As part of UK law there will now be a more costly fine and further punishment if you are caught while speeding on UK roads. You could be fined 150% of weekly earnings, to a maximum fine of £2500.
The fine beforehand was commonly around £100, which could now see a huge cost increase for many drivers.
The higher tier fine will be charged to those speeding on the motorway, where speeding proves to be most hazardous to yourself as well as other drivers. The motorway is also where a majority of road accidents happen, where improvement is urgently needed ensuring that all drivers on the roads are safe and the rate of accidents decreases due to the updated penalties.
As for the details on how the new fine system works: the higher above the limit you are, the higher your fine will be, with band C being the highest cost.
The Sentencing Council introduced the updated laws as they felt the previous punishments didn’t reflect the “potential harm” speeding can cause.
During the course of 2015, 166,695 people across the UK were charged for speeding with the average fine estimated at £188. Maximum fines remain the same, but higher charges will most likely be applied more often as a result of the new guidelines.
A wide range of crimes are set to receive tougher or other options in sentencing guidelines, others receiving an update include animal cruelty and TV licence evasion. The new system came into effect on April 24th, as drivers should very much be aware.