Government’s new road laws - Speeding

Speeding drivers face a new system of graduated penalties. Although more lenient punishments for some offences are proposed, stiffer endorsements for more serious crimes are also included in the bill.

Two penalty points and a fine of £40 are proposed for speeding drivers travelling up to 39mph in a 30mph zone, up to 50mph in a 40mph zone, up to 61mph in a 50mph zone, up to 72mph in a 60mph zone and up to 83mph on unrestricted motorways and dual carriageways.

However, six penalty points and fines of £100 will be handed to motorists driving at more than 32mph in a 20mph limit, more than 45mph in a 30mph zone, more than 57mph in a 40mph zone, more than 70mph in a 50mph zone, more than 82mph in a 60mph zone and more than 94mph in a 70mph zone.

The remainder of offences will continue to be dealt with by a £60 fine and three penalty points under the Government proposals.

The proposed changes have been met with a mixed reaction. Labour MP and Chair of the Transport Select Committee Gwyneth Dunwoody has already called on fellow MPs to oppose the more lenient penalties, saying they pose a threat to road safety.

The head of road safety for the RAC Foundation, Kevin Delaney, said the changes make the system a little more fair but fail to shift emphasis away from policing of UK roads by camera.

Devices which detect the location of mobile speed cameras or which jam them will be outlawed, although satellite-navigation-based devices, which store the location of fixed speed cameras, will remain legal.