Bad drivers face £100 on-the-spot fines
Drivers who tailgate and weave at speed in and out of motorway lanes could be handed on-the-spot fines under a new strategy to make Britain’s roads safer.
Under the plans, motorists found guilty of “careless driving” will be issued with fixed penalties – understood to be between £80 and £100 – and three points on their licence by police rather than being taken to court.
“We’re talking about the use of fixed-penalty notices of the type which have been used for years for speeding offences, but broadening out that very narrow focus on speed alone,” Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said.
“What we’re trying to do here is not punish people but to make sure we get better driving standards on our roads,” he added.
Motorists issued with the penalties would reserve the right to appeal.
Drug-driving crackdown
There will be a new crackdown on drug-driving and loopholes which allow people to get off drink-driving charges will be closed, said the Department for Transport.
A DfT spokesman said: “The strategy will focus on cracking down on the really reckless drivers through more efficient enforcement. By giving the police the tools to deal with those who present the greatest danger to others, we can make our roads even safer.”
Disqualified drivers will be forced to retrain – and possibly have to take another test – before they regain their licence. And the courts will be encouraged to make more use of their powers to seize vehicles for the most serious offences.
The strategy will focus on cracking down on the really reckless drivers through more efficient enforcement. DfT spokesman
The DfT is also proposing to increase the fine for failing to control a vehicle (including mobile phone use), and offences related to pedestrian crossings and wearing a seatbelt, from the current penalty of £60 to between £80 and £100.
But in a written statement to MPs, Mr Hammond will also announce a new approach to drivers who make genuine mistakes on the roads and extra help for those who have just passed their tests and need to keep improving their skills.
Convictions related to bad driving have plummeted fell from 125,000 in 1985 to 28,900 in 2006.