New penalties to tackle careless driving

23rd July 2012

Careless drivers will be targeted under new proposals announced for consultation by the 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 offences and freeing them up 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.

“Careless driving is a major public concern, and a cause of deaths and injuries on our roads,” Mike Penning said.  “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.”

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

Other proposals announced for consultation 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 while driving, 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).  There are no plans to make any changes to penalty levels for parking offences.

Responding to the proposals, Neil Greig at the Institute of Advanced Motorists said:  “We are unconvinced that making careless driving a fixed penalty notice offence will improve road safety.  It covers a range of offences, from parking to highly irresponsible behaviour which deserves a court summons. The IAM strongly supports driver re-education courses and these could still be handed out through courts.

“An increase in speeding and other penalty fines is needed to keep up with inflation.  Yet the Ministry of Justice only recently suggested a victim surcharge be added to them.  This would make any increase much larger.  The real aim of fines for motoring offences should be deterrence rather than generating income.”