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Tougher fines to be introduced for most serious speeding offences

Drivers caught for the most serious speeding offences are set to face much tougher fines under new sentencing guidelines introduced following consultation.  

Speed camera by 40mph sign

The new sentencing guidelines mean that drivers caught doing over 66mph in a 40mph zone will face much higher fines.

Effective from 24 April, the new guidelines for magistrates’ courts in England and Wales will introduce a new higher penalty – ‘Band C’ – which will sit alongside the existing two bands and cover drivers whose offences fall within the highest bracket of seriousness in the speeding guideline. 

This means that fines for such motorists will start from 150% of their weekly income rather than the existing level of 100%.

Examples include motorists driving above 51mph in a 30mph limit and 101mph or faster in a 70mph zone.

The new guidelines are being introduced following calls from respondents to the consultation who said the previous guidelines did not properly take into account the increase in potential harm that can result as speed above the speed limit increases.

RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams welcomed the change on speeding.

He said: “Anyone who breaks the limit excessively is a danger to every other road user and is unnecessarily putting lives at risk. Hopefully, hitting these offenders harder in the pocket will make them think twice before doing it again in the future. While greater sentences for excessive speeders are obviously a deterrent, the best deterrent of all is more effective enforcement.”

The new guidelines can be accessed on the Sentencing Council website www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.