Announced on 5^th June by Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond, the new measures mean that ffom July police will be able to issue fixed penalty notices for careless driving offences such as motorway tailgating and middle-lane hogging, following new legislation that will give police more discretion to clamp down on dangerous drivers, and will also help to cut procedural delays in court. 

The changes will see the fixed penalty for careless driving increase by £40 to £100. Other endorsable fixed penalties for using a hand held phone whilst driving and non-endorsable offences – such as not wearing a seat belt – will also increase from £60 to £100. More serious offences will continue to go through the judicial process.

Matt Dyer, commercial director, LeasePlan, said: ‘LeasePlan UK welcomes the introduction of on-the-spot penalties, which should deter careless driving and improve road safety for all road users. The new legislation should help reduce accidents and discourage offences like middle-lane driving, which can create unnecessary congestion.

‘We don’t want to see drivers hit with unnecessary costs, but safety is our top priority. Many drivers spend hours on the road each year, and bad habits can creep in. At LeasePlan, we do all we can to ensure our drivers are well trained and aware of any changes to motoring legislation.

‘LeasePlan’s DriveAWARE programme enables us to carry out individual driver analysis based on fines received, mileage reports, accident statistics and fuel expenditure in an easy-to-read dashboard which can to help identify potential risks and deliver policy changes and employee education.’

LeasePlan’s advice on how to avoid the new penalties:

• Always drive in the left hand lane if the road ahead is clear and only use the middle lane for overtaking
• Whilst on a motorway keep at least a two second gap between you and the car in front
• Plan your route in advance or use a satellite navigation system to prevent erratic driving; never be tempted to make illegal U-turns
• Don’t use a phone held in the hand while driving or while stopped with the engine switched on
• Refresh your knowledge of the latest Highway Code. There may have been changes since you took your test