UK Road Safety Minister, Stephen Hammond, has announced new measures that will see careless drivers, who put other road users at risk, face on-the-spot penalties. The changes will give the police powers to issue fixed penalty notices for careless driving, giving them greater flexibility in dealing with less serious careless driving offences, such as tailgating or middle lane hogging, and freeing them from resource-intensive court processes. The fixed penalty will also enable the police to offer educational training as an alternative to endorsement. Drivers will still be able to appeal any decision in court. In addition, existing fixed penalty levels for most motoring offences, including using a cell phone at the wheel and not wearing a seatbelt, will rise to £100 (US$155) to bring them into line with the penalties for similar non-motoring fixed penalties. The changes, which the government aims to bring into force in July this year, are being introduced following extensive public consultation with road safety groups and police forces.

Announcing the changes, Hammond said, “Careless drivers are a menace and their negligence puts innocent people’s lives at risk. That is why we are making it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers, by allowing them to immediately issue a fixed penalty notice rather than needing to take every offender to court. We are also increasing penalties for a range of driving offences to a level that reflects their seriousness and will ensure that they are consistent with other similar penalty offences.” Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, lead on roads policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), commented, “The new penalties are absolutely necessary to deal with drivers who are putting people’s lives at risk and police will not hesitate to enforce them. These measures should also act as a reminder to careless drivers that their behaviour will not be tolerated. The vast majority of drivers are law abiding, but some are still not getting the message. We said we would get tougher on those who make our roads dangerous; and that is exactly what we have done.”

e-News® | Desk Report @rrajowan