Legal News
Penalties for speeding and motoring offences quadruple (10 June 2014)
Date: 10/06/2014
Justice Minister Jeremy Wright has announced that motorway speeding fines will increase to £10,000 – with the penalty for speeding on dual carriageways and other roads quadrupling to £4,000.
Magistrates’ Courts will also be able to use their discretion to hand out larger fines for motoring offences such as reckless or careless driving or driving without insurance.
Announcing the increase in fines for speeding, Mr Wright said:
“Financial penalties set at the right level can be an effective way of punishing criminals and deterring them from further offending.
"Magistrates are the cornerstone of our justice system and these changes will provide them with greater powers to deal with the day-to-day offences that impact their local communities."
Motorists currently face a fine of £2,500 for motorway speeding offences – and motoring organisations say that the huge increase in penalties for speeding may not be the most effective deterrent.
AA President Edmund King said:
"For the vast majority of drivers, the prospect of the existing £2,500 fine is a pretty good deterrent against excessive speeding on the motorway.
"We would not condone excessive speeding in any way, but fines have to be proportionate to the offence – and one has to question whether increasing the fines four-fold is proportionate, and it probably is not.
"If we had more cops in cars on the motorway that would be a much more effective deterrent," he added.
Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers
Duncan Lewis crime lawyers are available 24/7, 365 days a year to advise at any stage of a charge, including charges relating to motoring offences, such as speeding offences, DUI, careless or reckless driving, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, causing death by dangerous driving or driving without insurance.
For expert legal advice on motoring offences and representation, contact Duncan Lewis crime lawyers on 020 7923 4020.
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