FPN to increase to £90 and include careless driving

Greebo

Greebo

Greebo

Caporegime
Joined
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Co Durham
Heard this on the news this morning.

The Government are considering Fixed Penalty Notices to be increased to £90 and include careless driving (which currently you have to be taken to court over)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/14/fixed-penalty-fines-could-rise?newsfeed=true

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18438724

So drivers caught tailgating, braking suddenly, or passing a vehicle on the nearside might face a fixed penalty notice in future, like many speeders today.
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And it was reported on the radio that middle lane hoggers would also get FPN under the new proposals.

So, just a money making scheme (estimated to raise £4.1m over 10 years) or good news?

Personally I think it's a good idea that the police can give FPN to tailgaters and passing on the nearside (when not safe to do it)

I would presume you will get points for doing that as well but the articles aren't clear.
 
Undeterred said:
It is just a money making and money saving exercise.

The police have the powers to summons offenders to court for these offences at present anyway.
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True but the point seems to be that unless serious careless driving (which will still go to court) the police don't bother with the paperwork for something like tailgating or undertaking.

I suspect with them being able to just issue a FPN, they will do it a lot more often.
 
Eliot said:
Hmm, Im not sure I agree, £60 quid isn't chump change really, for most people it is quite a lot.
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The bit that worries me is how subjective this can be, especially as it becomes a more common conviction with these new powers.

I totally agree careless driving and aggressive morons on the roads need taking care of , but am I going to end up with three points & a £90 fine for stopping a little to hard at a set of lights or splashing a puddle, or am I going to need to rub paint of the bumper of a police car @ 80mph to qualify? I suspect it will depend on the officer, which I find a little disconcerting.
 
Nomisf said:
I suspect it will depend on the officer, which I find a little disconcerting.
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That's how it's always been really, this just takes the load of the courts. If you're driving 'normally' you will be fine, we're not dealing with the Gestapo here.

MLM getting fined is fantastic, shame there's so few 5-0 on the M6 to fine them!
 
Muffin` said:
If you're driving 'normally' you will be fine, we're not dealing with the Gestapo here.
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Oh rly?

Those of us with a bright white car and driving it properly up to 8krpm will have a much higher risk of being done by incompetent little nazi coppers.

Officer: 'I heard you speeding'.
Me: 'No, I was in 2nd gear at high rpm joining the motorway at less than 70mph'.
Officer: 'Don't care, Careless driving, £90 and 3 points'.
Me: ****ed.
 
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It'll just make MLM/OLM s have even more of a spaz attack when you overtake them on the left, and mean that people overtake them on the left less frequently. Thus causing more problems.
 
Eliot said:
Hmm, Im not sure I agree, £60 quid isn't chump change really, for most people it is quite a lot.
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The idea of a fine is that it forms part of the punishment. To put it in perspective £60 isn't far off what I spend in fuel every week.

The only people that £60 is really going to hurt are Johnny "JSA" Jones' but why does he need to be speeding around anyway?
 
-Ad- said:
Oh rly?

Those of us with a bright white car and driving it properly up to 8krpm will have a much higher risk of being done by incompetent little nazi coppers.

Officer: 'I heard you speeding'.
Me: 'No, I was in 2nd gear at high rpm joining the motorway at less than 70mph'.
Officer: 'Don't care, Careless driving, £90 and 3 points'.
Me: ****ed.
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Contest it then and see if the court agrees :confused:
 
-Ad- said:
Oh rly?

Those of us with a bright white car and driving it properly up to 8krpm will have a much higher risk of being done by incompetent little nazi coppers.

Officer: 'I heard you speeding'.
Me: 'No, I was in 2nd gear at high rpm joining the motorway at less than 70mph'.
Officer: 'Don't care, Careless driving, £90 and 3 points'.
Me: ****ed.
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I would have thought surely they'd still need to prove you actually did it? E.g. video?
 
-Ad- said:
Oh rly?

Those of us with a bright white car and driving it properly up to 8krpm will have a much higher risk of being done by incompetent little nazi coppers.

Officer: 'I heard you speeding'.
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And that's what it will boil down to, keep calm, contest it and carry on.

If they catch you that is :cool:
 
Haggisman said:
I would have thought surely they'd still need to prove you actually did it? E.g. video?
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Video evidence would help to prove a case where there is evidence of tailgating etc.

But an officer says so will suffice. Your word against a coppers (without contradictory evidence) = conviction.

Could become abused imo.
 
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