Government Consultation – Speeding

The Government takes the view that speeding is a major contributory factor in road collisions and as a result plans to take steps to deal with it at those places where it is felt to be most of a threat. They perceive two types of speeding:

• exceeding the speed limit
• going to fast for the prevailing conditions

and that in 2007 350 accidents were caused by exceeding the speed limit and 400 from driving too fast for the conditions.

The Government also see two types of offender as a threat

• moderate speeders who are generally compliant but can be a little over the limit especially in 30 mph areas
• excessive sppeders who normally exceed 35 mph to 40 mph over the speed limit

The Government’s proposals for tackling speeding include:

Time over distance cameras

The Government believes that spot cameras are not sufficiently effective since they only deal with speed at a particular point. Their preference is to increase the number of average speed cameras that measure a motorists speed over a set distance. These have been used with appararently great success in road works where accidents have been reduced by between 23% and 100%.

Speed awareness courses and campaigns

Government research has indicated that there are still many drivers who do not think that excessive speed is a problem. Their proposal is to use targeted education to offer training to low-level speeders, paid for by the offender, as an alternative to a fixed penalty notice. In addition the Government will continue to support speed awareness campaigns.

Tackling extreme speeders and graduated points

The Government intend to increase the number of penalty points for fixed penalties issued for extreme speeding offences to 6 penalty points. This is basd on evidence that those with 6 – 9 penalty points commit fewer speeding offences. Meanwhile, they will issue graduated points so that, for example, only those travelling at over 45 mph in a 30 mph area would attract the 6 points. The Government will also consider the possibility of introducing downward graduations so that those convicted of speeding at lower spees would get points accoridng to the speed.