Motorists Outraged by Tougher Penalties for Speeding

21 November 2007

Motorists have delivered a rapid and overwhelming condemnation of government plans to introduce harsher penalties for speeding that could see drivers banned after two offences.

The days of the fixed penalty system for speeding motorists are numbered, according to the Department for Transport. Under new rules, fines would be doubled when a driver passes a designated speed limit. For example, a speed of up to 45mph in a 30mph zone will incur 3 points and a £60 fine, whereas going over the 45mph mark will mean a £100 fine and a 6-point driving licence penalty.

However, a poll conducted by RoadSafe sponsor, Motorpoint, the UK’s largest car supermarket, revealed a staggering 89% of respondents deem the latest proposal for disqualification after only two offences to be too extreme, imposing a greater risk on the road for the livelihood of thousands who commute each day or rely heavily on a commercial vehicle.

The negative sentiment on this subject was so pronounced that the issue sparked the fastest ever response to the interactive poll on the retailer’s website www.motorpoint.co.uk, receiving over 900 votes within two days of going live.

Commenting on the findings of the research, David Shelton, Managing Director of Motorpoint, explains: “It is clear from the overwhelming response to the poll that motorists are very concerned about the revised laws on speeding, but drivers must be made aware of the dangers of disobeying speed limits which have been set to reduce the number of accidents. As the first automotive retailer to be a member of RoadSafe, we are committed to warning motorists about not adhering to the correct speeds.”