A group of MP’s from a variety of parties will be demanding that drivers are to be fined for going just 1mph over the speed limit.
In a new report set to be published tomorrow, the All Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking will call for the new rules, overriding the common tolerances practised by most police forces. Most police officers and forces allow a tolerance of 10% plus 2mph over the limit before drivers are at risk of prosecution.
The new rules would mean drivers could be fined for doing 24mph in a 20mph zone or 35mph in a 30mph zone.
The issue with this is the tolerance levels were set to allow for a fluctuation of speedometer accuracy, but the APPG, made up of cross-party MPs and peers, will call for the tolerances to be removed as one of 10 recommendations in their report.
According to the Sunday Times, the report will state 'If the working assumption is that one can speed (to an extent) with impunity, this fosters a belief that traffic law does not need to be taken seriously.
'We hold the view that speed limits and their enforcement represent the foundation of road justice because speeding accounts for the lion's share of offences committed on the roads.'
The APPG are believed to be also readying up to ask ministers to consider introducing escalating penalties for repeat traffic offences. This includes a requirement for re-testing for anyone wishing to drive following any period of disqualification alongside an increase in the maximum sentence for dangerous driving.
Edmund King, president of the AA is worried it may be counter-productive. “Speed limits are there for a reason and people should respect them.
'But if people are too paranoid about going 1mph or 2mph above the speed limit, that's not conducive to road safety.
'It is better to be able to see a cyclist on the left hand side of the road, or a pedestrian stepping out from the right, rather than just to stare at the speedometer.'
Nicholas Lyes, Director of Policy at the IAM RoadSmart charity has stated “Motorists should always keep to the speed limit but fining drivers who might momentarily go over the limit by 1mph would be harsh and may not have the desired road safety effect because drivers could become fixated on looking at the speedometer, rather than the road ahead.
'Current tolerance levels operated by most police forces also ensure there is no margin for error between what the camera reads and the actual speed of the vehicle.
'A better way to improve road safety would be for an expansion in speed awareness and driver training courses.'
As expected, this news has caused a stir on social media and now, we’re asking you to share your thoughts with us. Should drivers be fined for driving 1mph over the speed limit or are we losing our minds?
