Bill promises tougher penalties

A crackdown on motorists using mobile phones and more flexible speeding fines were among measures in a Road Safety Bill announced in the Queen's Speech last week.

It will seek to bring in tougher penalties for driving while using a hand-held mobile phone and also for careless and inconsiderate driving and using a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

The Bill will also tackle drink-driving by enabling mandatory re-testing of the worst offenders and providing the police with the power to take evidence at the roadside. It will also close a loophole allowing offenders at highest risk of re-offending to drive pending medical inquiries.

The Government has already outlined plans to have graduated fines for speeding and this policy was confirmed in the Bill. The new system will distinguish between a driver travelling at, for example, 33mph in a 30mph limit, and another going at, for example, 39mph.

The Bill will also look at the problem of fatigue-related accidents, allow the police to more effectively use motor insurance data and number plate recognition technology to detect uninsured drivers, and allow courts to make increased use of retraining courses for serious poor-driving offenders.

The RAC welcomed the proposal for graduated points and fines for speeding. "Motorists will welcome a more graduated system for points and fines as a deterrent to speeding," spokesperson Susie Haywood said. "The majority of drivers are usually only going a few miles over the posted speed limit, yet they get slammed with the same level of fines and penalty points on their licence as those doing dangerously high speeds."

"RAC research shows that 72% of drivers still think that speed limit enforcement via safety cameras is more about raising revenues than improving road safety. Reducing the fines should help drivers to feel less penalised and encourage them to see cameras as a necessary part of a comprehensive road safety campaign."  
However, the road safety charity Brake responded very differently. "We strongly object to graduated fines for speeding which further weaken penalties that were ridiculously low in the first place," a spokesman said.

RoSPA welcomed the news that hand-held mobile phone users who persistently flout the law by taking and making calls while driving face being banned from the road.

Kevin Clinton, RoSPA head of road safety, said: "Far too many people have been ignoring the law outlawing the use of hand-held phones while driving since it came into force a year ago, but the threat of penalty points will give it new teeth."

"Those who are selfish enough to think their call is more important than someone's life may be persuaded by the likelihood of a ban if they keep picking up points. This particularly applies to people who drive for work, as it could cost them their job."

ROSPA says that the use of hand-held phones by motorists has fallen by only 25 per cent since the law came in on December 1, 2003. RoSPA led the campaign for the law and believes tougher police enforcement and more publicity are needed to remind people of the dangers of using phones while driving.