Careless driving: fixed penalty fine on the cards

Up to £100 fine plus penalty points proposed

THE government plans to make careless driving a fixed penalty offence with an on the spot fine of up to £100.

Drivers caught tailgating, ignoring red lights or undertaking could all be caught with the new fixed penalty.

At the same time disqualified drivers will have to take a new driving test in order to regain their licence.

The plans were set out in the new Strategic Framework for Road Safety by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond today (11 May 2011).

Philip Hammond said: “This report marks a sea change in how we tackle road safety in this country. We are determined to differentiate between wilfully reckless drivers and the law abiding majority who sometimes make honest mistakes, or who have allowed their skills to deteriorate.”

The government stated that its long term vision was to ensure Britain remained a world leader on road safety.

Further information

You can find out more about the proposals in the government’sThe Strategic Framework for Road Safety