21/08/2018

Police review speeding fine 'buffer zone'

Drivers could face £100 fines for going just one mile above the speed limit.

Police are reviewing their policy of allowing drivers a 'buffer' of 10% of the speed limit plus 2mph before facing punishment.

Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said, 'The existing speed enforcement guidance could in fact be encouraging driving at these more dangerous higher speeds rather than the actual speed limits. If properly understood and applied, the guidance may provide forces with the necessary flexibility but over time its rigid application and understanding are often misunderstood, with an expectation that the 'norm' is it is OK to speed.'

Abolishing this buffer zone could see police introduce a zero tolerance policy to speeding, but a spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs' Council said that fines of £100 for a single mile above the limit were 'neither proportionate or achievable.'