Speeding fines
Discussion
If ever there was an argument for giving up your car or buying a battery with a top speed of 30mph, this is it.
Speeding fines, tickets and penalties guide.
If you're caught speeding, the standard penalty for a Fixed Penalty Notice offence is a £100 fine and either three points on your licence or the opportunity to go on a driver speed awareness course.
However, fines for the most serious speeding offences in England and Wales were increased in 2020 in a move that means they could potentially cost drivers thousands of pounds.
The changes followed a review of the sentencing guidelines given to magistrates' courts by the Sentencing Council, with it ruling that drivers who break the speed limit by a significant margin – such as driving at 41mph or above in a 20mph zone, or more than 101mph on the motorway – should be fined up to 150% of their weekly income, up from the previous limit of 100%.
While the percentage of income changed, the upper limit for fines remained the same, meaning drivers can be fined up to £1000 on regular roads, or up to £2500 if caught speeding on the motorway.
Speeding fines are categorised into three main bands: A, B and C.
Band A applies if you were driving at between one and nine miles per hour above the legal limit. You will be issued with a fixed penalty notice (speeding ticket), and you'll get three penalty points on your licence and a fine of between 25% and 75% of your weekly income. You could face a larger fine or have to appear in court if there were other factors involved – for example, if you were caught speeding near a school or you were driving a heavy goods vehicle.
Band B applies if you were doing between 11 and 20mph over the limit. You might need to appear in court and you could be fined between 75% and 125% of your weekly income. Between four and six penalty points will be added to your licence or you might be banned from driving for between seven and 28 days.
Band C applies if you were 21mph or more over the legal limit. You might need to appear in court and face a fine anywhere between 125% and 175% of your weekly income. You will be banned from driving for seven to 56 days or get six penalty points on your licence.
Speed limit Band A speed Band B speed Band C speed
20mph 21-30mph 31-40mph 41mph upwards
30mph 31-40mph 41-50mph 51mph upwards
40mph 41-55mph 56-65mph 66mph upwards
50mph 51-65mph 66-75mph 76mph upwards
60mph 61-80mph 81-90mph 91mph upwards
70mph 71-90mph 91-100mph 101mph upwards
Penalty points Three Four to six Six
Disqualification n/a Seven to 28 days Seven to 56 days
Fine (of weekly wage) 25% to 75% 75% to 125% 125% to 175%
There are three other bands: D, E and F, which can be applied if the circumstances regarding the driver, vehicle or location is more serious. Factors that could push an offence into one of these bands include the driver having previous convictions or
Speeding fines, tickets and penalties guide.
If you're caught speeding, the standard penalty for a Fixed Penalty Notice offence is a £100 fine and either three points on your licence or the opportunity to go on a driver speed awareness course.
However, fines for the most serious speeding offences in England and Wales were increased in 2020 in a move that means they could potentially cost drivers thousands of pounds.
The changes followed a review of the sentencing guidelines given to magistrates' courts by the Sentencing Council, with it ruling that drivers who break the speed limit by a significant margin – such as driving at 41mph or above in a 20mph zone, or more than 101mph on the motorway – should be fined up to 150% of their weekly income, up from the previous limit of 100%.
While the percentage of income changed, the upper limit for fines remained the same, meaning drivers can be fined up to £1000 on regular roads, or up to £2500 if caught speeding on the motorway.
Speeding fines are categorised into three main bands: A, B and C.
Band A applies if you were driving at between one and nine miles per hour above the legal limit. You will be issued with a fixed penalty notice (speeding ticket), and you'll get three penalty points on your licence and a fine of between 25% and 75% of your weekly income. You could face a larger fine or have to appear in court if there were other factors involved – for example, if you were caught speeding near a school or you were driving a heavy goods vehicle.
Band B applies if you were doing between 11 and 20mph over the limit. You might need to appear in court and you could be fined between 75% and 125% of your weekly income. Between four and six penalty points will be added to your licence or you might be banned from driving for between seven and 28 days.
Band C applies if you were 21mph or more over the legal limit. You might need to appear in court and face a fine anywhere between 125% and 175% of your weekly income. You will be banned from driving for seven to 56 days or get six penalty points on your licence.
Speed limit Band A speed Band B speed Band C speed
20mph 21-30mph 31-40mph 41mph upwards
30mph 31-40mph 41-50mph 51mph upwards
40mph 41-55mph 56-65mph 66mph upwards
50mph 51-65mph 66-75mph 76mph upwards
60mph 61-80mph 81-90mph 91mph upwards
70mph 71-90mph 91-100mph 101mph upwards
Penalty points Three Four to six Six
Disqualification n/a Seven to 28 days Seven to 56 days
Fine (of weekly wage) 25% to 75% 75% to 125% 125% to 175%
There are three other bands: D, E and F, which can be applied if the circumstances regarding the driver, vehicle or location is more serious. Factors that could push an offence into one of these bands include the driver having previous convictions or
"If you're caught speeding, the standard penalty for a Fixed Penalty Notice offence is a £100 fine and either three points on your licence or the opportunity to go on a driver speed awareness course."
Nope, FPN is 3 points and £100, or you go on a course (at a cost) but no fine, no points.
Nope, FPN is 3 points and £100, or you go on a course (at a cost) but no fine, no points.
Enjoy it while it's possible.
Automatic speed limiters are coming. So is road pricing, that will be driven by accelerating BEV adoption, and declining fuel duty receipts. This will be billed automatically using GPS transponders. Speed limit enforcement will be automated (and blanket), as all the tech needed to do it will be there.
Driving on the public road will become purely a functional activity, for the purposes of getting from A to B.
I suspect many of the people whining today about the prospect of autonomous vehicles will be queueing up to buy (or subscribe / lease / rent / whatever) the things by the time they do appear in numbers. There will be no joy to be had in driving yourself, and potentially a whole world of pain and expense.
Automatic speed limiters are coming. So is road pricing, that will be driven by accelerating BEV adoption, and declining fuel duty receipts. This will be billed automatically using GPS transponders. Speed limit enforcement will be automated (and blanket), as all the tech needed to do it will be there.
Driving on the public road will become purely a functional activity, for the purposes of getting from A to B.
I suspect many of the people whining today about the prospect of autonomous vehicles will be queueing up to buy (or subscribe / lease / rent / whatever) the things by the time they do appear in numbers. There will be no joy to be had in driving yourself, and potentially a whole world of pain and expense.
giantdefy said:
"If you're caught speeding, the standard penalty for a Fixed Penalty Notice offence is a £100 fine and either three points on your licence or the opportunity to go on a driver speed awareness course."
Nope, FPN is 3 points and £100, or you go on a course (at a cost) but no fine, no points.
I could be wrong but I believe the 'cost' to attend a driver awareness course is £100 same as the FPN fineNope, FPN is 3 points and £100, or you go on a course (at a cost) but no fine, no points.
Saleen836 said:
giantdefy said:
"If you're caught speeding, the standard penalty for a Fixed Penalty Notice offence is a £100 fine and either three points on your licence or the opportunity to go on a driver speed awareness course."
Nope, FPN is 3 points and £100, or you go on a course (at a cost) but no fine, no points.
I could be wrong but I believe the 'cost' to attend a driver awareness course is £100 same as the FPN fineNope, FPN is 3 points and £100, or you go on a course (at a cost) but no fine, no points.
From local force 20/12 2020
We ran through 181 vehicles, educated 22 and we have summons three drivers to court for traffic related offences .
From local force 22/12 2020
We ran through 324 car's through, we educated 30 drivers and have reported 5 drivers for traffic related offences!
No mention of speeding ,though.
Similar result to a story in local paper a few years ago. where over 400 vehicles were checked with no prosecutions for speeding.
But when will the local forces do the same with tailgaiting . The above was on a 20 section where it's a regular occurrence to get aggressively tailgaited at 20mph.
Hopefully with promised increase in officers, some of the new batch will be out in cars .
We ran through 181 vehicles, educated 22 and we have summons three drivers to court for traffic related offences .
From local force 22/12 2020
We ran through 324 car's through, we educated 30 drivers and have reported 5 drivers for traffic related offences!
No mention of speeding ,though.
Similar result to a story in local paper a few years ago. where over 400 vehicles were checked with no prosecutions for speeding.
But when will the local forces do the same with tailgaiting . The above was on a 20 section where it's a regular occurrence to get aggressively tailgaited at 20mph.
Hopefully with promised increase in officers, some of the new batch will be out in cars .
For me, the fine wasn't the problem.
Half an hour ago, I was found guilty of exceeding a variable speed limit on the M4 Westbound near J24 (Coldra).
Posted limit was 50 mph, I was doing 65. Somehow I forgot which gantry actually had a camera on it.
Thing is ... it was a Friday afternoon. Second week of lockdown. The road was empty. No reason for any kind of reduced speed limit.
So I thought, 'this is a pisstake. I'm going to contest it.'
And I did.
Ultimately, unsuccessfully. The mags didn't consider it their job to judge whether a speed limit was correctly imposed, merely whether it was present and had been infringed. Ho hum.
Band A fine is already over twice the fixed penalty cost, tack on the 'victim surcharge'
and we're around three times the 'roll over and take it' price.
Whereupon the prosecution asked for £620 'costs'. For half an hour of his time and a few mouseclicked documents.
And the mags awarded it. I argued that it was unrepresentative, unconscionable, and unjustified, to no avail.
The final bill for that roll of the dice?
£904
s.
Half an hour ago, I was found guilty of exceeding a variable speed limit on the M4 Westbound near J24 (Coldra).
Posted limit was 50 mph, I was doing 65. Somehow I forgot which gantry actually had a camera on it.
Thing is ... it was a Friday afternoon. Second week of lockdown. The road was empty. No reason for any kind of reduced speed limit.
So I thought, 'this is a pisstake. I'm going to contest it.'
And I did.
Ultimately, unsuccessfully. The mags didn't consider it their job to judge whether a speed limit was correctly imposed, merely whether it was present and had been infringed. Ho hum.
Band A fine is already over twice the fixed penalty cost, tack on the 'victim surcharge'
and we're around three times the 'roll over and take it' price.Whereupon the prosecution asked for £620 'costs'. For half an hour of his time and a few mouseclicked documents.
And the mags awarded it. I argued that it was unrepresentative, unconscionable, and unjustified, to no avail.
The final bill for that roll of the dice?
£904
s.
handpaper said:
For me, the fine wasn't the problem.
Half an hour ago, I was found guilty of exceeding a variable speed limit on the M4 Westbound near J24 (Coldra).
Posted limit was 50 mph, I was doing 65. Somehow I forgot which gantry actually had a camera on it.
Thing is ... it was a Friday afternoon. Second week of lockdown. The road was empty. No reason for any kind of reduced speed limit.
So I thought, 'this is a pisstake. I'm going to contest it.'
And I did.
Ultimately, unsuccessfully. The mags didn't consider it their job to judge whether a speed limit was correctly imposed, merely whether it was present and had been infringed. Ho hum.
Band A fine is already over twice the fixed penalty cost, tack on the 'victim surcharge' and we're around three times the 'roll over and take it' price.
Whereupon the prosecution asked for £620 'costs'. For half an hour of his time and a few mouseclicked documents.
And the mags awarded it. I argued that it was unrepresentative, unconscionable, and unjustified, to no avail.
The final bill for that roll of the dice?
£904
s.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. You could just have paid the FPN. The magistrates were never going to find the speed limit unenforceable. That is not within their power. The actual prosecution costs were probably in excess of the sum awarded. Half an hour ago, I was found guilty of exceeding a variable speed limit on the M4 Westbound near J24 (Coldra).
Posted limit was 50 mph, I was doing 65. Somehow I forgot which gantry actually had a camera on it.
Thing is ... it was a Friday afternoon. Second week of lockdown. The road was empty. No reason for any kind of reduced speed limit.
So I thought, 'this is a pisstake. I'm going to contest it.'
And I did.
Ultimately, unsuccessfully. The mags didn't consider it their job to judge whether a speed limit was correctly imposed, merely whether it was present and had been infringed. Ho hum.
Band A fine is already over twice the fixed penalty cost, tack on the 'victim surcharge'
and we're around three times the 'roll over and take it' price.Whereupon the prosecution asked for £620 'costs'. For half an hour of his time and a few mouseclicked documents.
And the mags awarded it. I argued that it was unrepresentative, unconscionable, and unjustified, to no avail.
The final bill for that roll of the dice?
£904
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