New penalties for ‘most serious speeding offenders’
New sentencing guidelines for magistrates came into force on 24 April 2017 following their publication earlier this year.
One of the offences covered is speeding and sentence levels are changing for the most serious offences, with a new higher penalty being introduced for those offenders who drive at speeds excessively above legal limits.
This change to sentencing followed calls from respondents to the consultation on the Council’s proposed new guidelines who said that the previous guidelines did not properly take into account the increase in potential harm that can result as speed above the speed limit increases.
The Council has therefore increased the penalty for the top band of seriousness to ensure that there is clear increase in fine level as the seriousness of offending increases. This means fines for these offenders will have a starting point of 150 per cent of weekly income rather than the existing level of 100 per cent of weekly income. This would apply to those who for example go at 41 mph or more where there is a 20 mph limit, 51 mph or more where there is a 30 mph limit or over 101 mph on a motorway. Sentence levels for less serious offences are not changing.
The maximum fines allowed by law remain the same, so fines cannot exceed these. The maximum fine for speeding is £1000, unless it takes place on a motorway, in which case it is £2500.
The new guideline for speeding offences, can be found here.
