Drivers - a heads up

Copied & pasted this form one of our forums:



This new police power comes into force this Friday.


There was bad news for Audi and Peugeot drivers today as British police were given new powers to clamp down on tailgaters and so-called ‘middle lane hoggers'.

Drivers who commit these offences face on the spot penalty fines of £100 and three points on their licence, under new plans revealed by government transport minister Stephen Hammond.

They also include new powers to issue fixed penalty notices for not giving way at a junction or using the wrong lane at a roundabout.

Stephen Hammond said: "Careless drivers are a menace and their negligence puts innocent people's lives at risk. That is why we are making it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers by allowing them to immediately issue a fixed penalty notice rather than needing to take every offender to court.

"We are also increasing penalties for a range of driving offences to a level which reflects their seriousness and which will ensure they are consistent with other similar penalty offences," he added.

The penalty fines for using a mobile phone whilst driving, and driving without wearing a seatbelt will also rise to £100 - up from £60 - while the fine for driving without insurance doubles from £100 to £200.

AA President Edmund King said: "We are pleased that at long last new powers and fines will be given to the police to tackle the top three pet hates of drivers - tailgaters, mobile phone abusers and middle-lane hogs."

Those are the top three, but what other motoring offences would you punish with an on-the-spot fine? Keep ‘em clean, TG.com...

 

A woman driver.

 

I'm 100% in support of these new powers coming into force, I just hope the police actually use them and start pulling over a few ***** drivers.

They should have extended it and added people who can't manage to park between white lines in car parks.

 

Well, evidently, I'm exempt...I drive a Ford...

 

Ok as long as they do not use the powers to get extra income into treasury coffers. Motorists are easy targets.

 

Mario if there was a like button i'd spend the next month hitting it !!!!!!!!!!

 

Just another way to raise income by hitting the motorist. Wait for the copper stood on stairfoot roundabout handing out tickets to all and sundry

If you are unlucky enough to get stopped by the *******s hoping to rob you, just refuse to give your name and never ever sign their documents

 

Then get locked up...

 

Can't believe the fine for no insurance is only £100...no wonder people risk it. I've never been pulled over by the police so technically as long as I was driving a car that was insured by someone I could have saved thousands in premiums. Of course I'd never do that as I can completely see why insurance is compulsory, but it's these idiots that are driving the cost of it up for everyone...along with all the "whiplash" claimants.

 

While I support these laws in principle I am a little worried that they come down to opinion rather than hard and fast facts and rules. If I pull out into the middle lane to overtake the car in front I will generally pull out pretty early on as I feel it is safer to do that and accelerate down the middle lane than it is to accelerate up behind a car and then pull out at the last minute. To an over zealous PC though that could be considered driving in the middle lane. I think i'm a reasonable distance from the car in front but a copper decides he thinks i'm too close. Or he takes a dislike to me for some reason and decides to just write me up for one of these offences even though he knows I'm not guilty. What evidence will they require to give out these fines? I really hope it isn't just their word taken for things.

I'm also not keen on the fines for wrong lane at a roundabout because that could be purely accidental. I'm sure every one of us has found ourselves in the wrong lane in the past by accident. Does that deserve a fixed penalty notice? I don't think it does.

And don't get me started on how proud they are that people who avoid paying £1000+ in insurance will now be given the massive fine of £200. It should be a ten year ban from driving and £10k fine. The punishment MUST act as a deterrent and a fine that is much much lower than the saving by committing the crime is certainly no deterrent, it is in fact an encouragement to break the law.

 

You'd be surprised how many people don't know the correct procedure at round abouts....

 

There must be millions.

There are a few confusing/misleading roundabouts though which make choosing the correct lane almost impossible.

 

However, you go stand at KFC at town end or the arselambra centre and see how many go right round in the outside lane...

 

On top of the fine they will take your car and crush it. So it can be very expensive.

 

All they would do is arrest you.

 

True and its such a basic skill it makes you wonder how they passed their test.

 

you dont have to give your name to a copper even for murder you have the right to remain silent
and you wont get arrested for refusing to sign his paperwork
if people stood up for their rights instead of just bending over they wouldnt get away with **** like this

 

Motorist = Cash cow, this is just another way of the twots to get their hand into your pocket.

Luckily motoring law doesn't apply to private carparks, they could try making the lines closer together thoughso you have even less room to open ur door without hitting the car next to you.

 

For?