Motorists: Not so fast with those speeding fine hikes

Half of motorists disagree with a government proposal to increase fixed penalty notices from £60 to £90, according to research by motoring charity the IAM.

Fixed penalty notices can be given for a range of offences, but are most commonly associated with driving offences including speeding and jumping red lights.

Under the plans, the £30 increase will be used to give a £30m cash boost to the fund for victims of crime and witnesses support.

But of more than 1,100 respondents to an IAM survey, 51 per cent disagreed with the proposal, 28 per cent strongly disagreed, and only 35 per cent agreed.

When asked what they would think if the money went into improving road safety as opposed to victim support in general, 80 per cent were happier with this proposal.

80 per cent of respondents think that this scheme could reduce driver’s trust in the purpose of enforcement measures, including safety cameras.

When asked what the biggest deterrent to bad driving was, 68 per cent identified ‘enforcement – the likelihood I will get caught’, with 48 per cent choosing ‘the fear of the consequences in terms of causing death or injury to myself/my passengers or other road users in the result of an accident’, and 42 per cent saying’ the severity of the punishment if I was caught’.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “While funding victims of crime is laudable, the real aim of fines for motoring offences should be deterrence. We want to stop people breaking the law.

“Having an income that relies on dangerous driving won’t help reduce crashes. There is a strong case for this money to be spent on road safety.”

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