Speeding
Speeding laws have been put in place for a reason. That reason is to avoid any accidents on the road and save lives. In recent years, excessive speeding has been recorded in a whopping 26% of fatal crashes in the UK. The speed limit does depend on the type of vehicle but all drivers are responsible for being aware of the local speed limits and adhering to the laws.
Table of national speed limits
Type of vehicle |
Built-up areas |
Single carriage-ways |
Dual carriage-ways |
Motorways |
|
Mph (km/h) |
Mph (km/h) |
Mph (km/h) |
Mph (km/h) |
Cars and motorcycles |
30 (48) |
60 (96) |
70 (112) |
70 (112) |
Cars towing caravans |
30 (48) |
50 (80) |
60 (96) |
60 (96) |
Buses, coaches and minibuses |
30 (48) |
50 (80) |
60 (96) |
70 (112) |
Goods vehicles (below 7.5 tonnes) |
30 (48) |
50 (80) |
60 (96) |
70 (112) |
Goods vehicles (above 7.5 tonnes) |
30 (48) |
40 (64) |
50 (80) |
60 (96) |
Prosecution
If caught speeding, there are a few ways that penalties can be enforced. The offender may be pulled over by the police and given a ticket, or caught on speed camera. If caught on camera, within 14 days, the registered keeper of the vehicle will be sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP). The vehicle owner is to complete the form and send it back within 28 days. The form will state who was driving the vehicle at the time of the speeding offence. Failure to comply may result in 6 points being put on the licence holder.
Penalties for speeding
After returning the NIP, the driver will then receive a fixed penalty notice or a summons. This is dependent on the severity of the speeding offence coupled with the driver’s previous penalty history. If the driver accepts the fixed penalty notice, then a fine of £60 will be enforced along with 3 points being added to the licence. If the driver does not accept the terms of the notice from speeding, then the case must be put forward to the courts. Sometimes, the driver can be offered an alternative like attending a “speed awareness course”.
If the driver receives a summons for speeding then they must plead guilty or not guilty. In the case of the driver choosing to plead guilty, it is advisable that court is attended as sometimes, leniency on the penalty can be allowed.
Speeding is a serious matter and many pedestrians and drivers die each year due to careless speeding. To avoid getting speeding fines is very simple, avoid speeding altogether.