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Group of MPs says all drivers should be fined if they’re caught going just 1mph over the speed limit

By Tom Gibson | September 12, 2023

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Police officers usually allow a 10% plus 2mph buffer but some want that formally scrapped

Group of MPs says all drivers should be fined if they’re caught going just 1mph over the speed limit

In a report published today, the All Parliamentary Group of Cycling and Walking has asked for all speeding tolerances to be formally scrapped.

Most police forces allow for a tolerance of 10% plus 2mph above speed limits, particularly at lower speeds, before prosecuting for speeding.

But the APPG wants this removing so all drivers would be instantly fined for going 31mph in a 30mph, for example.

The cross-party group of MPs and peers has called for the tolerances to be removed as one of 10 recommendations.

The report states: 'If the working assumption is that one can speed (to an extent) with impunity, this fosters a belief that traffic law does not need to be taken seriously.

'We hold the view that speed limits and their enforcement represent the foundation of road justice because speeding accounts for the lion's share of offences committed on the roads.'

The group has also asked for;

-   The introduction of escalating penalties for repeat traffic offenders

-   Mandatory re-testing for anyone who has been disqualified

-   An increase in the maximum sentence for dangerous driving to four years

-   The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) to guide police forces to bail drivers they arrest for dangerous driving with a condition not to drive

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: 'Speed limits are there for a reason and people should respect them.

'But if people are too paranoid about going 1mph or 2mph above the speed limit, that's not conducive to road safety.

'It is better to be able to see a cyclist on the left-hand side of the road, or a pedestrian stepping out from the right, rather than just to stare at the speedometer.'

Would you support some or all of the recommendations being implemented and do you think they would improve road safety?

We have a full section on Regit to help keep you legal, https://www.regit.cars/car-advice/staying-legal

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