The UK government plans to enforce new fines from July for drivers caught hogging the middle lane and tailgating. Any drivers nabbed doing any of the two offences will be fined £100 on the spot and will have three points deducted from their license.
Authorities are hoping the new fines will reduce the number of motorists having to go through the courts. Other changes include £100 ($153) fines for talking on a mobile phone while driving and driving without wearing a seatbelt. Currently, these offences are fined by £60 ($92).
Another fine that will be increased is for driving without insurance, with offenders to pay £300 ($460) from July compared to £200 ($306) now. “An increase in the standard motoring fixed penalty fine will help deter those who commit motoring offences including mobile phone use,” said AA president Edmund King.
“We are also pleased to see 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,” King added.
However, some groups have warned that the new measures won’t be very effective as the number of UK traffic police has fallen from 6,902 in 2003 to 4,608 in March 2012. “Without traffic cops out on the road to enforce this new approach it will have little impact on road safety,” said Neil Greig, director of policy for the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).
Drivers will still be able to challenge any fine and points given to them through the courts.
By Dan Mihalascu
Story References: Department For Transport via Autoexpress , Video via YouTube/CyclingMikey
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