Speeding Fines
If you have been caught speeding you will normally expect that the minimum speeding fine that you will receive will be £60. However £60 is only the minimum for speeding fines - your actual penaly will depend on how fast you are going and the speed limit that was in force. It would be silly if the fine for going at 40mph in a 30 zone was the same as for going 80mph in the same area!
As well as getting a speeding fine you will also get points on your driving licence. The following table gives you a guide as to how many driving licence penalty points you can expect
|
Speed Limit in force
|
Actual Driving Speed
|
No. of Points on Licence
|
|
20 - 30mph
|
up to 10mph faster
|
3 points |
11 - 20mph faster |
4 or 5 points |
|
|
21 - 30 mph faster
|
6 points * |
|
|
40 - 50 mph
|
up to 15mph faster
|
3 points |
|
16 - 25 mph faster
|
4 or 5 points |
|
|
26 - 35 mph faster
|
6 points * |
|
|
60 - 70 mph
|
up to 20mph faster
|
3 points |
|
26 - 30 mph faster
|
4 or 5 points |
|
|
31 - 40 mph faster
|
6 points * |
* or you can be banned from driving for between 14 and 56 days.
Speeding fines and points on your licence are designed to deter people from driving. However the bigger deterrent can be the danger of increased insurance premiums if you get points on your licence. It used to be that the first 3 points on your licence didn't have much if any impact on your insurance premium. However, more recently, anecdotal evidence suggests that even 3 points can significantly lump up your insurance.
Are speed awareness courses a good alternative to speeding fines?
For the driver a speed awareness course can be a good option. It will mean that you get no points on your licence. However you will have to pay the speed awareness course fee which will cost between £50 to £80. So it will not save you on the cost of the speeding fine. It will however mean that you can avoid having speeding points on your licence.
Speed awareness courses are only available for more minor speeding offences and are only offered where the driver has no previous points on his or her licence for speeding. You cannot apply for a speed awareness course - it is entirely at the discretion of the police whether it will be offered to you.
The best way to avoid a speeding fine is to ensure that you keep to the spped limit. If you are caught by a speed camera such as gatso or truvelo camera, the vehicle's registered keeper should receive a Notice of Intended prosecution within 14 days of the offence. This requires the registered keeper of the vehicle to supply details of the driver at the time of the alleged driving offence.