MPs to vote on new Road Safety Bill containing graduated fixed speeding penalties despite thresholds being undecided
The final reading of the Road Safety Bill took place on Monday 9th October.
Astonishingly, MP's will be asked to vote on a bill that includes graduated fixed penalties for speeding without any knowledge of what the speed thresholds will be. Police speed measurement equipment is only required to be accurate to within plus or minus 2mph and vehicle speedometers are required by law to be accurate within 10 per cent. Current ACPO guidelines allow for a speed measurement margin of error of 10 per cent plus 2mph for prosecution.
ABD Chairman Brian Gregory said, "Originally, the proposal was that 45mph in a 30mph limit would result in 3 penalty points, with 6 points for 46mph or higher. Clearly speed measurement is not accurate enough to implement a 1mph difference between thresholds. It is absurd that MPs are being asked to vote for a bill without knowing what the threshold for 6 penalty points will be."
The Association of British Drivers is run on a voluntary basis to lobby for the beleaguered British motorist:
- "Reclaiming the roads for the people who pay for them"
- "Demanding proper roads (and railways) in exchange for paying one seventh of all taxes"
- "Debunking the nonsense you hear about the environmental impact of the car"
- "Promoting effective road safety instead of the criminalisation of safe driving"
For more information about the ABD visit
www.abd.org.uk.
www.abd.org.uk - 16 Oct 2006
