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Clampdown on excessive speeders

Drivers caught breaking the speed limit by a significant margin twice
could be automatically banned from the roads under new government
proposals.

The idea, set out in a consultation paper, is one of a range of measures
aimed at the most dangerous drivers.

The document also suggests creating formal drug-drive limits in a bid to
make prosecutions easier to achieve.

Ministers say they are still gathering evidence on whether the drink-
drive limit should be lowered.

Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick told the BBC's Today programme the
measures were about "being on the side of the safe motorist".

The government wanted to address the 2,946 deaths and the 30,000 serious
injuries on British roads last year, he said.

"Notwithstanding that these are the best figures we've ever had, we know
that we can do more and that we can reduce the numbers of people being
killed and seriously injured and that means looking at speeding, drink
driving, drug driving, careless driving and people not wearing
seatbelts."

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Family's anger at drink drive laws

Ministers would also be looking at whether the drink-drive limit was at
the right level, he added.

Phil and Amanda Peak, whose two sons were killed by ex-Plymouth Argyle
goalkeeper Luke McCormick in a crash on the M6, said a much lower legal
blood alcohol limit was needed.

Mrs Peak told BBC Breakfast she feared that without the changes others
could suffer in the same way she had.

"It's Christmas coming up and you know all those people are going to go
out, get drunk, get in their car the next morning and not think of the
consequences they are going to cause."

The couple also want motorists who speed to face tough penalties even
when they break the law for the first time.

Disqualified

As the law currently stands, the majority of speeding offences are
punished with a fixed penalty notice of a fine and three points.

But the government wants to introduce more severe punishments for so-
called "excessive speeders" - for example, those who drive at more than
90mph on a motorway.

If adopted, the proposal - first mooted four years ago - would see these
"anti-social drivers" automatically given six points.

Being caught twice at such speeds would mean 12 points and an automatic
disqualification from driving.

Also under consideration is the idea that the penalty for a minor
speeding offence could be cut to two points.

But Vincent Yearley, from the Institute of Advanced Motorists, told BBC
Five Live all speeding should be discouraged.

"Before you start tinkering, if you like, with some sort of incentive or
make people think it's okay to speed in an urban environment, you've got
to make sure you've got your rationale straight, because speeding's
unacceptable really anywhere."

The government also wants to crack down on drivers who use drugs,
particularly the "hard core of frequent drug drivers who are primarily
males aged between 25 and 35".

It estimates that up to one in five motorists killed in road accidents
may have drugs in their system.

There are currently no drugs breathalysers and no legal "driving limit"
for cannabis, heroin or cocaine, so the onus is on officers to prove
that someone is impaired.

Ministers are considering whether introducing formal drug limits could
make it easier gain prosecutions.

'Informants'

The three-month consultation will also outline proposals to improve the
enforcement of drink-driving limits.

Britain has one of the highest limits in Europe and road safety
campaigners have called for the current maximum of 80mg of alcohol in
100ml of blood to be lowered to 50mg.

However, the consultation appears to shy away from this idea, suggesting
other possible changes instead.

If there are no traffic police to pull people over and
breathalyse them, the government's proposed crackdown will be nothing
more than yet another empty headline
Theresa Villiers Shadow transport secretary

According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, these include encouraging
friends, neighbours and colleagues to inform police about people who
frequently drink and drive.

Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said ministers needed to
realise that if they wanted to get tough on the most anti-social
drivers, they would not catch them with speed cameras.

"If there are no traffic police to pull people over and breathalyse
them, the government's proposed crackdown will be nothing more than yet
another empty headline."

The number of people killed on British roads last year fell to the
lowest level since records began, transport department figures show.

Just over 2,940 people died in 2007, a drop of 7% from 2006, with child
deaths dropping 28% to a record low of 121.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news. bbc.co.uk/ go/pr/fr/ -/1/hi/uk/ 7738919.stm

Published: 2008/11/20 09:42:53 GMT