Speeding Chosen Over Safety
December 11, 2012 by admin
Filed under Car Insurance, Family and Personal, Motoring Law
Business drivers see speeding as a lesser crime than their private motoring counterparts, according to a new study.
Business drivers are also more likely to favour no penalty for minor speeding offences – 38% of company car drivers are against speeding fines, versus 29% of private motorists.
In addition, nearly three-quarters of company car drivers support different speed limits on similar classes of roads.
Speeding Offences
The offence of speeding is outlined in Section 89 Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984.
In essence, the prosecution have to prove that a person drove a motor vehicle on a road at a speed exceeding the speed limit. If you are convicted of speeding you are liable for penalty points, speeding fines and court costs.
People often get confused about the manner in which a speed limit is imposed.
Quite often a defendant will raise the issue that there were no speed limit signs on the road indicating a restricted speed limit.
Section 81 of the same act indicates that a road is limited to 30 mph limit (even when there are not signs in place) when there is in place a system of street lighting furnished by means of lamps placed not more that 200 yards apart. This means that if you are driving on a road where there are no specific speed limit signs and there is a system of street lighting in place and street lamps are no more than 200 yards apart, the road is automatically restricted and the speed limit is 30 mph.
Here is a guide to the speed limits in the UK:
| Vehicle | Road | |||
| Built up areas (street lit) | Single carriageways | Dual carriageways | Motorways | |
| Cars and motorcycles | 30mph | 60mph | 70mph | 70mph |
| Cars towing caravans or trailers | 30mph | 50mph | 60mph | 60mph |
| Buses and coaches (less than 12 metres long) | 30mph | 50mph | 60mph | 70mph |
| Goods vehicle (weighing less than 7.5 tonnes) | 30mph | 50mph | 60mph | 70mph (60mph if towing a trailer) |
| Goods vehicle (weighing more than 7.5 tonnes) | 30mph | 40mph | 50mph | 60mph |
Fixed penalty notice – The driver can pay a £60 fine and accept three points on their licence rather than face prosecution.
Report to court – Drivers who are 25 mph or more over the speed limit will be reported to court. Other reasons for a report to court include the driver already having nine points on their licence or them opting to go to court.
Residents continue to tell us that speeding is a concern in their communities but we are still seeing a number of people putting themselves and others in danger by driving at excess speed.