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New laws mean that police are now able to issue on-the-spot penalties for careless driving. Some of the offences are new while some have existed for a while. But what exactly is ‘careless driving’ and how can you stop being penalised?
What do the new laws cover?
Many of the offences are covered by laws that already exist, but have been hard to enforce because police had to go through the courts. Now police can issue an on-the-spot fine, handed to you on the road, so it’ll be easier for them to do so.
The standard fine for a number of offences has gone up, including:
- Speeding
- Using a mobile phone while driving
- Driving on the hard shoulder
- Ignoring traffic directions
And 2 new bits of ‘careless driving’ have been made an offence:
- Tailgating
- Lane-hogging, usually in the middle lane
What is tailgating and lane-hogging?
Many drivers might be familiar with these things without necessarily knowing what they’re called.
- Tailgating - This is when someone drives too close to the car in front. It’s usually done by drivers trying to force the car in front to move faster or to change lanes.
- Lane-hogging - Many drivers use the middle lane as a ‘cruising lane’ and drive too slowly. This is dangerous and can force cars to slow down quickly.
These are big pet hates of many people since they inconvenience drivers and can put other road users at risk.How much can I be fined?
It depends on the offence. You can be fined £100 and 3 points on your licence for:
- tailgating and lane-hogging
- using a mobile phone
- speeding
- not stopping at a red light
The new laws have also increased the fines for other offences where you don’t get points. So you can be fined £50 for:
- failing to give way
- stopping on the hard shoulder unnecessarily
What can I do to avoid the penalty?
29% of people admit to hogging the middle lane, according to a recent AA/Populus survey. And tailgating is prevalent too. That means there are lots of drivers who could face being pulled over and hit with the fine.
You can avoid the fines by doing a number of things:
- Keep a safe distance from the car in front by using the ‘2-second rule’ – pick a landmark ahead and use it to see if you’re over 2 seconds away from the driver in front
- Move to the inside lane when you’re at cruising speed, only using the middle and outside lane to overtake
- Never use a mobile phone while driving – instead, buy a phone holder and turn on the speaker function
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