Anti-Social Driving/Tailgating fines

fivetide

About time or something that just can't be enforced?

Fixed fines of £100 and three points for tailgating and middle lane hogging on the motorway. Fines for seatbelts and mobile phone use also up to £100 but no points for that.

I do think the idea of not tying up court and police time is a good one but it could backfire if everyone simply appeals the ticket anyway.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22770064

Herzlos

It's certainly a good thing and a start, but since there seem to be almost no traffic cops on beat at the moment I'm not sure how much good it'll actually do.

vaio

fivetide wrote: »

About time or something that just can't be enforced?

Fixed fines of £100 and three points for tailgating and middle lane hogging on the motorway. Fines for seatbelts and mobile phone use also up to £100 but no points for that.

I do think the idea of not tying up court and police time is a good one but it could backfire if everyone simply appeals the ticket anyway.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22770064

Nah, phone use attracts points.

As for the rest of it, all those offences are already perfectly well covered by existing laws, my thinking is it's just another pull on the udder of the cash cow that is motorists.

If they want to bring in new laws maybe make politicians taking bribes illegal or close some of the loop chasms that exist in the big company tax laws

vaio

Herzlos wrote: »

It's certainly a good thing and a start, but since there seem to be almost no traffic cops on beat at the moment I'm not sure how much good it'll actually do.

The plan goes....

Continue to expand the CCTV network, stream the footage to Indian data processing centres when they view the footage and issue fixed penalty notices for every offence they spot.

fivetide

Herzlos wrote: »

It's certainly a good thing and a start, but since there seem to be almost no traffic cops on beat at the moment I'm not sure how much good it'll actually do.

See if the money had some kind of ringfence to go back to traffic to help enforce it then it might work better. Although those caught will still bang one about 'catching proper criminals' and 'getting a real job' as well as 'I pay your wages'

Vaio, good call (sorry) on the phones, I knew that as well but the way i read the article made me doubt it.

NBLondon

Herzlos wrote: »

It's certainly a good thing and a start, but since there seem to be almost no traffic cops on beat at the moment I'm not sure how much good it'll actually do.

It sounds like a good idea - but it will require the traffic cops to make a judgement on "how close is too close" and "how long in the middle is too long".

Like 5tide sez - if people appeal, it costs time and money anyway and then we're just seeing if the magistrate's judgement agrees with the cops.

Wonder if it could be done with the in-car cameras - if you are caught on film for X seconds in an unsafe position then you get an automatic fine.

jaydeeuk1

Agree with most of it, esp middle lane drivers, however....


Overtaking and pushing into a queue of traffic
Being in the wrong lane and pushing into a queue on a roundabout

Don't agree with these two, how would they define 'pushing in to a queue'? What if car on inside lane lets you in, is that 'pushing in'? What if you're genuinely in the wrong lane and realised your mistake and need to get in...

And fine for 'overtaking and pushing in traffic', thats completely ambiguous too. I'm always overtaking traffic and moving back in to let person behind me who wants to do 100+ to get past.

Looks like I'll deffo need to get a new in car camera.

arcon5

Seems very ambiguous to me... often you can sit in lane 2 of a motor way and be regularly passing slower vehicles. So is pulling in to lane 1 for a few seconds each time realistic? So who determines whether you're actually 'hogging' lane 2 or not...?

Using a telephone should be automatic points and a fine.

As for being in the wrong lane - that's all well and good if you know the area, but if you don't you may end up in the wrong lane and end up changing lanes later on - not necessarily 'pushing in'. So who decides whether you're pushing in or merely changing lanes.

Seems to me like they are targeting the symptoms of the illness.

Why not make driving on motorways mandatory before a driver can take a test. And things like that which will make people more confident drivers before taking away the tutor and dual pedals away. Because from what I see on the road - *most* people give learner cars plenty of space and patience, but as soon as them L plates and top sign disappear the level of driving around you changes!

Idiophreak

arcon5 wrote: »

Seems to me like they are targeting the symptoms of the illness.

Agree with this.

Personally, I'd like to see a lot more people punished for all these stupid things - undertaking, reckless speed (I'm talking 110/120), tailgating, cutting people up, etc etc - and at £100 a pop I could make a fortune in a day going around issuing the things...But I do feel, as above, that it's not really getting to the root of the issue.

Retest, every 5 years, it's the only way to start improving standards.

verityboo

Idiophreak wrote: »

Agree with this.

Personally, I'd like to see a lot more people punished for all these stupid things - undertaking,

Err, the cause of people getting frustrated and undertaking is drivers who hog the middle lane. Best to target the cause rather than the effect?

Idiophreak

verityboo wrote: »

Err, the cause of people getting frustrated and undertaking is drivers who hog the middle lane. Best to target the cause rather than the effect?

Not really, two wrongs don't make a right.

People undertaking causes others to cut their stopping distances (to try and stop them cutting in), prevents people moving into the correct lane and can easily cause accidents. Frustrated or not, people shouldn't be doing it.