Posts Tagged ‘motoring news’

Motoring Offences And Their Penalties

July 24th, 2010

The UK has an abundance of road laws, and if you’re a driver on the UKs roads then chances you have at some point fell fowl of one of them. Surprisingly most of the UKs drivers are not actually aware of what they are being charged with and why when they are stopped. In this article, you will find a short list of the most widespread traffic offences, shedding light on the details and penalties you can look forward to for some of the more frequent motoring offences.

Speeding or exceeding the speed limit: The offence here is clearly defined as ‘Driving on a road exceeding the prescribed speed limit’. For this type of motoring offence you can expect a 60 fine up to a maximum of 1000 and an endorsement of 3-6 points on your licence, and a discretionary disqualification also applies. If you are driving at more than 30 miles an hour over the speed limit then you are likely to be disqualified.

If caught speeding and you are offered a fixed penalty then you are almost certainly best off in the long run to take this option as the compulsory fine is likely to be less than what any court would inflict. On the other hand if you do decide to contest a speeding fine, then possible reasons consist of; you were simply not speeding, it wasn’t you driving, or that you were driving an exempt means of transport due to emergency.

Failing to stop: This crime is clear; ‘A driver of a mechanically propelled means of transport in attendance when a road traffic accident occurred where personal injury or damage was caused to another person and or vehicle’. Further to this, if you also fail to stop after injuring an animal not in the vehicle or properties on or near the road and fail to stop then you break the above law. Penalties for this type of offence are strict, with at least 6 months in jail and a fine of a 5000 likely.

Motorway speeding: if you are caught exceeding the national speed limit in the UK on a motorway then the maximum penalty is a fine of 2500 and six driving licence points. If you a caught in excess of 100mph then the probably outcome is a ban coupled with the fine.

If you have been given a Drink Driving Ban, then visit Freeman Keep On Driving expert Driving Solicitors.


Britain’s Most Lucrative Speed Camera

July 12th, 2010

It has materialised that a new speed camera erected on a road where there has been just one severe accident in over ten years, has brought in over 1.3m pound in profits from speeding motorists per year. It has been daubed Britain’s most lucrative speed camera and has been named and shamed by an angry local community.

The controversial camera, which has been described as one of the most lucrative in Britain, has captured on average 1,843 motorists per month. And with the average fine for speeding 60, that equates to 1,327,140 each year.

The cameras location is Poole in Dorset on a 30mph section of road on a dual carriageway. The camera was initially erected to catch motorists jumping the red lights nearby; however the camera has since been converted to also trigger when motorists speed through the green light and is one of the first in the country to do so.

Official statistics show that only one serious accident has taken place on this road in over ten years with no fatalities. This has led to fears by motoring groups who are concerned that the only reason the camera has been converted is to ‘milk the motorist’, they also believe the low 30mph speed limit on a dual carriageway that usually commands a 40mph limit adds to the high number of issued tickets.

As a result of the cameras positions, the low speed limit and the fact it works regardless of green or red lights, drivers who thought they were driving legally have been caught travelling just a few miles over the limit. The road the camera is situated upon is a wide dual carriageway, with an industrial estate on one side, and a harbour on the other. The revenue generated by this one camera dwarfs the amount generated by other cameras, delivering evidence that something is seriously wrong with the setup.

A temporary Camera at road works on the A1139 in Peterborough earlier this year was, on average issuing 3000 tickets per month, generating 3.2m per year.

If you have been given a Drink Driving Ban, then visit Freeman Keep On Driving expert Driving Offence Solicitors.


Pensioner On Drunk Driving Rap

June 20th, 2010

An elderly disabled pensioner has been arrested and convicted of dink driving whilst speeding at 4mph on his mobility scooter. He was arrested after 8 policemen in three cars made the road side stop.

The man was pulled over when he failed to stop after being ‘blue lighted’ by police. Police then took further action which resulted in one car mounting the pavement to block the driver’s path. Only then were police able to seize the vehicles keys.

The disabled pensioner, who has the scooter thanks to blocked arteries in his legs, was pulled over after an evening playing dominoes with his friends and had consumed around six or seven pints before setting off home.

The pensioner was understandably shaken and somewhat peeved after the incident, he commented “I can’t believe how they treated me – anybody would think that I was a bank robber or a member of Al-Qaeda,” Donohoe told the Daily Mail. The pensioner was kept in police cells for 12 hours, fingerprinted and had his DNA taken.

He continued; “They must have known, like I did, that the rules of the road don’t apply when you’re riding a mobility scooter down the pavement at three and a half miles an hour, but it didn’t seem to matter one jot.”I didn’t stop at first because I wanted to get home, and I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

Mr Donohoe was found to be three times over the legal UK drink driving limit after he failed a roadside breath test. He has been banned from driving; however he has not been banned from driving his mobility scooter as it is not actually classed as car.

There are several unusual cases of drink driving, including a milk man charge with driving his float whilst under the influence and a Welsh rugby player driving a golf buggy down a busy motorway.

If you have been convicted of Speeding, then visit Freeman Keep On Driving expert Speeding Solicitors.


Apply The Brakes To Drink Driving

June 14th, 2010

1 in ten deaths on UK roads are caused by drunk drivers, and in 2008 269 of these where a direct result of drivers being found over the limit. There where over 11,000 recorded drink or drug related incidents in the UK in 2008.

The road safety charity, Brake, has recently conducted some research into these findings. The findings reveal that up to 14 per cent of these incidents are caused by driver ‘at work’. An ‘at work’ driver is one that attends a meeting or corporate event and consumes alcohol before getting back behind the wheel either same day or the morning after.

The at work drivers admitted to consuming up to three times the legal drink drive limit before taking control of their vehicle, when in comparison just 6 percent of other driver made the same claim.

The findings from the research should get managers thinking about the role they play and the responsibilities they have to their employees the next time an event, ceremony or marketing conference or other ‘off site’ event is organized. Many of our UK workforces have attended such an event, where the common procedure is to consume alcohol after the meeting or event is wrapped up.

It is of course the responsibility of the individual to retrain themselves with regards to alcohol consumption; however the managers can play a role in organizing public transport to and from the event, and even allowing the employee the morning off work the day after the event.

Brake is doing its bit by launching a new campaign called ‘Face Facts’. Posters and e-guides are available to assist managers in alerting company drivers of the risks of drunk driving.

If you have been convicted of speeding, then visit Freeman Keep On Driving Road Traffic Solicitors.


Arrested For Drunk Driving Behind The Wheel Of A Bus

June 11th, 2010

Passengers on board a Blustar-run bus have spoken of their shock after the driver of the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

25 passengers were on board the double decker bus, ran by Blustar at the time of the incident. The passengers onboard included children and elderly people when the police pulled over the vehicle before breathalysing and then arresting the driver for drunk driving.

One shocked passenger who does not want to be named commented: “We couldn’t hear the police officers after they had stormed in and were talking to the driver. We all panicked but did not know what to think. We just didn’t have a clue what was happening when we saw the blue flashing lights.”

One passenger travelling on the bus said: “We just didn’t have a clue what was happening when we saw the blue flashing lights. We all panicked but did not know what to think. We couldn’t hear the police officers after they had stormed in and were talking to the driver.

After the driver had been detained by police, the company sent over a replacement drive that arrived within minutes. Chris Harris, public relations manager at Blustar said because of the serious nature of the incident the employee was suspended immediately.

He continued:” The consumption of alcohol while on duty or reporting for duty while under the influence of alcohol is expressly forbidden. It is a strict rule that all Bluestar employees are required to be completely sober at all times when on duty. ”

It is important that companies such as Bluestar act quickly in response to drink driving allegations in order to reassure customers and take potentially dangerous drivers off the road. The safety of passengers aboard Blustar vehicles is paramount to their operations, so it is important to reassure passengers through swift response to issues such as this one that they are willing to do what is necessary to ensure safety.

The driver has been bailed until later in the year.

If you have been convicted of drink driving and been given a Driving Ban, then visit Freeman Keep On Driving expert Road Traffic Solicitors.