New guidance could mean £100 fine for being 1mph over the speed limit

Motorcyclists could be fined £100 and given three penalty points for going 1mph over the limit if national roads policing top dog Chief Constable Anthony Bangham gets his way.

According to reports, the West Mercia police chief stated that the current guidelines make road users think that it is “okay to speed”.

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The long-standing rule of thumb applied my police forces is 10% + 2mph, meaning that it’s possible to ride at 78mph on a motorway without censure.

Why do speeding guidelines exist?

The rulings were brought in from a period where vehicles had mechanical speedos subject to wear and variations in tyre circumference which could affect speedo readings, but with many cars and bikes now having GPS satnav showing an accurate speed, the chief constable feels it is time for a rethink.

“The existing speed enforcement guidance could in fact be encouraging driving at these more dangerous higher speeds rather than the actual speed limits,” he said.

“If properly understood and applied, the guidance may provide forces with the necessary flexibility but over time its rigid application and understanding are often misunderstood, with an expectation that the norm is it is OK to speed.”

How will the plan affect UK speed limits?

Speed limit	Current guideline	Bangham plan
30mph	35mph	31mph
40mph	46mph	41mph
50mph	57mph	51mph
60mph	68mph	61mph
70mph	79mph	71mph

At the moment if a rider is caught speeding as a first offence they are offered the chance to attend a Speed Awareness course instead of points. However, if many more road users are caught there would be a huge backlog.

Also, the court system could become inundated by far more challenges by licence holders facing convictions and questioning the accuracy of speed cameras and radar guns.

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