SPEEDING FINES: Do you know your bands?
Most motorists will already be aware that if they get caught speeding, the standard penalty for a Fixed-Penalty Notice offence is a £100 fine and three penalty points on their driving licence. But how many people are aware that if caught committing a more serious speeding offence, they could actually be hit with a fine of up to 150% of their weekly income? And in some extreme cases; a fine of up to 700% of their weekly income? Well, here’s a breakdown of all the different speeding offence categories, along with what you could expect to receive by way of a fine if caught committing one.
As detailed by GOV.UK, the amount you’re fined depends on what the speed limit was and how much over it you were driving. It’s usually a percentage of your weekly income, up to a maximum of £1,000 (£2,500 if you were driving on a motorway).
According to the Sentencing Council, speeding fines are mostly categorised into three main bands; A, B and C, with A being the lowest.
Band A applies if you are caught driving at between 1 and 9mph above the legal limit on any particular road. This would result in a fixed penalty notice being issued. The offending driver would be issued with three penalty points on their licence, as well as a fine of between 25% and 75% of their weekly income. A driver could face a more serious punishment if they were caught speeding near a school or operating a heavy goods vehicle.
Band B applies if a driver is caught speeding at between 11 and 20mph over the legal limit. This offence could see the driver summoned to court, where they could face a fine between 75% and 125% of their weekly income. They could also be hit with four to six penalty points on their licence. If a judge feels it’s necessary, a driver could also face a driving ban for anywhere between seven and 28 days.
Band C applies if a driver is caught speeding anywhere above 21mph over the legal limit. This offence will most likely result in a court appearance, where the offender could face a fine of anywhere between 125% and 175% of their weekly income. A driving ban is highly likely to be issued to the driver also, along with six penalty points.
A chart of the three bands, and detailed by the DVLA, looks as follows:
Despite these being the three most common bands, there are in fact three additional categories, which come into effect for the most serious offences: D, E and F.
Factors that could push an offence into any of these categories include having previous driving convictions, towing a caravan or trailer, or driving for hire, such as a taxi or private hire vehicle.
Being categorised within one of these bands could see a driver in a worst-case scenario fined as much as 700% of their weekly income, up to the maximum caps of £1,000 and £2,500 as mentioned previously.
