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When you read headlines like the one above, most motorists will despair, but on this occasion I think the idea is good. Let me explain:
Initiative 1: Speeding motorists may soon find themselves facing fines of £100, with the Government considering almost doubling the current £60 penalty as a stronger deterrent and a way of raising extra revenue.
As part of an expansion to the Victim Surcharge scheme, justice secretary Kenneth Clarke is looking to raise a further £50 million a year. His proposals include increasing fines for motorists and for those who commit other, non-motoring offences.
The scheme, which supports victims of crime in the UK, currently levies £15 on fines issued by courts. Drivers who go to court over speeding charges could soon pay up to £120 towards the case, regardless of whether anyone is affected by the offence.
A sliding scale will be introduced, with the contributions to the scheme ranging from £15 to £120 depending on the severity of the offence.
The Government aims to raise around £30 million from fixed penalty charges alone while around half of all revenues from speeding fines will go towards the Victim Surcharge scheme. The rest will be used to fund road-safety schemes and returned to the Treasury.
Initiative 2: Foreign-registered HGV drivers could soon be charged approximately £10 per day to drive on UK roads, (UK drivers will also be charged, but with a reduction in the VED this cost will mostly be offset) this will allow UK registered drivers/companies to compete with their European cousins on a 'level playing field' as the present system puts the UK haulage industry at a disadvantage.
The user charge is expected to raise around £22-25 million from foreign-registered HGV drivers, with an annual administration and enforcement cost of £3-4.8 million.
So what will the Government do with all the extra millions they expect to raise?
Some on the money from the first initiative will go to the victims of crime, which will leave about £25 million from the first initiative and about £20 million from the second initiative. £45 million spent wisely on road safety could save many more millions; if road users are not injured they won't cost the NHS and emergency services any money!
Do I expect the extra money raised to be ring fenced for road safety? No. Road safety these days seems to be heading south on the list of priorities, for example:
The Manchester Evening News broke the news that Manchester City Council's team of seven road safety officers has been disbanded to save £132,000 from the council's highways Budget. I rest my case!
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