In 2012, the UK experienced the first rise in road deaths in nearly a decade, an unwelcome event that consequently put the Government under serious pressure to try and tackle the issue.
The rise in deaths affected mainly pedestrians and it was clear that there was a significant problem with drivers who were either careless or reckless when they were behind the wheel.
This situation provides the context for recent changes that have been introduced to try and deal more effectively with road traffic offences – even those that are not lethal – and to try and focus the minds of the British public on being much more careful when on the road.
The introduction of dedicated fast track courts for motoring offences is designed to process the half a million plus motoring offences that are sent to magistrates courts each year in a much more efficient way. These new courts will deal with offences such as driving without insurance and driving above the speed limit, taking the pressure off magistrate’s courts, where they have previously sometimes taken up more time than the more complex offences.
The new courts could be processing as many as 160 motoring offences every day, which would certainly help to clear up the backlog. The move is part of a strategy that is aimed at making the UK’s criminal justice system more efficient than it is right now, and a more efficient justice system may also serve to make drivers more alert to the consequences of not abiding by its rules.
At the moment it is estimated that some 90% of motoring offences cases aren’t even contested by the drivers involved, who don’t even turn up to the magistrates court, indicating that perhaps these types of offences aren’t taken that seriously.
In another recent attempt to make the British public sit up and take more care to avoid motoring offences, a decision has been taken to start issuing fixed penalty notices to those who are driving carelessly.
The new penalties mean that the police will have more power to deal with the less serious categories of motoring offences on the spot – for example when dealing with drivers who are hogging the middle lane of the motorway, or tailgating (driving too close to) other drivers. The amount of existing penalties will also rise so that they are in line with similar fixed penalties for non-motoring offences. For example, the fixed penalty for using a mobile phone at the wheel and for not wearing a seatbelt will rise to £100 (and three points).
Similarly to the introduction of the fast track courts for motoring offences, these new penalties are designed to both streamline the criminal justice system and try to get people thinking about the immediate impact of the way they drive.
It doesn’t take much for speeding or tailgating to turn into a serious accident, so these preventative measures are a wise step. Given that the summer months tend to be a time when accidents on the roads increase – particularly where children are concerned these new initiatives have arrived at exactly the right time.