Police set to end misery for drivers as speeders to get off with warning

SPEEDING drivers could be spared fines and points on their licences after years of growing concern over an ‘anti-motorist agenda’.

Police Scotland is planning to introduce a system of written warnings for drivers who go over 20mph or 30mph speed limits.

As long as they are not caught speeding again within three months, they would face no further penalty and the warning would disappear from their record. It would not count as a criminal conviction and would not need to be disclosed to insurance firms.

Police research suggests 18,000 drivers a year in Scotland could qualify for written warnings, in place of £100 fines and three penalty points.

Scottish Tory transport spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘It’s welcome that Scotland is finally entertaining a common sense approach to low-level speeding.

‘For too long, the punishments for minor infringements have been far too severe, creating an impression of an anti-motorist agenda. These more sensible measures will help repair that damage.’

In a related move, Police Scotland has also backed the introduction of speed awareness courses as an alternative to points and fines, following the success of such schemes in England and Wales. Both written warnings and speed aware-prosecution ness courses would need Crown Office approval.

Chief Superintendent Stewart Carle, head of road policing at Police Scotland, told The Scottish Mail on Sunday: ‘If you stop someone for a motoring offence, the chance is no one has given them a row since their schooldays.

‘If you have an opportunity to say, “Speeding is one of four fatal factors and we’re not going to prosecute on this occasion, we’re not going to give you a fine. Will you accept this warning?”, I think most people will say, “Yes, absolutely”. This will benefit the

‘More sensible measures’

authorities, so they can focus on the most serious cases.’

The written warnings would only be handed out by officers – they would not apply to those caught by speed cameras.

If someone who has received a warning is caught again within three months, they will receive a fine and points.

Police Scotland hopes to introduce written warnings by the end of the year. Speed awareness courses may be further off, as the force will now carry out a ‘scoping exercise’ on how they would work.

A Crown Office spokesman said: ‘No decision will be made on the introduction of speed awareness courses, and their possible relationship with alternatives such as warnings, until the findings of the evaluation report have been considered.’