Tackling bad driving offences effectively would help create a safer and more attractive environment for cycling and walking....
CTC View (formal statement of CTC's policy):
Exceeding the speed limit
- Speeding fines are currently too low to have any significant impact on driver behaviour.
- Extreme speed (e.g. 20mph+ over the limit) should be treated as dangerous driving in the first instance.
- There should be no margin over the speed limit at which a driver avoids penalty.
Drink/drug driving
- The drink drive blood alcohol limit should be lowered from 80mg/100ml to not more than 50mg/100ml, in line with most European countries. Novice drivers should not be allowed to drink at all before driving.
- We support the use of targeted checkpoints, but also believe that the police should be given more freedom to carry out random breath testing.
- Alcohol interlocks should be fitted in offenders’ vehicles. If successful, the measure should be extended.
- The definitions and standards for drug-related driving offences should relate solely to whether a drug impairs the ability to drive; it should not relate to whether it is legal to use it - i.e. over-the-counter and prescription drugs should be included.
Mobile phones
- Use of hands-free mobile phones whilst driving should be banned.
- More research needs to be done on other in-car distractions (e.g. SatNavs, radios, in-car computers etc); and drivers who put others in danger because they have been distracted by such devices, need to be appropriately penalised.
Driving without entitlement
- Any driver convicted of a bad driving offence whilst unlicensed or disqualified should receive a custodial sentence for the crime.
