Drivers should not be fined for going over the speed limit by only a couple of miles per hour, according to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
Ms Badenoch has suggested that police efforts should be allocated elsewhere instead of focusing on drivers breaching the speed limit by a small margin.
The comments follow the increasing number of 20mph speed limits being introduced across London and the rest of the UK, which have led to thousands of drivers being fined for going over the limit by as little as 1mph.
Research shows that at least one in six roads across the UK are now subject to 20mph speed limits, with drivers who breach these restrictions at risk of £100 fines and three penalty points.
The fresh calls come after a doctor claimed that he had accumulated nine penalty points on his licence for travelling at just 22mph in a 20mph area.
Demanding change, Ms Badenoch spoke to LBC, urging that police resources be better prioritised to instead focus on catching real criminals rather than tackling minor driving offences.
She said: “I think that these fines should be about safety, not about making money. I don’t think that’s what people should be getting points on their licence for.
“They should be getting points on their licence for driving dangerously. 22mph is very different from driving dangerously. I think let’s bring some balance into it.”
The Conservative leader has slammed drivers being fined for travelling 1mph over the speed limit
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Reports found that between 2017 and 2023, as many as one in every four cars registered in London were at risk of a speeding fine for exceeding 20mph.
Mrs Badenoch stated that police forces should “catch burglars instead”, while also highlighting the scourge of shoplifting and knife offences.
Last year, figures from the RAC revealed that many drivers appear to see the speed limit as a target, rather than a mandatory speed.
Seven in 10 drivers said they try to drive as close to the speed limit as possible, while 55 per cent believe there is a culture among UK road users that it is acceptable to break the speed limit.
Drivers can be fined £100 and issued three penalty points for speeding on UK roads
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RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “It’s concerning that our research indicates excessive speeding has become so commonplace because the consequences are very severe, a fact borne out by Government data showing it contributes to 21 per cent of all fatal collisions.
“It is particularly worrying that so much excessive speeding observed by drivers appears to take place on 20mph and 30mph roads, as this is where the greatest number of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooter riders, are.”
In London, more 20mph zones are set to be introduced with Transport for London investing £94.8million over the next 12 months to make streets safer with new borough-led projects.
Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said he was “thrilled” with the new funding, which is part of a new three-year programme.
TfL revealed that 264km of London roads are now subject to 20mph limits | TFL
He shared: “We have already seen the transformative impact of new cycleways, expanded School Streets, and lower speed limits helping to reduce road danger across the city.
“This next round of funding will enable boroughs to build on that progress, while supporting the Mayor’s Vision Zero strategy to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from London’s transport network by 2041.”
Drivers who accumulate more than 12 penalty points on their licence within three years risk being disqualified from driving.
The fine for speeding can be increased depending on the speed limit and the speed of the vehicle, which can be up to £1,000 or £2,500 if it is on the motorway.