ANYONE caught going over 23mph in 20mph zone can be given three points and a £100 fine under new guidelines from the Association of Chief Police Officers.
The new guidance sets out the thresholds for fixed penalties, speed awareness courses and summonses.
It says 24-31mph in a 20mph zone can result in an offer of a speed awareness course as an alternative to a fixed penalty ‘if appropriate’. Speeds of 35mph or more in a 20mph zone will be dealt with in court.
In all speed limits, the threshold for a fixed penalty fine and points is 10% over the limit plus 2mph, so 35mph in a 30mph zone, 68mph in a 60mph zone and 79mph in a 70mph zone.
Speed awareness courses can be offered for up to 42 in a 30, 75 in a 60 and 86 in a 70. Summonses will be issued at 50 in a 30, 86 in a 60 and 96 in a 70.
The guidelines also set out a new ‘device tolerance’ of 2mph over the limit in every speed limit zone except 70, where it is 3mph over. It says these can be used as a ‘prosecution threshold’ according to officers’ discretion, meaning fixed penalties could be issued for 3mph over the limit.
The guidance says: ‘These guidelines do not and cannot replace police officer’s discretion. Where an officer decides to issue a summons or a fixed penalty notice in respect of offences committed at speeds lower than those set out in the table, he or she must consider the tolerances of the equipment used to corroborate their opinion. Police speed equipment are tested and approved to work with a maximum tolerance of +/-2mph up to 66mph, so it is possible to use these tolerances as a prosecution threshold.'
