16th September 2014 - Road hogs and Regulations

Thought for the day: "There was a piece of chocolate cake in the fridge and a note, “Don’t eat me.” ...   Now there’s an empty plate and a note, "Don’t tell me what to do....."

Now, the Daily Mail is not a regular read in my opinion - which means really that unless a really stupid headline comes up (as it does quite regularly) I would not really give it time of day, but when one of its really "shocking" stories hits the front page sometimes you have to investigate to see what they are irate about.

Shock Horror today !!

Millions of drivers are in line for surprise £100 fines on Friday after hogging the middle motorway lane or tailgating in 'careless driving' offences

New powers come into force on Friday that could lead to millions of fines being handed out to motorists by police for committing driving offences they did not know existed.
Under the new offence of 'careless driving', motorway drivers hogging the middle and outside lanes, and those who tailgate, could be slapped with on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points on their licences.
According to a survey carried out by Populas on behalf of the AA, 29 per cent of drivers - about 12 million - are at risk of falling foul of the new legislation. They admit to hogging the middle lane of the motorway on a regular basis.

And roughly 40 per cent of younger drivers fall into this category, admitting they stay in the middle lane in free flowing traffic because they incorrectly believe it to be the 'cruising lane'.
Under the Highway Code, both the middle and outside lane are designed for overtaking only.
As well as being given the power to hand out fines for this new offence, the Government has taken the opportunity to increase the cost of the fine for driving offences.

Duhh!!!

The actual story is that fixed penalty notices can be issued and the fine has gone up again  - but it is easier for the Daily Fail to represent a potential 12 million offenders...

I  rather approve in fact. There is nothing more annoying than plodding along in the bothy in the inside lane and coming up to a car dawdling in the middle lane, having to pull out through two lanes and then back through two lanes ... the temptation to cut back more sharply than usual to make a point is high, and I am sure many would follow that small amount of road rage to make a point - me ?? I am far too placid these days .....

So the offences:

Endorsable (includes points) fixed penalty notices rising from £60 to £100 include:

• Using a mobile phone while driving
• Speeding
• Motorway offences, eg reversing on the motorway and driving on the hard shoulder
• Neglect of traffic directions, eg jumping a red light
• Neglect of pedestrian rights, eg stopping on a controlled crossing
• Load offences, eg causing danger of injury to the number of passengers
• Motorcycle offences, eg carrying more than one passenger.

Non endorseable (no points) fixed penalty notices rising from £60 to £100 include:

• Failure to wear a seat belt
• Using a vehicle without a test certificate.

Non-endorsable (no points) fixed penalty notices increasing from £30 to £50 include:

• Neglect traffic regulations, eg as failing to give way
• Negligent use of motor vehicle, eg not being in full control
• Vehicle registration and excise licence offences, eg failing to display a tax disc
• Motorway offences, eg stopping on the hard shoulder
• Vehicle in defective condition, eg dirty and obstructed windows
• Neglect of pedestrian rights, eg driving elsewhere than the road
• Lighting offences, eg misuse of head lamps
• Noise offences, eg sounding the horn at night
• Carrying too much weight on board
• Cycle and motorcycle, including cycling on the footpath and not wearing protective headgear on a motorcycle.

Personally I see no problems with these at all - though I still question who is going to be prosecuting..   don't see much of the police around these days - though it will probably down to VOSA Trafic Enforcement Officers on the motorway.

But it all comes together on Friday and we shall be in Crete ...   I'll drink to that !!   Cheers !

-o0o-

Place of the day 

just saying...