New drivers to face ban for speeding only once

NEW drivers could be banned from the road if they commit a single offence of doing 45mph in an 30mph zone.

Under tough speeding penalties proposed by ministers today, motorists could get six points on their licence for such a breach.

That is enough to revoke the licence of a driver who has been on the road for less than two years. More than 1.6 million people would be affected.

More experienced drivers would face a ban after two six-point penalties for speeding.

Motoring groups warned a crackdown on drivers doing 45mph in a 30mph zone risked a public backlash.

However, they backed a plan to impose six penalty points for breaking the speed limit by 20mph on motorways and in 50mph zones. The measures are part of a wider road safety package which includes:

●A new offence of drug driving.

●Further consultation on whether the drink-drive limit should be lowered.

●Better enforcement of seatbelt laws.

●New measures to crack down on careless driving.

Currently, most speeding offences lead to a three-point penalty and a fine, and cases are only taken to court if police are seeking a tougher penalty.

Ministers will now consult on whether the definition of excessive speeding should be 45mph or 50mph in urban areas. Andrew Howard, head of road safety for the AA, raised concerns about defining 45mph in a 30mph zone as "excessive" speeding. "It could cause confusion among motorists or make them feel they are hard done by," he said. The RAC Foundation said it supported the new system in principle.

But its research manager, Elizabeth Dainton, added: "It's really important that the Government understands the public mood on this issue and pitches the points at the right level so that they don't anger the public.

"If they get it wrong, some motorists will be unfairly penalised and may lose their licence as a result."

Road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick, insisted the Government was targeting the worst speeders: "This is about making sure that the minority who are are endangering other road users and vulnerable pedestrians are not allowed to get away with it."

Under the drug-drive rules, police would be issued with devices to measure how much cannabis, cocaine or heroin motorists have taken.

Mr Fitzpatrick told BBC Radio 4: "Drugs are killing people on our roads." He said motorists also risked a criminal record if they drove under the influence of "even some prescription drugs ... if people drive when the medical advice says that you should not".

He said research showed that about one in five of the 3,000 people killed on the roads each year had "illegal substances in their system". Ministers want to target regular users who are mainly men aged between 25 and 35.