93% in a poll of 19100 responders thought not!

Politicians are calling for a zero-tolerance approach to make roads
safer, but motoring groups say it isn’t as simple as that.
Nicholas Hellen, Transport Editor
Saturday September 09 2023, 6.00pm,


Speed cameras must be accurate to within 1mph, so motorists could face
fines without breaking the limit, says one expert
Speed cameras must be accurate to within 1mph, so motorists could face
fines without breaking the limit, says one expert

Motorists should be penalised for even the slightest breach of the speed
limit, according to a parliamentary group that says allowing drivers
leeway has led to a culture of impunity.

Tolerances should be removed to make more people feel safe enough to go walking, cycling and scootering, according to the all-party
parliamentary group for cycling and walking.

In its road justice report, published tomorrow, it sets out ten
recommendations to tackle bad drivers and convince them they will not
get away with driving “impatiently, discourteously, or, worse, maliciously”. The group is supported by 38 MPs and 20 peers.

It said that perceived danger on the roads consistently topped the list
of reasons why people do not cycle and added: “If the working assumption
is that one can speed (to an extent) with impunity, this fosters a
belief that traffic law does not need to be taken seriously.

“We hold the view that speed limits and their enforcement represent the foundation of road justice because speeding accounts for the lion’s
share of offences committed on the roads.”

Although it is an offence to drive at any speed over the limit,
guidelines overseen by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) set
out a formula where motorists can expect to face action only if they
break the speed limit by 10 per cent plus 2mph.

For example, a motorist in a 20mph limit can expect to get away with
driving at up to 24mph before they receive a fixed penalty or are sent
on a speed awareness course. On a 70mph road, penalties can be expected
at 79mph.

The report urged police chiefs to revise the guidance, last updated in
2013. The NPCC said it had embarked on a review of its guidance but
would not say why.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council produced a formula whereby motorists
can expect to face action only if they break the speed limit by 10 per
cent plus 2mph
The National Police Chiefs’ Council produced a formula whereby motorists
can expect to face action only if they break the speed limit by 10 per
cent plus 2mph

Richard Owen, chief executive of Agilysis, a consultancy, said technical
limits on the accuracy of speed cameras meant that the lowest reasonable tolerance was 2mph on top of the speed limit. He said speed cameras must
be accurate within plus or minus 1mph under Home Office rules, which
meant a car detected at 31mph might be travelling at 30mph or 32mph.

He pointed out that vehicle speedometers are required never to
under-read the speed, but are permitted to overstate it by a significant
margin of 10 per cent plus 6.25mph. This means that a driver could
potentially be travelling at 58mph yet the speedometer might display 70mph.

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