Fleet Managers Warned Of Harsher M1 Speeding Fines

A proposal by the Bedfordshire police has announced plans to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to speeding in order to raise funds for police forces facing Government cuts.

The Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire, Olly Martin, claims he will permanently turn on speed cameras along the M1 in a bid to catch those speeding just 1mph over the 70mph speed limit.

This move could leave drivers and their companies faced with fines of £100 with the aim or raising a potential £1m in revenue for the Bedfordshire police.

"It's a choice between doing things like this and reducing the size of the police force." said Martin.

His pleas were further backed by figures that suggest Bedfordshire already has a smaller police force than national average with just 169 officers per 100,000 in population.

Martins declared that unless Government funding is offered, he has no choice but to implement speeding fines as a way to support his force and has even considered the use of squad cars and police uniforms sponsored by companies like Easyjet.

However, his proposals have been deemed "utterly obnoxious" by Hugh Bladon, a spokesman for The Alliance of British Drivers, who said, "The cameras are alleged to make roads safer, they are not to make money for the police or Government."

Avoiding speeding fines

For company owners and fleet managers, the threat of expensive speeding fines is very real if proposals are to go ahead.

The M1 is a huge stretch of motorway and is sometimes a vital route for drivers taking longer journeys across the UK.

How will you protect your business against heavy fines with a looming zero-tolerance policy in sight?

Monitoring driver behaviour is fundamental for controlling unnecessary costs. Once you're able to track when each of your drivers maybe speeding, you can put measures in place to avoid extra costs.

Fleet tracking can help you use the technology to observe speeding on the roads and change habits to comply with speed limits.

A recent news story told of a driver named Neil Herron, who was allegedly caught driving at 40mph in a 30mph zone. Heron was trialling a tracking device in his vehicle at the time and the data produced by the technology gave him the proof he needed to show he was driving well below the 30mph speed limit.

Herron challenged the allegation and the case went to the Magistrates Court. Due to the undeniable evidence taken from his tracking device, the case was found in his favour and no fine was allocated.

With more speeding fines imminent for those travelling the M1, businesses can protect themselves against harsh penalties through behaviour monitoring and evidence-based data.

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