'Drivers should be spared penalty points if they edge over the speed limit in a 20mph zone.' (Image: Getty)
Drivers should be spared penalty points if they edge over the speed limit in a 20mph zone, according to former Education Secretary Kit Malthouse.
The senior Conservative MP is trying to change the law to help drivers who feel “almost persecuted” by the “explosion” in traffic cameras.
He also wants to tackle the scourge of disruptive roadworks. His new law would mean that no roadworks on an A-road can be left unattended at any time.
His Private Members Bill comes as political parties compete for the support of drivers ahead of the general election.
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There was fury in Labour-run Wales when 20mph was made the default limit in residential areas, with nearly 470,000 people signing a petition calling for the “disastrous” law to be scrapped. Wales’ new transport minister last week promised changes, saying the zones should be targeted at schools, hospitals and nurseries.
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Under Mr Malthouse’s plans, anyone caught speeding between 20mph and 30mph would not get penalty points but would have to attend a speed awareness course.
The AA reported this year that the number of drivers caught speeding hit a record high in 2022 with more than 2.5million drivers either hit with a penalty, sent to court or required to go on a course.
The MP said: “Britain’s 27 million drivers are starting to feel almost persecuted by the explosion in traffic cameras watching their every move. Everyone wants our roads to be safer, but where genuine and minor errors attract a big fine and sometimes points, which affect your insurance premium, resentment starts to grow.
“My Bill is trying to correct that, giving people the benefit of the doubt, and allowing them to learn from their mistakes, rather than be instantly punished.”
He argues that speed awareness courses have been shown to be “significantly more effective in preventing reoffending than penalty points and a fine”.
Mr Malthouse said: “Many people will tell you it’s quite hard to drive at 20mph, especially when you’ve spent decades driving at 30mph and got used to what it feels like. We need to recognise this, and that losing your licence for doing 24mph in a 20 zone is unfair and disproportionate.
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“We also need to reflect that doing 24 in a 20 zone is not the same as doing 57 in a 50 zone – at the moment, they both attract the same penalty.”
Setting out his proposals to deal with problem roadworks, he said: “Every driver has spent ages queuing to get past deserted roadworks, and fumed at the lack of care for the motorist, especially when the temporary light go wonky, or the barriers get blown over. My Bill will make sure that all major roadworks always have someone on site, perhaps to deal with problems, but hopefully also to get on with the work and get it done faster.”
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