From this Friday it will be easier for police to penalise careless driving, with a wide range of offences set to result in harsher punishments for motorists.
The Government announced its plans to combat careless driving back in June this year, with them now coming into force in just three days’ time.
It means that there will 3 licence points as well as a rather hefty £100 fine for any driver caught committing offences such as tailgating, queue jumping, lane hogging, using the wrong lane on a roundabout or failing to give way at a junction to name but a few.
With nearly a third of motorists admitting to consciously hogging the middle lane, the move could result in a significant number of fines, particularly over the initial introduction in the coming weeks.
What is more worrying is the Government’s failure to raise awareness, which has been met with criticism from several motoring organisations. No significant action has been taken to ensure drivers are in the know about the changes, and it leaves millions potentially at risk of being fined without even realising they were committing an offence.
Paul Watter of the AA highlighted the importance of ensuring motorists know about the changes to the law. He said: "There is clearly not enough awareness that these driving habits are inconsiderate. It needs to be made crystal clear that good drivers don't do this and that the drivers that continue to need educating and failing that police action."
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