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The UK Launches Income-Based Speeding Fines Policy, Billionaires Need Not Worry

Speeding in the United Kingdom was a bad idea with all of the country’s cameras anyway, but it has become an entirely different affair with new legislation for the common citizen. Billionaires and millionaires are not affected, though.
A BMW E90 3 Series gets photographed while speeding 1 photo
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Jerry Fleshman
Starting April 24, 2017, any driver caught speeding in the UK will get a fine that is proportional to his or her income. The smallest penalties start at about 25% of what that person makes in a week, but the most expensive ones go as high as 175% of one’s weekly income. The worst offenders also get a driving disqualification for up to 56 days.

The system described above works with three categories, split into “Bands.” They have A, B, and C. The latter is for the worst offenders, who drive 51 mph (82 km/h) or above in a 30 mph (48 km/h) zone, or 101 mph (162 km/h) and above in an area limited to 70 mph (112 km/h).

As Autocar explains, Band B means moderate speeding, while Band A is for those who drive 1 to 10 mph (1,6-16 km/h) or 1 to 20 mph (1,6-32 km/h) on top of the posted limit.

Band A has fines that range between 25% and 75% of what a driver makes in a week, while the B category of penalties goes from 75% to 125% of a speed offender’s weekly income. Band C can go up to 175% of what a driver earns in a week, and it is accompanied by a driving ban that starts at seven days.

If people drive even faster than the mentioned restrictions, a longer driving disqualification will be given. Those penalties will happen in a manner according to the offense.

However, fines are capped at GBP 2,500 ($3,200) on motorways and GPB 1,000 ($1,278) elsewhere. As a result, truly wealthy individuals will not fear the financial part, but the driving ban.

Being unemployed will not "help" any offender, because the minimum wage will probably be used as a base for the penalty.

Police officers would have to take into account if other road users were around when the speeding offense happened, what was the state of the environment (if it is near a school, for example) in the area, the offender’s driving standard, and other factors.

A true first-time offender may only face the minimum penalty, but that involves a proper conduct on behalf of that person.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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