Have you ever been caught speeding?

If so you aren’t the only one and data from the Home Office found that more than 6000 motorists get caught speeding every day in the UK.

Even if you are an experience driver, you might have a lot of questions about what happens after you are issued a fine of if you think that speed camera flashed.

Using Google search trends data, Vanarama researched what are the top 10 most asked questions on speeding fines in the UK.

Here are the questions as well as the answers to them:

Top 10 Most Googled UK Speeding Fines Questions Answered

1) How many points do you get for speeding?                                                                   

The number of points that you will get for being caught speeding will depend on how fast you were driving over the limit.

In The UK, there are 3 bands that you could be placed into depending on how fast you were going. Which band you fall into will dictate how many points you will be given for speeding.

The table below explains how many points you will receive depending on how fast you were travelling beyond the speed limit:

2) How much is a speeding fine?    

If you’ve been caught speeding in the UK, the amount you will be fined will depend by how many miles per hour you were driving over the limit when you were caught.

Speeding fines in the UK are related to your weekly income. The table below explains how much you are likely to be fined depending on what speeding band you are placed in:

Band A: 50% of weekly income25-75% of weekly income

Band B: 100% of weekly income75-125% of weekly income

Band C: 150% of weekly income125-175% of weekly income

 

Although speeding fines are based on your income, there are limits in place.

The minimum amount you will be fined is £100. Although not a concrete rule, first time offenders may receive a £100 fine and 3 points on their license if their offence isn’t excessive. However, this can be avoided by taking a speed awareness course in some instances.

The maximum amount that you can be fined because of speeding is £1,000 in the UK. However, if you were speeding on a motorway the maximum fine increases to £2,500.

3) How much is a speed awareness course?                                       

A speed awareness course may differ slightly depending on what area of the UK you are in. However, they normally cost between £80 and £100.

With this in mind, taking a speed awareness course is likely to be a much more cost-effective option than the alternative of 3 points on your license and a £100 fine.

4) What is the national speed limit?

Incredibly, around 2,400 people per month Google search to find out what’s the national speed limit in the UK. They must have missed that question on their theory test! The answer is it is a maximum of 60mph on a single carriageway and 70mph on dual carriageways.

Most motorists will be familiar with the national speed limit road sign, which has a diagonal black rectangle intersecting a white circle from the top right to bottom left. This denotes where the national speed limit begins.

5) How many points do I have on my license?

The UK government have a dedicated webpage which will enable to you to check how many points you have on your license and other aspects of your driving record by simply entering some details. The webpage can be found here.

6) What happens if a new driver is caught speeding?

Simply put, if new drivers are caught speeding which results in 6 or more penalty points being added to their license within the first 2 years of passing their driving test, they will be disqualified from driving and their driving license will be revoked.

7) Do speed cameras flash?

Some speed cameras flash and other speed cameras don’t – so it can sometimes be difficult to tell if you’ve been caught speeding. There are two types of speed cameras in the UK, fixed and mobile.

The most common fixed speed cameras are called Gatso and Truvelo. Gatso speed cameras flash to take a photo of your rear number plate, while Truvelo speed cameras don’t flash.

The main difference between the two is Gatsos have square speed cameras, while Truvelos have circular speed cameras.

Mobile speed cameras use lasers to track the speed of your car, so won’t flash.

8) How can I check to see if I’ve been caught speeding?

Unfortunately, there is no way to check if you’ve been caught speeding or not.

9) How long does it take to get a speeding ticket?

In normal circumstances, if you’ve been caught speeding you should expect to receive two notices within 14 days of the incident taking place. The two notices will include:

  • Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP)
  • Section 172 Notice

Once you’ve returned the NIP, you’ll either be sent a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) which may give you the option of taking a speed awareness course to prevent points being added to your driving licence or a letter telling you to go to court. The Section 172 Notice must be returned within 28 days, which informs the police as to who was driving the car.

10) How long is a speed awareness course?

Although there is no specific time limit on how long a speed awareness course takes, it’s generally accepted they last for around 4 hours on average. There may be some time in the middle of the session for a break.