12m Motorists Receive Penalty Notice Every Year

As the number of fixed cameras in the UK rises, nearly 12 million motorists receive a penalty notice each year. The RAC Foundation has collected data from fixed penalty notices issued for violating motoring law, and civil penalties, often issued for parking offences.

Their findings revealed that between 2015-2016 there were approximately 8 million local authority penalties, 2.5 million local authority bus lane and box junction penalties, 500,000 late licensing and insurance penalties and 1 million speeding and red light penalties.

A Criminology lecturer at Liverpool Hope University suggested that the figure of 12 million would reflect a small rise of about 1.5% on the previous year.

“There’s not really been that much change on top line levels, but what is changing is we are getting slightly more cameras,” he reported. There are also more cars on the road, with almost one car for every driver in the UK.

In 2015, 90% of all speeding offences were caught on camera. Between 2010 and 2014 the number of traffic police officers dropped by 24%. This reduction coincided with a period of falling costs for automatic enforcement technology.

A member of the RAC Foundation stated that while traffic offences should warrant necessary punishment, many motorists are being caught for minor wrongdoings while more serious offences go undetected.

Safe driving from Britannia!