On-spot fines “too easy an option” for police

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has echoed the concerns of the Magistrates' Association, pointing out that the careless driving ticket is too easy an option.

"A simpler procedure may persuade officers to deal with more serious cases by FPN (fixed penalty notice), rather than the more appropriate - but more time consuming - prosecution and court appearance,” said IAM Policy Director Neil Greig.

"Offences range from very bad driving - which could have been charged as dangerous, but wasn't - to minor parking knocks. It is generally dependent on the surrounding facts, witness testimony and the courts' interpretation of them. As such the IAM feels that careless driving should not be included in the list of fixed penalty notices," he said.

The IAM believes that rather than devising methods of making careless driving prosecutions simpler and more attractive to police officers, DfT should campaign pro-actively to improve driver behaviour generally.

"We would have been prepared to support the proposal if it was shown that it would lead to an improvement in driving standards and a reduction in casualties - or even an improvement in the obviously deteriorating quality of police prosecutions," said Mr Greig.