Durham’s Police and Crime Commissioner approves of new measures being introduced to tackle dangerous drivers.
Ron Hogg consulted with the public when he developed his Police and Crime Plan and one of the top policing priorities voted for by County Durham and Darlington residents was road safety related issues.
From July, motorists could be issued with £100 fines and three points for careless driving offences that would currently have to go to court. Current fixed penalties for using a mobile phone while driving or not wearing a seatbelt will also rise by £40 to £100. Other fixed penalties could be issued for persistently driving in the middle lane on motorways and tail-gating other drivers.
Mr Hogg said: “I fully welcome these changes to improve road safety, particularly to deter those who still insist on using a mobile phone while driving. Giving the police more discretion to act is good news as the new process will target offenders without the need for lengthy court procedures
