Fine rise plans for driving offences including smoking and eating

A wider range of driving offences will be covered by fixed penalty notices, which will increase from £60 to £90 if proposals currently under consideration are approved.

Besides covering offences such as using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, the proposed legislation will see a new £90 plus three points fixed penalty for ‘careless driving‘ introduced, covering actions such as hogging the middle lane of a motorway, cutting up other drivers, eating or lighting a cigarette at the wheel, or driving at an inappropriate speed.

The police are also to be given new test equipment to aid the enforcement of drug-driving regulations.

Speaking at a Parliamentary Advisory Council for Road Safety conference, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin (pictured) said: “We want to send a clear message to dangerous drivers: if you continue to show complete disregard for the safety of other road users, we will catch you – and we will punish you.”

The announcement coincided with the release of statistics from North America appearing to show that texting had surpassed drunkenness as a cause of deaths from driving among young people.