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The vast majority of hardworking lorry and van drivers carry out their work within the letter of the law, but for those who may be tempted to exceed the speed limits on UK roads, recent changes to legislature mean the consequences are now far more severe. While for small infringements the changes are not too substantial, drivers caught exceeding the limit by more than 10mph are in for a very expensive lesson. UK Road Speed Limits Anyone who undertakes haulage jobs for a living (and in fact anyone who uses the road) should be familiar with the UK speed limits, although it's easy to unwittingly fall foul of the rules if you don’t understand their variations. But staying on the right side of the law and maintaining a clean licence (not to mention avoiding huge fines) is imperative for anyone who relies on haulage jobs for their livelihood – whether you're an independent owner-driver or work for a larger company. Because one thing you can be sure of is that your speed is your responsibility. For HGV drivers it's even more important to stay abreast of changes to the laws and be aware that what's signposted on the roads doesn’t necessarily apply to vehicles other than conventional cars. You also need to factor in regional variations in UK speed limits if you're carrying out haulage jobs in Wales or Scotland. For those who need a refresher, in a nutshell here are the current speed limits on UK roads (current May 2017) for HGVs. Up to 12m long and 7.5 tonnes: • Restricted road - 30mph • Single carriageway - 50mph • Dual carriageway - 60mph • Motorway - 70mph Over 7.5 tonnes: • Restricted road - 30mph • Single carriageway - 50mph (Scotland 40mph) • Dual carriageway - 60mph (Scotland 50mph) • Motorway - 60mph What the Changes in Fines Mean The changes in fines are significant - starting at a 150% increase. The government is hitting offenders where it hurts by basing the incremental system on a driver's weekly income, in additional to temporary driving bans or points on their licence. • Those caught speeding under the classification Band A (1-10mph over) will incur 3 points on their licence and fines of 25-75% of their weekly wage. • For Band B offenders (11-20mph over) the penalty is 4-6 points or 7-28 days driving ban, plus a fine equivalent to 25-125% of their weekly income. • For Band C infringements (more than 21mph over) the fines are 125-175% of the weekly income plus 6 points or 7-56 days disqualification from driving. Keeping UK Roads Safe It's not just those who do haulage jobs for a living under the spotlight, all UK motorists come under the increases in speeding fines. But for those who rely on a clean licence for their livelihood, the need to adhere to understand and adhere to the laws that govern our roads is even more important. While the new penalties are extremely harsh, the FTA and transport industry experts have welcomed the increases in fines as a potentially very effective deterrent to those who flout the law and endanger other road users. Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage jobs with available drivers. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.
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