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Road Safety Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 57:"Page 20, line 41, leave out ““““2–6”” and insert ““““3–6””" The noble Viscount said: I do not have much to say about this amendment. The Explanatory Notes on graduated fixed penalties refer to,"““the circumstances of the particular offence . . .  the nature of the offence, [and] its severity””." The penalty will become totally standard: neither the severity nor the circumstances will be taken into account. If someone exceeds the speed limit by a certain amount, they will get a certain number of points. I find it inconsistent that the number of points on a driver’s licence should be reduced to two instead of three. That is the main reason why I want the variation to be between three and six. Any police officer on traffic patrol who pulls someone up for exceeding the speed limit will, and can, take into account such circumstances, whereas a safety camera cannot. I recall stopping someone who had been driving at just over 90 mph in a 60 mph zone. The   driver was driving perfectly safely and the circumstances were such that, although theoretically he should have been disqualified, he was sent off with only a ticking-off. In such situations, discretion can be exercised according to the circumstances of the offence. Three penalty points, not two, should be the minimum. I beg to move.