Lorry fines doubled
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Fines for each overloading conviction are £400 (formerly £200) for the hgv owner and E200 (£100) for the hgv driver, plus E20 (£10) per one per cent overload. "But always have regard to commercial gain and damage to roads," the notes say. Suggested penalties for insecure loads rise to £400 (formerly £200) for lorry owners and £200 (£100) for drivers, although a recommendation in past guidance notes of endorsement or disqualification has been dropped.
Magistrates are urged to con sider the degree of responsibility of the owner and drivers in convictions for insecure loads.
The penalty suggested for not having an excise licence remains the duty lost plus a fine of around twice that amount.
Suggested penalties for faulty steering rise to £125 (formerly £50) for the owner and £50 (£25) for the driver. The same increases are recommended for faulty brake offences and for each tyre found to be in a faulty condition.
The penalty for driving in the third lane is recommended at £75 (formerly £60). Failure to have a tachograph, or use it as required, is included for the first time with a penalty of £100 suggested.
The list of suggestions from the Magistrates' Association is, it stresses, not a tariff, but gives a recommended average fine for a first offender of average means for each conviction. Members received the new guidelines this week. They were previously revised two years ago.
Transport Minister Linda Chalker has been asking for tougher fines for lorry offenders, and the new guidelines will go some way to satisfy these demands if they are implemented.