UK speeding penalties explained

Though adhering to speed limits is part and parcel of being a responsible driver, hundreds of thousands of Britain’s motorists are issued penalty notices each year for exceeding them. It’s one of the most common driving offences in the UK! 

If you’re caught speeding, the punishment depends on a number of factors - here we’ve outlined the framework for fines if you’re found going to be travelling too fast… 

Speeding fines are determined by a band structure, with penalties depending on the severity of the offence. 

Band A 

Many of the speeding penalties issued fall into this category, and are largely considered minor offences. For example, if you were caught doing between 31-40MPH in a 30MPH speed limit, Band A would apply to you, and you’d be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice. 

Providing you’ve admitted responsibility for speeding, you’d be expected to pay a minimum fine of £100, and receive 3 points on your license. 

If your offence falls within Band A, you may be offered the chance to attend a speed awareness course as an alternative to points on your licence. Whether this is the case will depend on the police force that is handling the offence. 

Band B 

Band B is for more serious offences and would be appropriate, for example, if you were caught speeding at 41-50MPH in a 30MPH zone. The fine, in this case, would be equivalent to 100% of your weekly income, plus 4 points on your licence. There is a chance you could be disqualified from driving for between 7-28 days.

Band C 

As the most severe speeding offence, you can expect the punishment to match. Band C would be applicable, for example, if you were caught doing 51MPH or over in a 30MPH zone. The fine here is likely to be 150% of your weekly income, and you could face six penalty points on your licence. 

Under Band C, you could also be disqualified from driving for 56 days. You’d therefore have to apply for a new licence before you could hit the road again; that could mean another test! 

These fines are what you can generally expect, but the magistrate can actually set the fine at 25% either side of these figures, though this is capped at £1000 (£2500 on a motorway). The law states that you’re committing an offence as soon as you exceed the speed limit by even 1MPH. It’s never worth the gamble!