42 | AUGUST 2019
Motoring
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
SIX DRIVING TICKET TYPES
Baffled motorists are being warned about six different ways
they can earn a fine and potential points on their license, in
a bid to improve safety standards and save drivers cash.
By compiling a guide to the 1. Speeding 3. Bus lane
different driving ticket types,
researchers for van leasing giants
LeaseVan.co.uk are hoping to save
motorists money and encourage
them to be safer on the roads.
They say many of Britain’s mo-
torists may not know the differ-
ence between a Fixed Penalty No-
tice (FPN), Penalty Charge Notice
or Parking Charge Notice.
Now they’ve issued a handy
guide on how to avoid hefty pen-
alties and fines. How much over the speed limit
you’re driving determines how
much you’ll be paying and poten-
tially how many points you’ll receive
on your license. The majority of
people will commit a ‘minor offence’
and will receive an FPN of £100 fine
and three points on the licence.
This can be waived if you opt
for a speed awareness course if it’s
your first speeding offence or you
haven’t attended a course in the
last three years. Timings can be a common
cause for drivers receiving bus
lane tickets. Many lanes are only
in use as bus lanes during speci-
fied times and misreading a sign
or having your car clock wrong
can land you with a ticket. Fines
are £65 if outside of Greater
London, but if in the capital they
can go up to £160. Prices can
sometimes be reduced if paid
early.
‘ 2. Parking Jumping a red light can be very
costly both to the driver and other
vehicles on road. You will receive
a Notice of Intended Prosecution,
which will ask the car owner who
was driving, and they may be
fined £100 and earn three points
on the licence.
It is important
that if you think
you’ve been wrongly
issued with one you
take photographic
evidence of your
time of return to the
car park, and where
you were parked
etc. Document
everything you
think will help
your cause
’
Councils issue ‘Penalty Charge
Notices’ mainly for parking offences
such as parking on double yellows
or in Resident Only spaces. The fine
for this tends to be halved if you
pay within the first 14 days.
Private car parking firms have
also started to follow suit with many
now enforcing ‘Parking Charge
Notices’. It may come as a shock
to return back to your car to find a
yellow label on the windscreen. It
is important that if you think you’ve
been wrongly issued with one you
take photographic evidence of your
time of return to the car park, and
where you were parked etc. Docu-
ment everything you think will help
your cause.
4. Traffic lights
5. Mobile phone
Mobile phones can be useful
as sat-navs but make sure you set
the destination before you hit the
road. If anyone is caught holding
or using a mobile phone, they
will be handed six points and a
£200 fine. If you’re a new driver
and passed less than two years
ago your driving licence will be
removed.
6. Driving on the
hard shoulder
Reserved for emergency vehicles
and vehicles which have broken
down, driving on the hard shoul-
der can be a quick way to receive
a ticket resulting in a £100 fine
and 3 points on the licence. There
are cases such as in roadworks
where signs may direct you to use
the hard shoulder legally.
www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/
legal/fixed-penalty-notices/
FTA’S ESSENTIAL HANDBOOKS UPDATED WITH LATEST
INFORMATION FOR PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS
The increasing number of
vehicles on the road and con-
stantly changing regulations that
need to be observed could make
life increasingly complicated for
the professional driver. To help
them do their job safely and
responsibly, FTA has updated its
two popular drivers’ handbooks –
one for HGV drivers and one for
van drivers – with the key up to
the minute compliance informa-
tion which must be provided to
drivers of commercial vehicles by
their employer.
The Van Drivers’ Handbook,
sponsored by Van Excellence
Platinum Partner Mercedes Benz
Vans and Gold Partners Bott
Ltd, Brigade Electronics, Hertz,
Lex Autolease and Quartix, is an
essential guide to ensuring the
safe, legal and efficient operation
of vans and light commercial
vehicles. It contains practical
advice and information and cov-
ers topics such as legal require-
ments, defensive driving, safe
use of vehicles, drivers’ hours
and records, driving licences and
offences, speed limits and much
more. Key updates in this edition
include the addition of informa-
tion on alternatively fuelled vans
and the ability for a category B
driver to drive up to 4.25t, and
additional contact information for
the Northern Ireland Office, with
contact numbers and opening
times added for driver licensing
purposes.
The price for either handbook
is £6.95 for FTA members and
£8.00 for non-members, with
substantial discounts for multiple
purchases.
Further information can be
found on the FTA Shop website
at www.shop.fta.co.uk or call
03717 11 11 11.