Fixed Penalties

Fixed Penalties

The levels of Fixed Penalties will range from £30 to £200. Drivers' hours and overloading offences will be subject to graduated fixed penalties (according to the seriousness of the offence).

Offence Description Band 2 - £60 Band 3 - £120 Band 4 - £200
Insufficient weekly rest Excess over 1 hr up to 2 hrs Excess over 2 hr up to 3 hrs Excess over 3 hrs
Failure to take required break from 4.5 hrs driving Excess over 15 mins up to 1 hrs Excess over 1 hr up to 2 hrs Excess over 2 hrs
Overloading axel, gross or train weight Excess between 5 – 10% (and under 5 tonnes) Excess between 10 – 15% (and under 5 tonnes) Excess over 15% but under 30% or 5 tonnes

VOSA are only intending to issue fixed penalties to drivers of vehicles – in respect of road traffic offences detected on the spot – and not to vehicle operators. This is because VOSA will continue to follow up offences with (GB-based) vehicle operators when they deem that the situation warrants further investigation and possible prosecution. They will also be feeding information about fixed penalties issued to drivers into the enforcement targeting records of vehicle operators. Operators with drivers found to be repeatedly offending will be investigated and referred to the Traffic Commissioners (TCs).
A deposit for foreign drivers -including hauliers-, and British residents who can’t prove a valid address in Britain will be the same as the level of a fixed penalty (between £30 and £200) or surety for prosecution of up to £300.

The driver will also be held responsible for maintaining compliance with pre-use and post-use inspections and correct defect reporting procedures.

Offence Description Band Penalty
Oil leak from engine/assembly 1 £30
Defective parking brake 2 £60
Failure to produce records 3 £120
Tachograph not fitted in accordance to regs 4 £200

The new law seeks to reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads each year. It also is intended to send a very clear message to motorists, both UK and foreign, that no one is immune from the law.

Those caught committing an endorsable offence will also have penalty points put on their UK driving record, which could lead to them being banned from driving in the UK.
Those drivers without a satisfactory UK address who commit traffic offences will have to pay a financial penalty deposit equal to the amount of the fixed penalty or £300 as a deposit in respect of a potential court fine.