Disparity found in prosecutions for motoring offences
Posted by Fiona Birkwood.
Driving a vehicle that has a broken car headlight bulb is illegal, but recent research has revealed that prosecution for breaking this and other motoring laws depends greatly on where in the UK it occurs, according to new research.
Research by Auto Express found that Northamptonshire was the area that gave out the most prosecutions for motoring offences in England and Wales, giving out fixed penalty notices to nearly one in every six cars.
Even tougher was the Scottish region of Dumfries and Galloway, which gave notices to the equivalent of 20 per cent of all vehicles within its boundaries.
Almost 1.5 million speeding offences were recorded in the UK in 2007, making it the most common motoring offence. This will have provided the government with over £1.2 billion in collected fines for that year.
Southern Scotland and northern Wales recorded the highest number of speeding prosecutions.
According to the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, drivers are not permitted to use vehicles in which the lamps, including the head light bulbs and rear registration plate bulbs, are not working. It states that all car lights must also be clean.
