Over half of Brit drivers face new fines for minor errors in ‘war on motorists’ including U-turns & yellow box gaffes
MORE than half of British drivers face new fines for minor errors in a "new war on motorists" - including for U-turns and yellow box gaffes.
Over 10 million households could be affected as dozens of councils have been granted new powers to enforce road laws.
A whopping 85 of the 152 authorities in England can now hand out penalties of up to £70 for "moving traffic violations" like stopping in a box junction or making a U-turn through a bus lane.
Previously, only London's 33 councils were able to give out such fines based on rules from 2003.
However, in 2022 a new law allowed councils across England and Wales to apply for the special status.
Over 50 of those newly empowered authorities in England have since had their applications approved.
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They can now hand out fines of between £20 and £70, with the latter rising to £105 if not paid within a certain time window.
This means that 10 million households are now in areas where they could be subject to such fines - representing roughly half of the nation's driving population.
The AA has slammed the change in the regulations, claiming it will make motorists feel like "wallets on wheels" and accusing councils of attempting to rake in extra revenue.
Jack Cousens, the organisation's head of roads policy, said: "Allowing local authorities the power to fine drivers for yellow box junction infringements has undoubtedly opened up a new revenue stream for cash-strapped councils.
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"Some drivers may feel this is yet another example of being used as a wallet on wheels.
"The vast majority of drivers do not break the rules on purpose, which is why we have always argued that first-time offenders should receive a warning letter and that a ‘fines threshold’ should be set so that councils have to investigate and improve schemes that are earning huge sums."
It comes after research from the RAC suggested that around 98% of the yellow boxes in two major cities were bigger than they needed to be, leading to unfair fines.
A spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said: "Without this enforcement, all drivers would experience significant delays and frustration due to blocked junctions.
"Any revenues raised are a byproduct of keeping the roads clear, traffic moving and are reinvested back into local transport projects, in line with government guidance."
The Department for Transport said it would be launching an eight-week consultation focussing on "preventing local councils from turning drivers into ‘cash cows’ by profiting from enforcing traffic restrictions."
The probe will "seek views from residents" and "quiz local authorities on how money from fines is reinvested", the announcement added.