Clause 2 - Graduated fixed penalties
Road Safety Bill
10:45 am
Mr Christopher Chope (Shadow Minister, Environment and Transport; Christchurch, Conservative)
The helpful briefing that the Minister and his officials provided to some of us yesterday explains that the clause relates particularly to the new power in clause 4 that enables vehicle examiners to give fixed penalty notices. However, the wording of the clause is not restricted, which gives us the chance to question the Government on their thinking behind the choice of criteria in paragraphs (a) to (d).
The amendments that I have tabled give some alternative and additional criteria. Amendment No. 6 would add the time of day when an offence is committed, which can often be a highly relevant factor. Amendment No. 7 would add
''the number of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users in the vicinity at the time'',
which again is a highly relevant factor. Much of the correspondence that we have received from road safety campaigners in the run-up to the debate on the Bill in Committee has emphasised their concern about vulnerable road users, and pedestrians and speeding vehicles. If we accept that concern, which I share, and that priority, the other side of the coin is that when no pedestrians or other vulnerable road users are in the vicinity at the time, the offence might be regarded as less serious.