Speed limits exist for a reason. Speeding decreases your reaction time while increasing your stopping distance.
At high speeds you’ll have less control of your car, which makes you a danger to yourself, to other motorists, to cyclists, and to pedestrians. It should come as no surprise then that there are harsh penalties for any driver caught speeding.
What Are the Penalties for Speeding?
The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and 3 penalty points on your licence. If you build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of 3 years, you could be disqualified from driving.
If you’re a new driver, the penalty is even more harsh. If you’re caught speeding as a new driver, you can still expect a minimum of 3 penalty points on your licence. However, if you build up more than 6 penalty points within 2 years of passing your driving test, your driving licence will be withdrawn.
Why is the Law So Harsh for New Drivers?
You’ll lose your licence completely if you build up 6 points in your first 2 years of driving. This might seem unfair, but this law exists for a reason.
New drivers are considered high-risk drivers. When you’re new to the road, you haven’t had a chance to build up the experience and the instinct that more established drivers rely on to keep them safe.
For this reason, new drivers tend to get into more accidents than almost any other type of driver. This is why new drivers usually pay more for car insurance than more experienced drivers.
So if new drivers are considered high risk, new drivers who repeatedly get points on their licence for speeding simply prove themselves to be particularly high-risk drivers. The law considers it safer for everyone if these drivers stay off the road completely, which is why the “6 points in first 2 years” rule exists.
It may seem harsh, but hopefully you’ll agree that it’s fair. UK law has a duty to make the roads as safe for as many road users as possible. Preventing dangerous drivers from driving is a positive step in this direction.
New drivers that have their licence cancelled in their first 2 years will have to start from scratch. You’ll have to apply and pay for a new provisional licence, and you’ll have to pass both your theory and your practical test again.
And if you want to avoid this harsh treatment, it’s simple – just stick to the speed limits!
Can You Get Penalty Points on Your Provisional Licence?
You can, and once again, you can expect to get a minimum of 3 points on your licence if you’re caught speeding.
Once you pass your test, any penalty points on your provisional licence that haven’t expired will be carried over to your full licence. They’re not “cancelled” just because you’re not a learner anymore!
If you have any penalty points on your licence, it can push up the cost of your car insurance. This is because points on your licence indicate that you’re a high-risk driver, which means that it could cost insurers more to insure you. This is reflected in higher premiums.
So if new drivers are considered high-risk, and drivers with points on their insurance are considered high-risk, new drivers with points on their insurance can expect to pay quite a bit for car insurance!
If you want to get around this, once again the advice is simple: Listen to your driving instructor, take care on the roads, and strive to be as safe a driver as possible.
Read our guide to the risks associated with new drivers here, which includes some tips on how to get cheaper car insurance as a new driver.
