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Penalties will get a lot tougher from Monday 24th April 2017 Tougher penalties for drivers caught speeding are just days away. From this spring, district judges and magistrates will have to use new guidelines. They apply to all offenders aged 18 and older and come into force on 24th April, regardless of the date of the offence. New guidelines have been issued for 27 offences, including speeding, sexual offences and drug offences. From Monday, a new higher penalty will be introduced for speeding. Fines for the most serious breaches will have a starting point of 150% of a person’s weekly income rather than the existing level of 100%. So, if someone is caught doing 41mph and above in a 20mph zone or 101mph on a motorway, where the limit is 70mph, they could be fined 150% of their weekly income. Fines are determined in categories – a Band A fine is 50% of someone’s weekly income, Band B is 100% and Band C is 150%. The fines are ranked depending on how far in excess of the limit a driver is going. There is a range, and anyone facing a Band C fine could see it upped to 175% of their income. Drivers will also face points, or a disqualification depending on the offence.