Drivers face more fines as police quietly drop speeding tolerance threshold by one mile per hour

Under the old rules, drivers would not face legal action unless they were 10% and three mph over the speed limit. Credit: PA

Speeding fines in London are up 259% after the Metropolitan Police quietly reduced its tolerance threshold.

Under the old rules, drivers would not face legal action unless they were 10% and three miles per hour (mph) over the speed limit - but the force dropped this to two mph in May 2019.

The change means motorists who reach speeds of up to 47mph in a 40mph zone could be charged. Credit: PA

The change, which came without an official announcement, has led to around 347,000 motorists prosecuted for speeding between January and June this year, compared to the 97,000 in the six months before the force changed the rules, The Times reported.

The Met said: "Posted speed limits are the maximum speed that road users should travel at any time ... irrespective of the speed threshold that police commence enforcement action."

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said the changes had had a huge effect on taxi drivers.

He told the paper there had been “an absolutely massive increase" in taxi drivers receiving points on their licenses, "some of whom have been driving for 35 years as a professional driver without a single point on their licence".

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