PENALTY POINTS, ENDORSEMENTS & FIXED PENALTY NOTICES

Accumulating 12 or more penalty points in 3 years will lead to a driving disqualification, known as totting up, unless you can show the courts that a ban from driving will cause you, your business or family members hardship in some serious way.

Almost all motoring offences attract penalty points. Many can be dealt with by a fixed penalty notice but in the more serious cases, they will have to be dealt with by the court. The courts have a range of points that they can impose for each offence

A Fixed Penalty Notice is known as an FPN; the police can issue these for many offences including the following:

• Speeding
• Careless driving
• Driving without insurance
• Using a mobile phone whilst driving
• Defective tyres
• Defective brakes
• Driving whilst carrying a dangerous load
• Failing to adhere to a traffic sign
• Failing to wear a helmet (motorcyclists)

The most common types of FPN’s are for ‘Speeding’ (3 points and £100 fine), ‘Using a mobile phone whilst driving’ (3 points and £100 fine) and ‘Driving with no insurance’ (6 points and £300 fine).

Once you have complied with the terms of the Fixed Penalty Notice you cannot be prosecuted for the same offence before a Magistrates Court.