Let’s get straight to the point, there’s never a good time to deliberately break speed limits, but now certainly isn’t it. Higher speeds increase the risk of a collision and in those collisions, the severity of injury is likely to escalate as the speed rises.

During the pandemic, GoSafe, the safety camera partnership in Wales, continue to enforce in key locations and routes to ensure the roads are safe for all essential road users. Their activity is focused on helping to prevent collisions and injuries, to reduce pressure on the NHS as they dedicate their efforts to battling the COVID-19 virus.

I’m sure, like us, you’ve seen reports on social media of a reckless minority of motorcyclists who have been taking advantage of quieter roads recently and travelling at astronomical and totally unacceptable speeds – and getting caught.

So what happens next?

Being stopped by a traffic officer is the obvious route. Alternatively, the first thing the errant rider might know about their impending trouble is a letter falling on the doormat. They’re required by law to say if they were the rider or provide the details of someone else who was riding at the time; if they don’t they are likely to be summoned to court and if found guilty fined up to £1000 with 6 penalty points.

Once the rider is identified, they may be given an opportunity of attending a speed awareness course, in lieu of a fine and penalty points.  A further option may be paying a fixed penalty fine and receiving 3 points on their licence.  However, those who substantially exceed the speed limit are extremely likely to be summoned to court without either a fixed penalty or the offer of a course being available.

At court, magistrates will decide whether the rider committed the offence and on any fine or penalty to be given. The court has the right to increase the fine and penalty points awarded and if found guilty, the driver is also likely to be required to pay prosecution costs. Under the UK’s ‘totting up’ system, a ban comes into force if a driver or rider reaches 12 penalty points on their licence.

So, for a few moments of thrill seeking the implications are significant…and this will be just the tip of the iceberg if they’ve had a collision or caused harm to themselves or others.

With GoSafe dedicated to deploying enforcement resources to the right place, at the right time, for the right reason, the minority who aren’t compliant may be hearing from them very soon.