Met Police quietly lower speed limit threshold by 1mph, triggering surge in fines

The force implemented the new protocol in May 2019, but didn’t announce the change

The Metropolitan Police have quietly dropped their speed limit tolerance threshold by 1mph, which has seen the number of fines being given to speeding motorists soar by a reported 259 per cent.

Police rules previously stated that drivers would not face action unless they broke the speed limit by 10 per cent plus 3mph.

But the Met’s recent “stealth” move now sees anyone who breaks the speed limit by 10 per cent plus 2mph issued with a fixed penalty notice or sent on a speed awareness course.

Under the old formula, motorists could drive at up to 25mph in a 20mph zone before facing a charge. According to the new rules, the threshold for incurring a penalty is set at 24mph.

An estimated 347,000 drivers were warned that they would be prosecuted for speeding in the first six months of 2022, compared with 97,000 in the second half of 2021, The Times reports.

The Met implemented its new formula on 14 May 2019, but didn’t announce that it had lowered the threshold.

When asked about the change, the force told The Times: “Posted speed limits are the maximum speed that road users should travel at any time ... irrespective of the speed threshold [at which] police commence enforcement action.”

The new rules only apply in the areas covered by the Met Police and a handful of other forces, including Lancashire Police. Other constabularies have maintained the 10 per cent plus 3mph rule.

The National Police Chiefs Council has, however, indicated that it will review its guidance, meaning that speeding regulations across the UK could tighten to match those in force across London.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said the change had precipitated “an absolutely massive increase in taxi drivers receiving three, six, nine and 12 points in a three- or four-week period – some of whom have been driving for 35 years as a professional driver without a single point on their licence”.

He told The Times that taxi drivers in Park Lane, which used to have a 40mph speed limit, were being caught in the early hours of the morning “for doing 23 miles an hour, and losing their livelihood”.