Darryl Ashton The fines may not necessarily improve driving standards, just increase the monies collected by the Government. The best option may well be to build some element into future driver training programmes that will educate drivers in a hands-on way.

Charlie Shiels I really hope so. We all see poor driving standards probably every day on our roads and everywhere you look you seem to see drivers using handheld phones but nothing appears to be being done about it. Hopefully these new fines will make a difference.

Paul Tate It is another method of assisting the law enforcement agencies in improving the safety of our road network, but there has to be the right levels of staff available in order to be able to enforce such measures.

Phil Clifford I think that any driver fined would start to drive with more care but the hundreds of thousands who will never be caught are unlikely to see this as a deterrent. The better approach would be for a complete re-think of driver training and for driving schools to be charged with teaching people how to drive and not how to pass their test. Many careless drivers don’t realise how dangerous their style is.

What other driving offences should the Government consider introducing on-the-spot fines for?

Tony Leigh The Government cannot realistically increase the number of offences that can be fined on-the-spot because of the lack of police on the roads with which to enforce such laws. In general though, the fine for using mobile phones for calls or texting should be increased dramatically as these actions probably cause more accidents than any other.

Darryl Ashton How these offences will be effectively policed is the real issue, especially as you still see lots of people with either no seatbelt on or using their mobile phones.

Charlie Shiels From what I have read, the majority of the bases seem to have been covered off. I think Edmund King of the AA best summed it up recently with the three pet hates of drivers everywhere: tailgating, middle lane hogging and phone usage.

Paul Tate I think that some endorsable offences should be flexible so that the enforcement officers can make a decision about whether it is necessary to issue a fixed penalty or endorsement depending on individual circumstances.

Phil Clifford While the idea of relieving pressure on the courts by the use of on-the-spot fines seems a good one, there is a danger of forcing the police to be judge and jury and therefore alienating the driving public against them. Accordingly I think no further offences should be added to the list without a great deal of evidence-based research and consultation.

The Fleet News view

Bad driving habits are clearly visible on our roads and it is about time the Government acted to curb them. But the real issue has more to do with the enforcement of such legislation.

Fleet managers need to make sure drivers are aware of the penalties they could face. It could be that some driver assessment is needed and training to try and pinpoint any issues about their driving technique that could lead them into trouble.