claycraft Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 Can someone please explain..... SPEEDING DRIVERS MAY FACE VICTIM LEVY Motorists convicted of speeding may have to pay compensation for victims of crime, the Goverment has proposed. The plan, from David Blunkett, is one of several changes to the funding of victim support services. Drivers fined for speeding etc would face a levy of an extra £5 or £10 towards a Home Office fund, providing victim and witness compensation and support. As motorists do we not already pay enough to Goverment coffers? Why not punish the perpetrator, rather than the all too easily targeted driver? A tax by another name once more??????? Ease off the gas, you've been warned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slh73 Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Originally posted by claycraft Why not punish the perpetrator, rather than the all too easily targeted driver? I took it from that that they are punishing the perpetrator. If youre speeding, youre breaking the law. The only people being targeted are the ones in the wrong. Stick to the speed limit, dont get fined. Makes perfect sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 The largest levies (of around £30) would only be raised on those motorists "given a prison term or suspended sentence" for speeding or alternatively a lower levy for those "speeding or driving without insurance". This seems pretty fair to me, you would have to be driving pretty damn fast to qualify for this levy, or alternatively be bad enough to drive without insurance. Read the full, correct story at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3390315.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norbo Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 As I understand it this levy is not just for traffic offences - it is for any offence. I may be wrong but I think that is what Baroness Scotland said last night on Newsnight. Seems to me the motorists are getting a bit paranoid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamo Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 The story makes it clear that anyone done for speeding will be charged the levy, which is ridiculous. The criminal injury scheme pays compensation to victims of crime who have been suffered either physical or mental injury. Why are drivers caught for no more than speeding, and who have caused no such injury, being made to pay? In my opinion it would be better to have prisoners (real criminals) working to raise money for the scheme. If they don't work to 'pay their dues' to the scheme, then they can forget about parole. This country has gone far too soft and is punishing the wrong people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidla Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I don't get people who are complaining about these 'stealth taxes' as they've become known. Would you rather people got off scott free? Surely it's good that the fines are going towards something productive? If you want to avoid these 'taxes' then just don't break the law!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamo Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Originally posted by Sidla I don't get people who are complaining about these 'stealth taxes' as they've become known. Would you rather people got off scott free? Surely it's good that the fines are going towards something productive? If you want to avoid these 'taxes' then just don't break the law!! Nobody has said abolish speed restrictions and fines for speeding have they? It is being suggested that it is wrong to fund the criminal injuries compensation scheme by charging an additional levy on motorists that speed. They pay for their offence with a fine and points on their licence - why should they now be expected to pay for other peoples crimes as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belle Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Isnt there a phrase about "doing the crime and serving the time" I might have it worded a bit wrong, but I always took it to mean that if you commit a crime you should do so in the understanding that you will get the rule book chucked at you - mickey mouse extra charges or not - if you are caught People who do not speed, or drive without insurance, or burgle or whatever, wont be paying That means all us I trust......? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamo Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Not me Belle. Like 99% of the population I break the speed limit every time I get in my car. This doesn't make me some boy racer driving as fast as I can, performing hand-brake turns and wheel spinning at every opportunity. It simply means that I, like most drivers, go over 30 mph when conditions permit. I can't believe that there are so many people who post on this forum that pretend they never speed and make out like it is some BIG crime -"don't do the crime if you can't do the time" rubbish! This is no more than another stealth tax. Are they going to reduce tax in any other area to "reward" all the good people who never speed (all 1% of you)? I don't think so. Therefore it's no more than another way for the government to get more money without having to raise income tax - after all they wouldn't want us to think they are the party of high taxation would they! God, it pains me to talk like this. I now despise this government almost as much as I did the Thatcher Government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidla Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Originally posted by Zamo Not me Belle. Like 99% of the population I break the speed limit every time I get in my car. You can't excuse speeding by saying "everybody does it, so it must be OK". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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