Drivers face ban after two speed penalties

Penalty points could be doubled for those who speed at 90mph on motorways or 45mph in a 30mph zone - rendering them liable to a driving ban after just two offences. In addition, these offenders would see the automatic fine jump from £60 to £100.

But the Standard has learned that lower penalties are on the cards for motorists who creep only a few miles an hour over the limit. For someone driving up to 80mph on a motorway, where the legal limit is 70mph, there would be two points on their licence and a £40 fine.

Other punishments would remain at the current level of three penalty points and a £60 fine. Ultra-fast and reckless offenders will be taken immediately to court. The new system will be put out to consultation within weeks.

The new lower punishment will not apply in 20 or 30mph zones as ministers want to make clear that speeding in urban areas is never acceptable.

Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "It would be counter-productive ... The big message we are putting out is that it's 30 for a reason."

Safety experts welcomed the plans, saying they could tackle a breed of drivers who calculate they can afford to be caught speeding occasionally without losing their licences.

Anyone who accrues 12 points is normally banned and heavily fined. But each set of penalty points expires after a year, which means some think they can afford to be caught once a year without risking a ban.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it was right to hit "people who are grossly above the speed limit".

A spokesman added: "It is not getting at the ordinary motorist. It is getting at those who flagrantly break the speed limit."

But Paul Smith, founder of campaign group Safe Speed, said: "Drivers will rightly be concerned that they will be faced with losing their licences for six months after two perfectly routine cases of driving safely. We all know that exceeding the speed limit isn't automatically dangerous."

A survey by the RAC revealed that more than half of drivers admit speeding but only 16 per cent have been convicted in the last five years.