A Devon MP who was seriously injured in a road accident last summer has protested about a 'glaring anomaly' in the Government's handling of motorists fined for speeding.

Anthony Steen, Conservative Member for Totnes, said that police currently had discretion, in cases where drivers had admitted blame for a serious accident, simply to order them to attend a Driver Improvement Scheme, at a cost of £110, without any prosecution, penalty points or costs.

But this discretion is unavailable to them in minor speeding or parking offences, and now the Government plans to penalise speeding motorists further by introducing an extra £5 levy on fines, to help victims of crime.

Mr Steen has written to the Home Secretary David Blunkett about this 'incomprehensible' situation.

He said that last summer, in Devon, the car he was driving on the correct side of the road was hit head-on by a car being driven on the wrong side. Both cars were written off and both drivers were injured.

'The other driver quite properly admitted liability and said he was wholly responsible for the accident and his insurance company paid in full to repair my car.

'The police took three months to conclude that instead of proceedings in the magistrates court they would offer the offending driver an opportunity to attend a driver improvement scheme.

'All he was liable for was £110 to pay for the scheme.

'Surely a similar discretion could be given to the police, which they currently enjoy for serious car accidents, to be available in relatively minor speeding and parking incidents, where danger to life is not an issue, safety is not at stake and damage and loss nil.

'It seems quite incomprehensible that somebody driving on the wrong side of the road, causing considerable damage and risk to life, gets off without his licence being endorsed because the police have discretionary powers, but they have no such discretion where speed cameras are involved. This is a glaring anomaly.'

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