Motorists to see new driving laws introduced as thousands face £100 'on-the-spot' fines for road offences

The new move gives police fresh powers to issue on-the-spot fines to anyone caught driving recklessly in public places.

Under the plan, police will be able to give £100 fixed penalty notices to drivers who take part in anti-social or dangerous behaviour on the roads.

But anyone who ignores the fine for more than 21 days could end up in court and face a much larger penalty of up to £1,000, along with additional legal costs.

Councillors approved the measure at a meeting of the Operational Services Committee on November 17, with the hope that the order marks a major step forward in the fight against anti-social driving.

A public consultation will now be launched so residents can give their views before the order is formally introduced.

But councillors have made it clear the issue has reached a point where action is needed quickly.

The decision comes after long-running complaints from local people who have warned that dangerous driving, especially late-night racing, drifting and noisy modified cars, has had a serious impact on their communities.

Cambridgeshire Police told councillors that their current powers simply haven't been enough to get on top of the problem.

Officers said that measures like Community Protection Warnings help only at the moment and often rely on police having advance notice of car meets, which is rarely possible.

Police researched how other parts of the country have tackled similar problems and concluded that a PSPO is the most effective way of clamping down on reckless driving.

A multi-agency group looking at the issue agreed that physical solutions, such as road changes or barriers, had been tried over many years but had failed to stop the behaviour.

The order will apply to all public highways and public spaces across East Cambridgeshire, though private car parks will not be covered.

Councillor Mark Inskip, who represents Sutton, told the committee that residents in his area have been suffering from the problem for at least six or seven years.

He said Elean Business Park has become a particular hotspot, thanks to a long straight road and a nearby roundabout that attract drifting and speeding.

He warned that the worst disturbances usually happen late at night on weekends, often around 10pm or 11pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and even Sundays during holiday periods.

Modified cars create loud exhaust noise "just as residents are trying to go to sleep", he said, with people in Witcham and much of Sutton able to hear it.

Councillors heard that physical measures to deter the behaviour aren't possible in some places.

For example, adding rumble strips or altering the roundabout at Elean Business Park would cause safety issues for ordinary drivers using the public highway.

Once the PSPO is in place, members of the public will be encouraged to report dangerous driving directly to the police, including vehicle registration details and any evidence, such as photos or video.

Officers will assess each case and decide whether the behaviour breaks the order.

The new rules will apply not only to organised car meets but also to individual drivers causing noise, nuisance or alarm on residential streets.

Some councillors asked how speeding would be proven, noting that people often misjudge the speed of passing cars.

The next step will be the public consultation, giving residents across the district a chance to have their say.

Councillor Inskip urged colleagues not to delay, warning that other areas are taking similar action.

"If they put their PSPO in and we haven't got one," he said, "potentially as a displacement activity and people move to the district."