Fines are going up again in Holland for speeding.Because they dont give you points on your licence the cops are not a soft touch.They soon take your licence after second offences for speeding and you appear in front of a magistrate .Dangerous driving they take your licence without question.Fines are heavy stick to the limit 120km on motorways and 50km in town or village.

It strikes me that there's some merit in the "three strikes and you're out" idea - IIRC when there were endorsements instead of points, three endorsements meant a ban. Of course the biggest deterrent of all is the belief that one is going to be caught and a heavier presence of actual police cars and traffic cops could go some way to instilling that thought in *most* people's minds.

As an aside, the more I watch of Police Cameras Action, Road Wars, etc., the more irritated I get that the "couldn't care less" drivers cock a snook at the whole system by not having to carry a licence - or any other documents with them. Hours of police time seem to be spent at the roadside painstakingly checking ID, (Sorry, is that MacDonald with Mc or Mac, Is that the fifth of May or the sixth? etc...) and I can't think of another country where a driver of a potentially lethal ton or more of car does NOT have to carry a licence.

You are right Bilboman, no licence carried = lots of time wasted, but, as a general rule, those that don't carry it turn out to be scroats up to some mischief of one kind or another.

Same goes for drivers that don't comply with seatbelt regs., pull 'em, fine 'em and have a good look at everything else on their motor. Easy money!

Oh and whilst I'm on this horse, less of the 'ayup mate, how's it going today' openers from plod, lets have more of the 'step out of the car now please' routine.

When I was a lad in the late 60's we all lived in fear of being pulled over by plod as they would always find something wrong with the motor!

You can pick up points for speeding in Poland but they only last a year, 24 have to be accumulated to earn a ban and the maximum for speeding is 10.

A fine might be OK for a first offence although a Speed Awareness course would be even better but something tougher is needed for subsequent offences, especially if committed shortly after the first.

Linking fines to the offender's wealth was tried in the UK a few years ago but wasn't popular with magistrates for some reason of the other. I think it was expensive to administer too.