A van driver from the Vale of Glamorgan has been handed a bill of over £1,000 after being caught driving almost twice the speed limit on a busy road in Pontypool.
Ben Cheshire, from Dinas Powys, was behind the wheel of a Ford Transit when he was clocked doing 67mph in a 40mph zone on the A472. The A472 is a well-used road that runs through parts of Torfaen, and the stretch where Cheshire was caught is subject to the 40mph limit for good reason, given the volume of traffic and road users in the area.
The court wasted little time in making clear how seriously it viewed the offence. Cheshire was handed a fine of £623 and picked up six penalty points on his licence. When court costs and a victim surcharge were added on top, the total bill came to just over £1,000.
Six penalty points is a significant hit for any driver. For someone who already has points on their licence, that kind of total can push them dangerously close to a ban. For newer drivers still within their first two years of holding a full licence, six points alone would be enough to see that licence revoked automatically.
Driving a large vehicle like a Ford Transit at 67mph in a 40 zone is not a minor slip. At that speed, stopping distances increase dramatically, and the size and weight of a transit van means the potential consequences of any collision are far more serious than they would be in a smaller car. Roads like the A472 are not motorways, and the speed limits that apply to them exist because of the real risks posed to other drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and anyone else using that road.
Speeding remains one of the most common causes of serious road collisions across Wales. Gwent Police and other forces across the country regularly run enforcement operations targeting drivers who ignore speed limits, and cases like this one are a reminder that getting caught carries real financial and legal consequences.
The £623 fine itself is calculated based on the severity of the offence and the offender’s income, meaning courts take into account what someone earns when setting the penalty. The six points reflect the seriousness of travelling at that kind of excess speed, well beyond the kind of marginal speeding that might attract a fixed penalty notice or a place on a speed awareness course.
For Cheshire, the four-figure total will be a costly lesson. For other drivers using the A472 and roads like it across Wales, the case is a straightforward reminder that speed limits are not suggestions.