£100 fine for motorists who hog the middle lane Until now the crimes have largely gone unpunished because of the bureaucracy involved in taking a case to court. Not only does a motorist have to be stopped by a police officer, but a summons has to be issued and evidence presented in court. It is regarded as time consuming for the police as well motorists. "This is generally regarded as a disincentive for taking action," said Kevin Delaney, Scotland Yard's former head of traffic and now adviser to the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Latest figures suggest just 26,500 motorists are prosecuted for careless driving in England and Wales each year, with 20,800 being found guilty. Other changes will see the fine for not wearing a seat belt or for using a hand-held mobile telephone while driving increased from £60 to £100. And the fixed penalty for driving without insurance will double from £100 to £200. The £100 fine for careless driving from £60 will be the first increase in fines since 2000. Edmund King, AA president, said: "An increase in the standard motoring fixed penalty fine will help deter those who commit motoring offences including mobile phone use. We are also pleased to see that at long last new powers and fines will be given to the police to tackle the top three pet hates of drivers - tailgaters, mobile phone abusers and middle lane hogs. Since taking office, the Coalition has shifted road safety strategy away from the reliance on speed cameras by stopping Whitehall funding for the devices. Cameras have also been on the wane because of cuts in local government funding, although some have been restored as a result of the fees charged to motorists taking speed awareness courses as an alternative to points on their licence. However, the latest initiative reflects a far tougher line being taken on what ministers regard as bad and dangerous driving.