Road safety advocates have welcomed the government's decision to issue £100 fines and penalty points to people who are caught driving dangerously.

The Department for Transport announced the new measures yesterday (June 5th) and members of the charity Brake have backed the move.

Deputy chief executive of the organisation Julie Townsend said it is important police are able to issue on-the-spot fines, although she thinks the government could have gone even further in its attempt to enhance road safety.

Ms Townsend also urged the authorities to allay fears that traffic policing levels are being scaled back.

"We believe traffic policing should be made a national policing priority, to ensure we have sufficient numbers of officers enforcing vital safety laws on our roads," she remarked.

Meanwhile, Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents also welcomed the government's latest announcement, but warned the police to use their new powers consistently.

He reiterated the point that one officer's interpretation of careless driving may be different to their colleagues' opinions.