Drivers in the UK face speeding fines equivalent of 1½ times their weekly salary under new laws in place from Monday.

Drivers caught at speeds excessively above legal limits face higher penalties in England and Wales. Under new guidelines for magistrates, fines for motorists caught doing 51mph (82kmh) in a 30mph (48kmh) zone or 101mph (163kmh) on a motorway will start from 150 per cent of their weekly income, rather than the previous level of 100 per cent.

The British Sentencing Council said the move aims to ensure there is a “clear increase in fine level as the seriousness of offending increases”.

In Britain 244 people were killed in 2015 in crashes that occurred when a driver was breaking the speed limit.

The AA said the new measures were an appropriate way of penalising offenders.

The maximum fines allowed by law remain the same, so speeding drivers cannot be fined more than £1,000 (€1,180) unless the offence takes place on a motorway, where the limit is £2,500 (€2,950).

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said while the new measures “underline how seriously the courts take speeding offences”, the limit on fines means there is not a “level playing field”.

He also questioned whether police officers have enough resources to ensure the tougher punishments have an impact on road safety.