Speeding
101 mph in a 70 mph limit
Worked from the Sentencing Council guideline and the NPCC enforcement table, which answer two different questions about the same journey.
Band C
6 points
Court
Checked on 7 September 2026.Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Speeding (Revised 2017) (as of 24 April 2017)
Is 101 mph in a 70 mph limit band A, B or C?
Band C. On a 70 mph limit the guideline puts 71 to 90 mph in band A, 91 to 100 in band B and 101 and above in band C, and 101 falls in band C.
The band decides the sentence only if the case reaches a magistrates' court. Most speeding is dealt with by a fixed penalty or a course, and neither of those is set by the guideline.
What band it carries
| Fine starting point | 150 per cent of relevant weekly income |
| Fine range | 125 to 175 per cent of relevant weekly income |
| Penalty points | 6 points |
| Disqualification | Disqualify 7 to 56 days |
| Statutory maximum | £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway |
What the fine would be at three incomes
| Weekly income after tax | Starting point | Range |
|---|---|---|
| £300 | £450 | £375 to £525 |
| £500 | £750 | £625 to £875 |
| £900 | £1,000 | £1,000 to £1,000 |
A court with no information about income assumes £440 a week. Where the only source is state benefit, or net income is £120 a week or less, the income is deemed to be £120.
Where this speed sits on the enforcement table
- 101mph in a 70mph limit sits in band C of the Sentencing Council grid.
- The NPCC table sends every case at or above 96mph in a 70mph limit to court, so the band C sentence below is the one that matters.
- No weekly income was given, so the fine is shown as the guideline shows it, as a percentage of relevant weekly income. A court with no information at all assumes £440 a week.
- The fine is capped at £1,000, and at £2,500 where the offence was on a motorway.
Common questions
- What happens if I am caught doing 101 in a 70?
- The NPCC table sends every case at or above 96 mph in a 70 mph limit to court, so expect a summons rather than a fixed penalty.
- How many points is 101 in a 70?
- Band C carries 6 points, or the court can disqualify instead: disqualify 7 to 56 days. A fixed penalty, where one is offered, is 3 points.
- How is the fine worked out?
- As a percentage of relevant weekly income: a starting point of 150 per cent within a range of 125 to 175 per cent. It is capped at £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway.
- Does the speedometer reading matter?
- No. The recorded speed is what the device measured. Type approved devices are allowed a positive error of 2 mph, or 3 per cent above 66 mph, which is a measurement allowance rather than a permitted margin over the limit.
Sources
- Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Speeding (Revised 2017) (as of 24 April 2017)
- Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Approach to fines: 2. Fine bands (as of 7 September 2026)
- Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Approach to fines: 3. Definition of relevant weekly income (as of 7 September 2026)
- National Police Chiefs' Council, Guidance on the enforcement and disposal of speeding offences (2025), version 2.0 (as of 31 July 2025)
- GOV.UK, Speeding penalties (as of 7 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Sentencing Act 2020, section 122: the standard scale of fines for summary offences (as of 1 December 2020)
- legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, Schedule 2: prosecution and punishment of offences (as of 7 September 2026)
- UK Road Offender Education, The courses: National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (as of 7 September 2026)