Drivers face being banned for only two speeding offences under a draconian shake-up of road safety laws.

Motorists caught going well over the limit would receive six points - double the current penalty - and a £100 fine.

It would mean that under the totting-up scheme, they would lose their licences by reaching the 12-point maximum after just two convictions.

The six-point penalty is expected to apply to those driving at 45mph or more in a 30mph zone, at least 57mph in a 40mph area or above 94mph on a 70mph road.

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The new regime would be enforced by a massive expansion of digital cameras which record average speeds rather than the fixed-point roadside Gatsos.

It is the latest shot at motorists following a new three-point penalty for chatting on a mobile phone while at the wheel.

With more than a million drivers already on the brink of a ban, the measure could see the number of disqualified drivers double.

Ministers have become increasingly concerned at speeding in urban areas and the alarming rise in the number of children killed on suburban streets.

As a result, they have shelved plans to balance tougher penalties with a graduated system where drivers going just a few miles per hour over the limit would receive only two points and a £40 fine.

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