Contesting a speeding ticket

[chrispattinson]

I just recieved notification of speeding (40MPH in a 30MPH) zone. The photograph does not show the driver at all, its from the rear of the vehicle.

Can I contest this ticket, by saying I dont know who was driving? Anyone have any experience with this?

[DCM]

you can, but there is a chance that although you could possibly dodge the points (I doubt it these days) then unless you can provide a name and address of the driver, you will still be hit with the fine (and costs)

[Lee]

Yes chris, you have to send back a letter saying you do not know who it was and could they send a photo to show the driver (knowing they cant) so you can help them with their enquiries. It usually stops there, but if they do send one even if it blatantly you send them another letter saying along the lines of you have used all diligence and you are still unable to identify the driver, but give them names and addresses of people you think it could be, like the mrs or a friend etc, and if the police ask these they just say no it wasnt them either.:thumbsup::woot:

[DCM]

they have clamped down a lot in the past year though, and the loophole is being closed.

[RSharpy]

I got done in a company car, so we kept contesting it and eventually they wrote it off and gave up. They tend to be just after quick money.

It all depends if you are the only named driver or not?

[chrispattinson]

Thanks for all the help guys. I'll take you up on that advice Lee, see how I get on.

[DCM]

before you punt letters off, do a little google research and see how people are contesting it.

[Lee]

Yeah chris you can get pre written letters on ebay for about 3 quid, you just add your name and the case number.:thumbsup:

[Southwell]

You sped, have the balls to own up to it. :thumbdown: Thats the risk you take by speeding.

As far as i know if you don't tell them who was driving they can just give you the points anyway.

[col300]

may be of some use

password: fd4h8ec92hw

http://www.intranetics.co.uk/SPG/SpeedTrapGuide.pdf (http://www.intranetics.co.uk/SPG/SpeedTrapGuide.pdf)

regards.

Col.

[JCJC]

may be of some use

password: fd4h8ec92hw

http://www.intranetics.co.uk/SPG/SpeedTrapGuide.pdf (http://www.intranetics.co.uk/SPG/SpeedTrapGuide.pdf)

regards.

Col.

Password protected !:confused:

[Southwell]

Password protected !:confused:

password: fd4h8ec92hw

[DCM]

You sped, have the balls to own up to it. :thumbdown: Thats the risk you take by speeding.

As far as i know if you don't tell them who was driving they can just give you the points anyway.

as the owner of the vehicle, they can take the stance that, if you can't provide the correct information, then they can apply the points to the owners licence and the fine.... thats why companies who have a pool car make you sign it out and in....

[frogger]

I got a speed fine through a week ago and it clearly states that should you ask for photographs or evidence that it will not be presented to you but to the court so they have closed the loop. You have to be real sure you want to go down that route.

If it's a company car and the company doesn't keep logs of who drives the car at what point then you have a strong case unless the offence has occured near your house or something where they have a reasonable case to say that only you live in the area kind of thing.

[RLGfx]

just take the points aznd fine, and learn from your mistake... it's not like speed cameras aren't big and yellow...

[Chris Harte]

Consider yourself lucky only getting three points. Driving instructors get three points and the pupil at the time gets three points. Thats six points!
Anyhow it only lasts three or five years and it's only sixty quid isn't it?
Not saying speeding is right but you can't argue about the speed limit either because if there is street lights and no speed indications and no signs on the road telling you the distance to a junction the speed is 30MPH. Anything over and it has to tell you.:o

Just found this (http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/Resources/Physics/), might be of interest to note the line "The NIP must be sent to the driver within 14 days"

[chrispattinson]

Fair points made. It seems more hassle than its worth to appeal. I'll just I was driving.
I wonder if a model car would activate a speed camera?

[JCJC]

password: fd4h8ec92hw

oops, sorry did not spot that......:eh?:

Edit: Interesting document thanks

[burgie]

Fair points made. It seems more hassle than its worth to appeal. I'll just I was driving.
I wonder if a model car would activate a speed camera?


they do.....just make sure your real car is behind the speed camera though, as apparently driving a model car on the highway is an offense in itself :woot:

[Chrislong]

I got done in 2006 for doing 36 in a 30. I was in a company car on the A62 in Huddersfield on a part of road which WAS national speed limit, few speed signs. I did see the trap and slowed right down, and I mean right down, as I wasn't sure of the limit, but I was sure was doing sub 30 when I saw it anyway.

Company didn't name me, asked for photos which they sent (took 24hrs) and it clearly showed me scratching my chin.

So I looking into contesting it, and found alsorts of letter templates to use and ways of responding - which had worked but they'd already closed the loop by the time I needed it.

Upon reading forums and stuff about it, found more people that hadn't got away with it and had been fined the offence plus expenses = £ 4 figure sum, and they all said don't bother, take the fine. The few who had got away with it were being a bit too big headed about it, and I wonder if they're just BS'ing.

Oh and I got caught at something like 800yds, and people will tell you the equipment they use is not accurate at that distance. In USA tickets regularly get dropped due to that, but never in the UK - there was actually a whole "Tonight with Trever McDonald" in 2006 as I remember watching it while I was umming over my NOIP.

Id take the hit, the years soon pass til its taken off your license - I should know, I keep getting a speeding fine just as one expires from my license. :thumbdown:

[sosidge]

I know two people that tried the "can't prove I was driving" excuse, both ended up losing in court and lost more heavily than the normal fine and points.

I really wouldn't contest it unless you are absolutely certain it was not you behind the wheel. If it was you then you should take it on the chin "if you can't do the time shouldn't do the crime" etc.

[MattADH]

On my way to the Southport National last year, I was flashed on the outskirts of Chorley by a Gatso in a 30mph zone doing 36mph.

I know I should not have been anywhere near Chorley but I was trusting the SatNav that was bringing me into the town from the north. Admittedly this was due to the fact that I just put in the road name of the hotel into the SatNav and it had decided that I wanted to be at the far end of it!!! After visiting Southport for many years, I wasnt paying enough attention to the unfamiliar roads although I had spotted the signs, and didnt give them enough respect.

So shortly after, Lancashire Police kindly wrote to me to tell me of the offence - gutted but expected as it was a classic double flash, quickly followed by that very hopeful glance towards the speedo, just in case the camera was dodgy!

Fortunately, I was offered a Speed Awareness Course that I duly took along with about 25 one afternoon down in Kent. Of these 25, there were three of us sitting in a row who had all been caught in Lancashire. Apparently, the Lancashire Constabulary often prosecute every offender over 30mph - no leniency at all.

The result is that it certainly has slowed me down and as someone who drives 33k miles plus a year, my licence (and a clean one at that) is very important to me!

[_sleigh_]

On my way to the Southport National last year, I was flashed on the outskirts of Chorley by a Gatso in a 30mph zone doing 36mph.

I know I should not have been anywhere near Chorley but I was trusting the SatNav that was bringing me into the town from the north. Admittedly this was due to the fact that I just put in the road name of the hotel into the SatNav and it had decided that I wanted to be at the far end of it!!! After visiting Southport for many years, I wasnt paying enough attention to the unfamiliar roads although I had spotted the signs, and didnt give them enough respect.

So shortly after, Lancashire Police kindly wrote to me to tell me of the offence - gutted but expected as it was a classic double flash, quickly followed by that very hopeful glance towards the speedo, just in case the camera was dodgy!

Fortunately, I was offered a Speed Awareness Course that I duly took along with about 25 one afternoon down in Kent. Of these 25, there were three of us sitting in a row who had all been caught in Lancashire. Apparently, the Lancashire Constabulary often prosecute every offender over 30mph - no leniency at all.

The result is that it certainly has slowed me down and as someone who drives 33k miles plus a year, my licence (and a clean one at that) is very important to me!

Boss at work got clock'd do more than he should have been and the result was a Speed Awareness course and Fine. Think he was glad really, as it would have put him upto 9 points.

[big air]

You sped, have the balls to own up to it. :thumbdown: Thats the risk you take by speeding.

As far as i know if you don't tell them who was driving they can just give you the points anyway.

i GOT AWAY WITH IT COULDN'T PROVE WHO WAS DRIVING, JUST IGNORE THE FILTH

[Southwell]

"SHUT IT"!!!!!!!!!! :woot:

Jog on son. :lol:

[big air]

Jog on son. :lol:

if you weren't who you are and kick your arse up to your shoulder blades :woot::D

[Southwell]

if you weren't who you are and kick your arse up to your shoulder blades :woot::D

If your gonna makes threats at least make sense :p:thumbsup:

[Chrislong]

i GOT AWAY WITH IT COULDN'T PROVE WHO WAS DRIVING, JUST IGNORE THE FILTH

This is what I meant by people who got off with their ofence, getting a bit big headed about it. You're lucky, but the next person may go home from court with fine+costs...

On the Five-0 forum they say the speed they start sending NOIP's out at is 10% + 2 over the limit. But thats not to say you won't get one for under if they are not meeting their 'quota' of tickets that week.

Chorley is particularly bad Matt, gatso's all over the place. There are some Gatso's near Tesco's in Bury which work at 0% over the limit and its 30 (with few signs), and then on the A666 in Bolton they dropped the speed to 50 and put loads of Gatso's up with 0% tolerance.

On a positive note, I was talking to a bloke who runs the stores for Police in Greater Manchester, and he was telling me that the budget for repairs on Gatso's is far smaller than needed due to vandals and there are not realy that many that work..... good work vandals :thumbsup:

[RogerM]

I look after a pool car at work and can assure you, thanks to one of my guys stupidity (trust me if you knew all the details you'd have smacked him yourself ..) and looked into what we might be able to do. The long and short of it is not a fat lot.

If you've got a lot of points already (like 9 or more) and there is somebody else named in association with the car then ask them really nicely if they would take the hit. Other than that it's 3 years of being more careful and about £300 lighter (£60 for the fine ..... the rest on a camera detector / GPS).


Chris is spot on, there maybe the odd 1 or 2 that get past the system but on the hole it's better to go quietly and take your telling off via a letter than risk standing in front of a court.

[Lee]

Vandals are ace for that sort of thing.

You could do this http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=16615

[Chrislong]

I heard somewhere that they're designed to continuously flash and take pictures if it things its being pulled down.

So guys, cover thy number plate and yank it hard with something heavy. :thumbsup:

[Chrislong]

and about £300 lighter (£60 for the fine ..... the rest on a camera detector / GPS).



LOL, I bought a Snooper S6-R Neo after my last fine - seems to work fine, although I have not been past any mobile filth to see if it works... but its a godsend in unknown places and locating Gatso/Truvelo & Specs traps.

[RogerM]

Snoopers are worth their weight in gold ..... got alerts on my GPS too ...... combined with not driving like a dick it's kept me point free for about the last 5 years!!

I must say I agree with the speed traps in places where there is a safety issue like hospitals, schools, parks etc. Around my part of the world at least the revenue generators are being removed, there used to be about 12 cameras between Cheltenham and Oxford ... most in national limit areas in open country side. Now there are cameras at the entry to both but the main road between them is free except at one hidden junction where you can believe there have been people killed in the past.

[Lee]

I think this site is ace

http://www.speedcam.co.uk/welcome.htm

[big air]

This is what I meant by people who got off with their ofence, getting a bit big headed about it. You're lucky, but the next person may go home from court with fine+costs...

On the Five-0 forum they say the speed they start sending NOIP's out at is 10% + 2 over the limit. But thats not to say you won't get one for under if they are not meeting their 'quota' of tickets that week.

Chorley is particularly bad Matt, gatso's all over the place. There are some Gatso's near Tesco's in Bury which work at 0% over the limit and its 30 (with few signs), and then on the A666 in Bolton they dropped the speed to 50 and put loads of Gatso's up with 0% tolerance.

On a positive note, I was talking to a bloke who runs the stores for Police in Greater Manchester, and he was telling me that the budget for repairs on Gatso's is far smaller than needed due to vandals and there are not realy that many that work..... good work vandals :thumbsup:

im not getting big headed about nowt pal. just use the law and play them at there own game. i got off and so have thousands of others. if thats your case and you paid the fine you must have plenty of money because i haven't ther is means and ways :p

[big air]

[quote=Chrislong;96310] There are some Gatso's near Tesco's in Bury which work at 0% over the limit and its 30 (with few signs), and then on the A666 in Bolton they dropped the speed to 50 and put loads of Gatso's up with 0% tolerance. /quote]

how do you know this are you a copper or been caught and feeling a bit bitter :woot:

[gazbaz2]

Big-air, Man, Take a chill pill

[Chrislong]

[quote=Chrislong;96310] There are some Gatso's near Tesco's in Bury which work at 0% over the limit and its 30 (with few signs), and then on the A666 in Bolton they dropped the speed to 50 and put loads of Gatso's up with 0% tolerance. /quote]

how do you know this are you a copper or been caught and feeling a bit bitter :woot:

Perhaps I live in the area and its in my interest to know. :eh?:

[bigred5765]

just read this and found it very interesting,
a friend of mine i go flying gliders with is a traffic cop,
just spoke to him on the phone on how the law works with cams and gatso,
he said if its your car and you get caught, and say wasn't me unless you give details of the driver, you as the car owner will get the points and fine, as the car owner its your responsibility to know who's in your car unless its stolen, full stop thats it no if ands or buts,
if its a firm or pool car and they cant produce a valid driver, the manager in charge of the pool car or the guy in charge of the firm will get the points and the fine,

[MattW]

I've got a Road Angel after getting a couple too many points on my licence. IT's great for Gatso's etc, but i don't place too much faith in it's ability to pick up mobiles - i know this because a nicely painted van took a couple of pictures of my car 18 months ago and the road angel just sat there! They do also say though, that even if it does pick up the mobile cam, then the reality of it is the mobile cam has already seen you, so it's probably done it's bit anyway. :thumbdown:

[bigred5765]

tomtom sat nav
and update my speed cam data base weekly
clean (touch wood) for the last 3 years