None existing offence code entered on licence.

[greengrass]

I don't want to waffle on so i'll make it short as possible.
In a momentarily lapse in concentrating on my speed whilst towing my caravan through a narrow village I received a Speeding fine for 38mph in 30mph zone. My first in 40yrs of careful and considerate driving.

Paid it and received return of licence and counterpart with the wrong code on it. Instead of SP30 it reads SP80 a none existing offence code.
I have told them as I did not want a 'Stop and produce' to accuse me of altering it.

Anyway the point is 'Technically' it's a wrong and none existing offence If there are any solicitors looking in have I a case for having the offence squashed on 'technical grounds' as is carried out in criminal courts?.

I would add I had no idea on receipt it was the wrong code it was an insurance company who said it's wrong Quote.... 'and if you haven't declared it on website insurers 'Convictions list' you will be driving without cover and if you have an accident they won't pay out'. end quote

So I was very close to driving illegally because of the wrongly entered information on my licence. you may gather I was searching for the best cover in the West on the Internet and bypassed several 'Convictions list as the code of SP80 did not show on four lists.

They have asked me to return it so they can alter it but I have refused until convinced the endorsement cannot or will not be removed altogether.

Greengrass

 

[keyplayer]

If the original ticket you were issued with also has the mistake on it then you have a good chance to quash. A friend had a speeding charge dismissed because the date was wrong - another because the officer hadn't signed the ticket. If the original is correct and can be produced then not much you can do I think (but I'm not a solicitor).

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I don't want to waffle on so i'll make it short as possible.
In a momentarily lapse in concentrating on my speed whilst towing my caravan through a narrow village I received a Speeding fine for 38mph in 30mph zone. My first in 40yrs of careful and considerate driving.

Careful... Considerate... Towing a caravan...

Sorry - that doesn't add up for me...

 

[Softus]

...received return of licence and counterpart with the wrong code on it. Instead of SP30 it reads SP80 a none existing offence code.
I have told them as I did not want a 'Stop and produce' to accuse me of altering it.

This is paranoia; presumably you had a summons that quoted the offence correctly, and in all likelihood the information will have been entered on the DVLA records correctly, so there is no realistic prospect of you being prosecuted for defacing your own license.

Anyway the point is 'Technically' it's a wrong and none existing offence If there are any solicitors looking in have I a case for having the offence squashed on 'technical grounds' as is carried out in criminal courts?.

Do you really think the offence is invalid because of a clerical error in recording it on your license? I doubt that you really do. In any case, the answer is that you have no grounds whatsoever for appealing against the conviction, which is what you would have to do in order to overturn it.

I would add I had no idea on receipt it was the wrong code it was an insurance company who said it's wrong Quote.... 'and if you haven't declared it on website insurers 'Convictions list' you will be driving without cover and if you have an accident they won't pay out'. end quote

Most, perhaps all, insurance policies require you to notify the underwriter in the event of a material change in circumstances. A speeding conviction is such a change, therefore they are within their rights to cancel the policy if you breach the agreement by failing to notify.

So I was very close to driving illegally because of the wrongly entered information on my licence.

Rubbish - if you notified them of the pending conviction (upon receipt of the summons) then there is no issue. If you notified them afterwards, then still no problem. The information you provided was in good faith and, of course, correct.

They have asked me to return it so they can alter it but I have refused until convinced the endorsement cannot or will not be removed altogether.

You're making a gigantic fuss about a tiny clerical error. You have no right to refuse to send the license, because it does not belong to you. If you rock the boat you could easily end up being prosecuted for failing to return your license.

How can you have lived, and driven, for so long and yet know so little about the law? Notwithstanding that, doesn't your common sense tell you that you cannot possibly negate your conviction just because someone wrote an '8' instead of a '3'?

 

[Softus]

If the original ticket you were issued with also has the mistake on it then you have a good chance to quash.

Nonsense. The conviction code does not appear on the original information that is laid down - it shows only the prevailing limit and the vehicle's measured speed at the time.

 

[ninebob]

From a website I found by googling briefly:

Check your offence codes!

News is emerging than many drivers prosecuted for speed camera offences may have had their licences endorsed with the wrong offence code.

A normal speed limit offence, other than on a motorway, should be coded as SP30 on drivers' licences, But it is clear that in a number of areas drivers have been given SP60 offence codes by mistake.

Paul Smith, Founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign commented: "This is just typical of the shoddy and careless modern approach to road safety. 3 million so-called offences last year and they can't even endorse drivers licences properly. No wonder the speed camera system is hated by the motoring public. The degree of incompetence behind it at all levels is quite staggering".

The DVLA lists speed limit offence codes as follows:

Speed Limits

SP10 Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits
SP20 Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle (excluding goods or passenger vehicles)
SP30 Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road
SP40 Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit
SP50 Exceeding speed limit on a motorway
SP60 Undefined speed limit offence..........

Paul continues: "The problem is that SP60 should normally only be issued when other offence codes do not apply - for example at a temporary speed limit at road works."

"Having an endorsement will often increase the cost of motor insurance" explained Paul, "but the problem here is that SP60 premium increases are frequently greater than SP30 premium increases. I recommend that everyone check their driving licence and ensure that they have been issued with the correct offence code. Anyone whose offence is wrongly coded may be entitled to compensation, and they should certainly get any error corrected."

The DVLA offence codes are here:
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/endorsem.htm

http://www.safespeed.org.uk/pr124.html

The source is here: http://forum.mpacuk.org/archive/index.php/t-4253.html

 

[Softus]

Paul Smith, Founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign commented: "This is just typical of the shoddy and careless modern approach to road safety. 3 million so-called offences last year and they can't even endorse drivers licences properly. No wonder the speed camera system is hated by the motoring public. The degree of incompetence behind it at all levels is quite staggering".

What a complete load of tosh from someone who sounds like he loves to be nannied and regards the people who work in government departments as some kind of aliens.

Here's a question: who's more culpible - the motorist who broke the speed limit, or the clerk who made a small error?

And, I believe, the driving license, and/or the documentation that comes with it, clearly states that is the license holder's reponsibility to check all the information and report any errors. Compensation my a*se.

 

[ninebob]

I would imagine that compensation would only be considered if you have paid an inflated insurance premium as a result of an incorrect coding. That's the way I understood the comment, anyway.

 

[Softus]

I would imagine that compensation would only be considered if you have paid an inflated insurance premium as a result of an incorrect coding. That's the way I understood the comment, anyway.

You can imagine all you like, but it doesn't change the fact that in failing to check the license details you would have compounded the original error.

Are we now proceeding at full chat towards the American ideal of a blame culture, in which compensation is due for every little human error? F*ck that.

 

[Slogger]

dont send it back its yours and it does belong to you

f*** them and there cameras go burn the one that got you its time we took back our roads we are a massive force the motorist stand up to them deny you where speeding ask to see the evidence then get the evidence examined there is always some way to cause the powers that be problems go cause it

on a more lighter note why not go put some 40 signs up photo them and then everyone who got caught will get off


better still go buy a paint ball gun n have some fun on them lenses

bastar* things cause more trouble than they solve

 

[Softus]

There you go - the voice of reason has spoken - the license does belong to you after all.

Funny how the people who hate speed cameras are those who have been, or think they might be, caught by them.

 

[dg123]

I had a similar experience after I had been nicked for speeding, the fine issued by the magistrate was £300 but when I received the paperwork it stated a fine of £30. It's no good protesting I thought and paid the £30!

 

[andy]

speed cameras are there to make money. nothin else. the government dont care if it increases accidents.

same as the government dont care about the environemt, aslong as they are making extra tax money in fuel.


you should put a 30 sign right behind the camera. since you cant have repeat 30 signs, you could argue that the speed before the 30 sign is 40 (providing there isnt a 20 zone tho)

 

[keyplayer]

If the original ticket you were issued with also has the mistake on it then you have a good chance to quash.

Nonsense. The conviction code does not appear on the original information that is laid down - it shows only the prevailing limit and the vehicle's measured speed at the time.

I think you'll find that the DVLA speed limit offence code does appear on a hand written ticket issued by a police officer, it certainly used to. I have no experience of automated Gatso tickets issued in the post, and greengrass doesn't say which he got. It may be too late in his case but in my experience if you challenge an offence and the issuing officer has made any type of mistake then the DPP will more than likely not pursue it, and the charge will be dropped.

 

[masona]

speed cameras are there to make money. nothin else. the government dont care if it increases accidents.

True but then why do motorists slow down to the correct speed limit because of the cameras?