speeding ticket

[Late74]

Surely the officer stated at which police station to attend? And you would choose one close to you? As presumably they wanted to see your documents?

Normally I'm against anyone that speeds, or breaks motoring laws, then moans and says 'Oh it's not my fault - it's xyz', but on this occasion, coppers hidden on a bend, where the road goes from a 60 to a 30 (surely 60 - 40???), doesn't add up, and a mis written ticket...goto court.

No the officer did not say to attend any police station just that if i wanted to contest the ticket i would have to attend court in Stirling, other than that there is an address to where i should send my payment.

I am a careful driver and do stick to the speed limits and this is my only ever speeding ticket since passing my 20 years ago, and i travel around 50,000 miles per year working as an electrician. I honestly dont believe i was speeding, do these hand held devices make mistakes? i guess even if they do i might as well take the 3 points and pay the fine as i cannot afford to have 2 days loss of earnings + Hotel costs + solicitor costs fighting it in court with the possibility of coming off worse.

thanks to all for your help

 

[yaleguy3]

Did the officer with the speed gun show you the lcd readout on the speedgun.

This has always been shown to me as I always querry the speed and they have then shown the readout to confirm what they saw.

As it happens 34mph is enough to get a ticket in a 30 as the 10% plus 2mph is only a guideline not a strict policy.

I would go to court with this and say the officers didn't show you the readout or confirm in writing the speed and that you forgot what they said at the time but you definately were not speeding.

The court will not accept the officers remembering the speed you went if they didn't write it down and they stopped many motorists.

However maybe you weren't speeding and these officers were trying it on knowing noone wants to go all the way back to scotland for a court appearance.

 

[yaleguy3]

Rather than go to court I would write to the Chief Constable of the area enclosing a copy (not the original hang onto that) of the incorrect ticket and say you will not be paying the fine and ask for the ticket to be cancelled.
Tell him the officers never shew you the display from the speedgun and you believe you were not speeding as you had checked your speedo to ensure you were within the limit.
Tell him you do not have the financial or time resources to appear in court in Stirling and if you are forced to you will be claiming all expenses and loss of earnings if the ticket is invalid.

 

[Mw Roofline]

It doesn't matter what's written down, the offence is driving at excess speed in a 30, the fact they flagged you down and gave you a ticket means you were speeding.

It's not worth contesting an SP30, if we were taking 3 figure speeding and the possibility of a ban then, yes, get a solicitor, go to court....

 

[Mw Roofline]

However maybe you weren't speeding and these officers were trying it on knowing noone wants to go all the way back to scotland for a court appearance.

So did they see a car approach them and think "This guy lives miles away, lets nab him!"?

 

[maltaron]

Follow yaleguy's advice and if they insist that they will continue with the charge ask for the calibration certificate for the speed gun (must be dated on the day of use) and video evidence. Also, whilst I am not 100% certain, I believe that it is not legal to reduce a speed limit by more than 20MPH in one go, it should go 60-40-30.

 

[joe-90]

I would imagine a modern day speed gun would also take a photo.

 

[sooey]

What good is a photo? without the lines painted on the road.

 

[Mw Roofline]

What good is a photo? without the lines painted on the road.

It's a screen shot of the readout. Date, time, speed, temperature, car, reg number, officer, colour of pants he was wearing etc etc

 

[joe-90]

It has his number plate, date, time and speed impression.

 

[Late74]

It doesn't matter what's written down, the offence is driving at excess speed in a 30, the fact they flagged you down and gave you a ticket means you were speeding.

It's not worth contesting an SP30, if we were taking 3 figure speeding and the possibility of a ban then, yes, get a solicitor, go to court....

i dissagree with you saying it means i was speeding as that is saying all police officers are honest and none of them or their equipment ever makes a mistake.

I have just found another error in the ticket (honest or not) i know 100% that i was pulled over imeadiately after the bend as you enter the village traveling south, they said it was kendrum road, it was in fact cameron court where i was pulled over. kendrum road is a further 654ft down the A84 just as you start to exit the village and the road is almost straight at that point, i have just found this out by looking at a scaled map and looking on Google street view where you can look down the road as if you were driving down it.

i know i wasnt speeding but i guess im done for unless i bite the bullet and pay the extra costs to go court but i guess they will only take the officers word over mine and my passengers anyway.

 

[ajstoneservices]

Lincsbodger maybe gone but this lives on http://www.pepipoo.com/
Check it out, probably a better bet than putting your money on advice given here

 

[Late74]

sorry i was looking at another road in between where i was allegedly pulled and where i was actually pulled, Kendrum road is in fact over half a mile further down the road at 2763 feet

 

[Mickymoody]

Even if you are only hit with 3 points, which aren't declarable on insurance anyway (sp30), and £60 fine, I still reckon it's worth contesting due to principal.

Yes speed guns have been proved to be inaccurate.

The location that the police were located was stealth.

They got various details on the ticket incorrect.

Mr Loophole website would get you off easily, but obviously the mere mortal cannot afford his prices, but there must be info out there in webland? I'd write a formal letter to the force involved (as I did when they kept pulling me for no reason), and get advice from the CAB (book in early!). Then they should call you, as they did me, and work out a solution, but likely to be contest it in court, maybe counter claim in the small claims court for expenses. CAB would advise better.

As you use the vehicle extensively, and for your work, they may not even give you points, just a bigger fine. Say £200, no points, vs the hassle of a hotel, travel, court? Justice vs Dignity.

Hard one to call. Lots of effort to uphold your beliefs, or take one on the chin. They would see that your car isn't Scottish from the reg, so may target 'foreign' cars, on the basis that people can't be arsed to travel back to Scotland to contest. if they continue unchallenged, where will it end? If you prove against them, then others aren't punsihed.

 

[kevindgas]

OP i would contest it on the grounds of
1 an incorrectly filled in ticket
2 a lack of video evidence (ask for a copy)
3 if you have no previous points then they should have given you an option of a speed awareness course
4 if the change in speed is excessive then challenge it

i'm currently contesting a ticket for 40 in a 30

on the basis of insufficient signage (only 1 sign a mile previous) must be on both sides of the road it isn't
2 the road is a dual carriageway so unreasonable to have a 30 limit unless signposted
3 they are using streetlights as an indicator (challenging on the grounds that our local roads also dual carriageway with street lights yet are 50 mph
4 there is apparently meant to be 400metres of straight road before a camera position the road iis curved continuosly
5. they canera should not have any reflective material in front of it yet there is a metal railing along the road central reservation
wether i will win is irrelevant if i keep the scum in court for a day then thats a few less tickets they can give out!!
i am virtually bankrupt anyway so they won't get much in the way of a fine!!