Have you got caught speeding and fought it?

Question

I am really worried as I'm a new driver
I am sure I was within the speed limit but I'm wondering what I'll do if I've been caught.
I'm in the UK
Have you ever been caught ??
Have you defended it and won ??

Answer 1

If you were speeding then be a big boy and face the consequences. If you weren't speeding then you have nothing to worry about. Let this scare be a warning to you about your future driving behaviour.

Answer 2

First of all, if a camera flashed it may not have been at you but at someone else. Secondly, sometimes cameras flash, without taking the necessary photos, even when you are within the limit. According to a camera tech, if they go out of calibration for some reason they automatically stop photographing but still flash wildly at anything passing.

I'm sure I read about some expensive legal eagle who specialised in getting people off, but only those with bottomless pockets to whom the licence was more important than their bank accounts.

Other than that you're quite entitled to challenge any ticket you may get, but you need to be very sure you're in the right as "they" have discovered most loopholes by now & if the court finds against you a) the penalty may be much higher and b) you may wind up saddled with costs too.

There's nothing you can do now but wait and see if that lovely little envelope drops onto your doormat.

Answer 3

I think the speed (sorry *Safety*) camera system is set up to discourage you from appealing. They say, pay up £60 now or go to court if you want to appeal - but it will cost you a lot more if your appeal is unsuccessful.

If you are SURE you are in the clear, appeal against it. They will have to produce evidence at court (i.e photos) to PROVE beyond all reasonable doubt that it was your car and you driving it.
Don't try appealing on the basis that you were travelling above the speed limit for a reason - or question the calibration of speed (sorry *Safety*) cameras, they have had those loopholes closed up a long time ago.

Answer 4

Ok I drive around 50000 miles per year. I own a delivery installation company and have a couple of guys that drive with me. a year last december we managed to get caught 3 times in 2 weeks. I wrote a govelling letter into the speed fine place and apologised and said that I didnt know which of us was driving at the time as we swap driving throughout the day. They wrote back to me , give me a bollocking and dropped all three charges.. No points no fine.
I dont condone racing around like an idiot but neither can I afford to lose my license because of a rediculous police agenda on money grabbing. I know a couple of people that have used this way to get around the fine and points... good luck!
ps . we really didnt know who was driving at the times ;-)

Answer 5

My father got a speeding ticket a long time ago and tried to fight it. They basically laughed him out of court. There is nothing that magistrates etc hate more than people defending a speeding charge.

Keep your right foot up. That will not always help. A woman in Melbourne, Australia was clocked at 158kph in a car that was barely capable of 100kph, checks of 19 speed cameras showed all of them to be faulty and the supplying company was conveniently bankrupt.

More here -

http://www.smh.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2003/12/21/1071941612003.html

Answer 6

Speeding is an absolute offence. This means that if the allegation is sound the court is bound to return a guilty verdict. However they can vary the penalty based on any mitigation you can offer. For instance taking a heart attack victim to hospital.

Answer 7

I got two speeding tickets on the same day whilst driving down the M4! I contested the fact I had only broken the law once as it was the same journey and had one of the tickets knocked off.

Answer 8

Most drivers these days have a speeding offence ...the problem starts when you have 2 or more....

It will probably take a month to come through so that cold sweat aint gona go away just yet

Answer 9

No. Never been caught.
I'm very careful with 30mph and 40mph limits, and anywhere else there is a limit less than the national limit for that type of road (e.g. 50mph limit on a dual carriageway).

Answer 10

Yes. When the officer was talking to me, I told him I had to hurry to the bathroom. When he wouldn't let me go, I cried hysterically and then wet my pants. I had the entire audio of the incident digitally recorded (I "accidentally" left the voice recorder on). I now have psychological scars and a lawsuit that will destroy the world economy as the rest of you all know it.