Have you recently received a speeding ticket? If so, you’re not alone. Each month, our site is visited by over 32,000 people who are looking for advice on tickets and fines.
Getting a ticket can be a big worry, but there’s no need to fear. In this article, we’ll help you understand:
- How mobile speed camera vans work and if they take a picture of the driver
- The costs of a speeding fine and how to manage them
- The process to appeal against a speeding ticket
- The rules around police camera vans
- How to know if you have been caught by a speed camera
I understand how you might be feeling right now. Don’t worry; I’m here to guide you through your speeding ticket and help you make sense of what to do next.
Let’s dive in.
Questions about a ticket or fine?
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Check the notice, issuer and deadline first.
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Do mobile speed camera vans take a photo of the driver?
Not necessarily. A mobile speed camera van catches an image of a speeding vehicle rather than the person driving. However, depending on where the camera is placed, an image of the driver could be captured too.
Mobile speed cameras are not designed to capture the image of drivers, just speeding vehicles.
What happens after you receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution?
If you’re the registered keeper and you got the Notice of Intended Prosecution, make sure you respond and return the notice within 28 days. The notice includes a section 172 request which you must fill out.
If you weren’t the driver, you’ve got a legal obligation to let the police know who was. Or you could face prosecution and a hefty fine plus penalty points on your licence.
The police have to send the offending driver a Fixed Penalty Notice within six months. If you were the driver and registered keeper, you can accept the fine by pleading guilty.
However, you could plead not guilty and be taken to court. But if you lose your case, you’ll end up with a heavier fine, more penalty points plus court costs!
Do police camera vans have to be marked?
No. According to the guidelines, police camera vans should have fluorescent stripes on them, but it’s optional. However, being seen works well at slowing motorists down!
Where are mobile speed camera vans usually parked?
Mobile speed camera vans are typically placed in areas where there’s a high number of traffic accidents. Moreover, how they are placed depends on which police force has them in operation.
Sometimes the vans are not clearly visible, whereas other times they are.
At what distance can you be snapped by a mobile speed camera?
You could be caught speeding by a mobile speed camera from up to a mile away. In short, you may not be aware of a speed camera up ahead early enough to slow down!
Moreover, the van doesn’t have to be on the same side of the road as you. It means you can be caught speeding by a mobile van even when it’s positioned on the other side of the road.
Check the right challenge process
Paid general legal information from JustAnswer.
Identify the type of notice, check the issuer’s instructions and keep copies of the relevant evidence. Meet every deadline while you decide what to do.
The route for challenging a notice depends on its type and jurisdiction. A private parking charge, a council Penalty Charge Notice and a Fixed Penalty Notice do not all use the same appeal process.
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Memberships renew automatically until cancelled. Check the initial price, renewal price, billing interval and cancellation terms.
The standard service does not create a solicitor-client relationship. No successful outcome is guaranteed.
Can you challenge a mobile camera speeding fine?
The only way you could challenge a mobile camera speeding fine is to plead not guilty to the offence. But you may have to face the following:
- Attend a court hearing
- Pay a larger fine if you lose
- Get more penalty points on your licence if you lose
- Pay court costs if you lose
The evidence against you is caught on camera, which is difficult to disprove!
That said if you weren’t the driver when the speeding fine was served, or your car was stolen, and you can prove it, you may be able to challenge a speeding fine.
How do you know when you’re flashed by a speed camera?
You may not know if you were caught speeding by a mobile speed camera straight away. But you’ll know when a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) drops through your letterbox. The notice must arrive in the post within 14 days of the offence.
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If the notice arrives any later, you can’t be prosecuted for the offence. However, again, this is not set in stone. Why? Because when you’re caught speeding in a hired vehicle or borrowed car, the notice is sent to the registered keeper.
So, the hiring company or the vehicle owner receives the notice meaning the police fulfilled a legal obligation to serve the notice within the deadline!
I’ve included an example of such an incident here:
Source: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6257296/speeding-photo-evidence-of-driver
Paid legal information from JustAnswer
Paid general legal information from JustAnswer.
Advertisement. Thrifty Family may receive a referral fee.
Memberships renew automatically until cancelled. Check the initial price, renewal price, billing interval and cancellation terms.
The standard service does not create a solicitor-client relationship.
Do the police allow a 10% tolerance?
You may have heard about a tolerance afforded to motorists who go over the speed limit. It’s thought that mobile speed cameras are calibrated to factor in a 10%+2mph over a set speed limit.
However, it’s not set in stone, so it’d be a mistake to think you’d automatically be allowed the tolerance before being fined.
A speed limit is set at the maximum you should drive and not a “suggested target speed” according to Go Safe.
Before using a paid legal information service
Paid general legal information from JustAnswer.
Using a paid service is optional. Continue to follow the notice’s instructions and deadlines.
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Memberships renew automatically until cancelled. Check the initial price, renewal price, billing interval and cancellation terms.
The standard service does not create a solicitor-client relationship. No successful outcome is guaranteed.
