Should I Pay or Appeal my Speeding Fine in Wales?

Have you received a speeding ticket in Wales and are wondering what to do next? You’re not alone. Each month, this site is visited by over 32,000 people looking for help on tickets and fines.

In this article, you’ll find:

•  The process for issuing speeding fines in Wales
•  The cost of a speeding fine in Wales
•  Information on challenging a speeding fine
•  What happens if you can’t identify who was driving
•  The possible outcomes of ignoring a speeding fine

Getting a speeding ticket can cause worry about both legal and financial matters. We understand this and are here to help you.

We’ll explain how to decide if you should pay or appeal your fine and what happens in either case. So, take a deep breath and let’s start to explore your options.

How do police issue speeding fines?

The police could issue you with a speeding fine in several ways.

First, you may get a verbal warning if the offence is relatively minor.

Second, the police could give you a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) at the time of the offence.

Third, you could receive the FPN in the post, which should drop through your letterbox within a set deadline of 14 days.

Speeding fines are handed out to deter motorists from exceeding speed limits. Plus the amount you’re fined for committing a speeding offence tends to be hefty.

UK law is unforgiving when it comes to speeding on motorways, urban or rural roads.

How much is a speeding fine in Wales?

If you’re asking, ‘How much is a speeding ticket in Wales’, you could end up paying a lot depending on how fast you were travelling.

Speed limits in Wales are set for a good reason, and anyone caught going over a limit is committing an offence.

The minimum penalty for speeding in Wales is £100 plus three penalty points on a licence.

You could be banned from driving if you get 12 or more penalty points within 3 years!

If you’ve just passed your test and got 6 points in the first two years, the authorities will automatically revoke (cancel) your licence.

You must apply and pay for another provisional licence if this happens. Plus, you must pass the theory and practical tests a second time.

What happens when you’re caught speeding on camera?

The process is as follows when the authorities catch you speeding on camera in Wales:

·         First, the Police send you a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP), and

·         A Section 172 notice

You must return the Notice within 28 days of receiving it. And, you must tell the authorities who was driving the vehicle at the time the speeding offence was committed.

The authorities could refer the case to the magistrate’s court if you fail to respond to the Notice.

Depending on the seriousness of the offence, the driver could receive:

·         The option to attend a speed awareness course, or

·         A Fixed Penalty Notice, or

·         A letter informing you to attend court

What if I’m stopped by the police for speeding in Wales?

When the police stop you for speeding in Wales, the process is as follows:

·         You could be given a verbal warning (depending on how fast you were travelling), or

·         You could be sent a Fixed Penalty Notice in the post, or

·         You could be offered a speed awareness course, or

·         You could be ordered to attend court, in which case the police send you a letter explaining what you have to do

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What happens with high speeding offences in Wales?

High-speed offences in Wales or elsewhere in the UK are taken seriously and dealt with seriously.

In short, the case is referred to the courts straight off.

You must fill out the form and return it within 28 days.

Once the authorities have processed your form, they will send you a summons to appear in court.

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Can I appeal a speeding fine in Wales?

You have the right to appeal through the courts when you challenge a speeding fine in Wales.

Just like a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), that’s the legal process for disputing a speeding ticket.

You must fill out all parts of the notice you’re sent stating whether you were the driver or someone else was driving.

It’s an offence not to tell the authorities who was driving!

You should receive a letter from the Police explaining your options which includes how to appeal the speeding ticket.

It’s worth noting, however, that when you appeal a speeding ticket and you’re found guilty of the offence by the court, you could:

·         Get more than three points on your driving licence

·         The penalty could be increased

·         You also have to pay the court costs

What excuse can I use to challenge a speeding fine?

You must have grounds to challenge a speeding fine with evidence to back up your appeal.

For example, you could argue that:

·         You received the Notice of Impending Prosecution (NIP) containing incomplete or incorrect information

·         The signs indicating a speed limit were missing

·         The radar gun or speed camera was incorrectly calibrated, which is extremely hard to prove

What happens if I wasn’t the driver?

Under UK law, you must reveal the identity of the driver when the speeding ticket was issued.

If you don’t, you could face a court hearing and explain why you don’t want to.

Remember, you’d be committing an offence if you don’t provide the driver details to the authorities.

You’d get six points on your driving licence if you’re convicted.

That said, if you divulge the driver’s name, the Police will send the notice to them and they must respond to the notice within the deadline.

What if I don’t know who was driving?

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know who was driving when the speeding ticket was issued.

As the registered keeper, you must find out who it was and tell the authorities.

As mentioned, failure to do so could result in prosecution, earning you six points on your driving licence.

Check out what happened to one person who posted this message on an online forum.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

What if the wrong car registration is recorded?

You can contact the speed camera team if a speed camera recorded the wrong vehicle.

You must provide the following information:

·         The date of the speeding offence

·         The reference number on the notice or letter you received

·         The registration number of the vehicle recorded speeding

·         The location of the speeding offence

What happens if I ignore a speeding fine?

Your case is referred to the courts if you fail to respond to an NIP or letter within 28 days of receiving it.

As I see it, you should always respond within the given deadline to prevent the matter from escalating and costing you more financially.

Plus, you’d get penalty points added to your driving licence for ignoring and not paying a Fixed Penalty Notice for speeding in Wales. 

The court will instruct enforcement officers to recover the outstanding debt. If you ignore things, you’ll get a default on your credit history.

If you don’t settle a County Court Judgement in 30 days, it remains on your credit file for 6 years, making it hard for you to get credit until it expires.

In short, you could pay a lot more than the original speeding ticket cost Wales fine you were given. 

Who is most likely to get a speeding ticket?

The UK Government released data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) detailing whether men or women are more likely to commit speeding offences.

I’ve listed these details covering 2014 in the table below.