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Have you received a speeding ticket? You might be asking yourself, “What if I ignore it?”
We understand your worries about the cost and legal effects of a speeding ticket. But you’re not alone. Every month, about 32,000 people visit this site for advice on tickets and fines.
In this helpful guide, we’ll explain:
Why you might get a speeding ticket
How much a speeding ticket could cost you
The steps to take after getting a speeding ticket
What happens if you don’t respond to a speeding ticket
We know what it’s like to get a speeding ticket, and we are here to support you.
Ready to learn how to handle your speeding ticket? Let’s dive in.
Do You Have to Pay?
In some circumstances, you might have a legitimate reason not to pay your fine.
It’s a bit sneaky, but the last time I needed legal advice, I paid £5 for a trial to chat with an online solicitor called JustAnswer.
Not only did I save £50 on solicitor feeds, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.
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In partnership with Just Answer.
What’s the process when you’re caught speeding?
When you’re caught speeding by the police, you’d be given a ‘verbal notice of potential prosecution’. However, when you’re caught going too fast by a speed camera, it’s the registered keeper who gets a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP).
The NIP comes through the post!
You’ll find a Section 172 Notice with the NIP which needs to be completed by the registered owner. If you weren’t the driver, you must provide details of who was driving when the FPN was issued.
Once you send back the Section 172 Notice, a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) is sent to the driver whether it’s the registered driver or another person. The FPN provides details of how much the fine is and whether penalty points are to be added to a licence.
It’s worth noting that if you have 8+ penalty points on a licence, or the speeding offence is very serious, you could face prosecution!
You get a court summons if you’re prosecuted for a speeding offence. In short, you won’t get a Fixed Penalty Notice but you must attend court instead. Unfortunately, the amount you’d be fined could be significantly more as would be the punishment.
A court summons could be issued against you up to 6 months after the speeding offence occurred.
Successful Appeal Case Study
Situation
Initial Fine
£100
Additional Fees
£171
Total Fine
£271
The Appeal Process
Scott used JustAnswer, online legal service to enhance his appeal. The trial of this cost him just £5.
Total Fine
£271
Cost of legal advice
£5
JustAnswer helped Scott craft the best appeal possible and he was able to win his case.
Scott’s fine was cancelled and he only paid £5 for the legal help.
If you’re the registered keeper, you have a legal obligation to reply to a NIP. Moreover, you must reply within 28 days! Ignoring a NIP could see you being summoned to a Magistrates’ Court because you ‘failed to comply’ with an order.
In short, you’d face legal proceedings for the speeding offence and for ignoring a NIP. You could be fined up to £1,000, and have 6 penalty points added to your licence. In a worst-case scenario, you could be disqualified from driving!
It’s worth noting there are caps on the maximum you could be fined in any band which I’ve listed here:
On normal roads
The cap is set at £1,000
On motorways
The cap is set at £2,500
What happens if you ignore a speeding ticket?
Your case gets referred to a Magistrates’ Court when you ignore a Fixed Penalty Notice for a speeding offence. You’ll receive a letter which provides you with an opportunity to plead guilty to having ignored the FPN.
As a result of pleading guilty to ignoring an FPH, you’ll be liable for a heavier fine with added court costs!
That said, if you plead not guilty, further action could be taken against you. Moreover, a warrant for your arrest could be issued.
I hope the information in my post clears up any doubts about what could happen if you ignore a speeding ticket!
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How long do you have to respond to a speeding ticket?
You’ve got 28 days to respond once you get a Fixed Penalty Notice for a speeding offence. In short, you have this amount of time to accept the consequences which could be a fine and points on your driving licence.
What happens when you ignore a speeding fine?
Failure to respond to an FPN within the deadline (28 days) means things escalate. The case is referred to a Magistrates’ Court and you’d then have the chance to plead guilty to having ignored the Fixed Penalty Charge.
You’d have to pay a larger fine with added court costs when you plead guilty and lose the case!
However, if you plead not guilty, further court action would begin and you could be arrested!
Is it possible to get out of paying a speeding fine?
Getting out of paying a speeding fine is not as easy as many people think. The evidence is recorded so it’s hard to argue a case. That said, you could argue the Notice of Intended Prosecution arrived fourteen days after the offence.
When this happens, the case against you can’t progress any further. However, a police officer may have given you a ‘verbal notice’ on the spot. In this case, the 14-day rule does not apply!
Other reasons why you could contest a speeding fine are listed here:
Your vehicle was stolen when it was caught speeding
You were not the driver when the FPN was issued
There were no speed limit signs on the road you were travelling on
Are speeding laws the same in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Yes. Speeding laws are the same in Scotland and Northern Ireland. However, there are a couple of differences when it comes to speeding fines.
When you’re caught speeding in Scotland, the offence is reported to the Procurator Fiscal for prosecution. A failure to pay a speeding fine gets referred to a District Court.
If you’re from Northern Ireland and you’re caught going over a speed limit in England, Wales or Scotland, you can accept penalty points without having to attend court
Hire a Parking Solicitor for less than a coffee.
If you’re thinking about appealing your parking ticket then getting some professional advice is a good idea.
Getting the support of a Solicitor can make your appeal much more likely to win.
For a £5 trial, Solicitors from JustAnswer can look at your case and help you create an airtight appeal.
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My name’s Janine, and I’m a mum of two who’s always been passionate about trying to cut down spending costs. I am now sharing as much financial knowledge as I possibly can to help your money go that little bit further.
