Can I contest?

IWantToBeFree_2

I got pulled over for apparently running a red light yesterday, it was amber at best and I am fuming over the treatment from the police.

I was basically told that I could accept the fine and 3 points or go to court and be charged with driving without due care and attention. If I was wrong I would have taken it on the chin (as i have done with past speeding penalties) but I don't see why I should, its not the points or the fine, its the principle of it.

Anyway, they gave me a producer and when I looked at it this morning, they have got the road name wrong, can I contest it on this basis? They have basically said that I have jumped a light on a road that doesn't exist?

Premier_2

Why not take the option they gave you if you think you are innocent. The court will then decide

Btw, what does an amber light mean?

Paradigm

A FPN from a roadside stop is almost impossible to fight, especially if there was more than on occifer!

As you refer to "they" in your post it seems there were two of them so if it went to court who do you think the magistrates would believe?

Harsh but that's the way it is.

Chippy_Minton_2

Were you a FPN or simply a HORT1?
You have refered to producer and ticket. (I know the FPN is both)

Were you given a verbal NIP if so for what offence?

How wrong is the location?

jamesdrew

Don't bother trying to contest. Been there, done that. Your word against theirs unless you have got a very good witness and evidence that you di NOT jump the light ??? You don't want a dangerous driving conviction on your licence . . .

Chippy_Minton_2

jamesdrew wrote: »

You don't want a dangerous driving conviction on your licence . . .

They can't suddenly introduce that. If there was evidence of that at the time a NIP is required and not a ticket for a red light.

IWantToBeFree_2

Chippy_Minton wrote: »

Were you a FPN or simply a HORT1?
You have refered to producer and ticket. (I know the FPN is both)

Were you given a verbal NIP if so for what offence?

How wrong is the location?

They've got the name of the road completely wrong, I don't even know if the said road exists.... If I honestly believed I jumped the lights then I wouldn't even be trying to get out of it on a technicality, but they screwed me oevr good and proper. I believe in admitting responsibility for mistakes, I have done numerous times in the past when it comes to motoring, I just feel hard done by this one.

Unless there was a camera on the lights, I wouldn't be able to prove my innocence so there is no point in even having time off work and spending money taking it to court, like you say, their word against mine...

Can't answer your other questions as I don't know what your acronyms stand for!!

sebdangerfield

I think what Chippy means is, have you got a producer or a fixed penalty ticket for the red light?

You said you've got the ticked but then asked if you could contest by the fact that the road is wrong on the producer.

Or do you have both?

ginnersinner

IWantToBeFree wrote: »

I was basically told that I could accept the fine and 3 points or go to court and be charged with driving without due care and attention.

This is partly right and partly wrong. When you get an FPN, you have two choices. To plead guilty, by paying the ticket and accepting the three points, or to plead not guilty by requesting a court hearing. The hearing will, however, be about jumping the red light ONLY. They can't introduce new charges unless when the CPS get hold of your not guilty plea they decide the description of your driving warrants it - and that's not very common.

Not sure exactly why you are 'fuming over the treatment' - if they think you've done it they're entitled to give you a ticket, just as you're entitled to say you've not done it by pleading not guilty. Their telling you to accept it or go to court is just the explanation of your options as I've done above. It sounds pretty reasonable to me. The place to argue is not at the side of the road but in court. I know that's a hassle for you, but that is the way it works.

As to wether the wrong road name on the ticket is relevant, it might be. You'd need to take advice.

Lemonade_Pockets

peepipoo. Is a better forum for questions like this (sorry everyone).

I think actually the road name is of significance. Court case:
Did you jump a red light on road X
No i did not. Can the cops prove you did, no because it either doesn't exsist or is somewhere completely different from where they pulled you over.

The fact that you may of jumped a light on road Y then becomes irrelevant as that is not what you have been charged with.

This is all imo someone on peepipoo will give you a definitive.

maninthestreet

Amber light means stop, unless doing so is likely to cause an accident.
Red light means stop.