Speeding fine

WobblyA

I went too fast past a police speeding van on Friday. I am expecting a fine but am off to Australia for six weeks on Tuesday. Is there a way to find out if I have been fined and to tell someone in advance that I won't be around in case I am?

Johno100

WobblyA wrote: »

I went too fast past a police speeding van on Friday. I am expecting a fine but am off to Australia for six weeks on Tuesday. Is there a way to find out if I have been fined and to tell someone in advance that I won't be around in case I am?

No.............

Warwick_Hunt

Johno100 wrote: »

No.............

Isn’t the correct answer. Are you suggesting he comes back to six points and a £500 fine for failing to nominate the driver?

The OP could try contacting the relevant safety camera partnership and explaining the situation.

ratrace

simple - leave a key with a family member or a good friend, tell them to check the post every few days if there is a speeding fine they will let you know and you can pay asap over the net or phone

Warwick_Hunt

ratrace wrote: »

simple - leave a key with a family member or a good friend, tell them to check the post every few days if there is a speeding fine they will let you know and you can pay asap over the net or phone

Firstly the OP will need to reply to the 172 request and if the recieved a fixed penalty surrender their driving licence.

Manxman_in_exile

I wonder whether being in Australia for six weeks could form a defence to a s172 charge?

Warwick_Hunt

Manxman_in_exile wrote: »

I wonder whether being in Australia for six weeks could form a defence to a s172 charge?

If it got that far and he was convicted in absents it would be a case of doing a statutory declaration and having thevmatter back in court.

TooManyPoints

Yes Warwick is quite correct in both respects.

You have a serious problem here. Assuming that you are facing action for speeding It is unlikely you will receive any correspondence by Tuesday. The first thing you will receive will be a Notice of Intended Prosecution (a NIP) and a request to provide the driver's details (a Section 172 request). Assuming you are the Registered Keeper this will probably take five to seven days. This request must be completed and signed by you within 28 days of receipt. Failure to do so will see you face a charge under S172. This carries a hefty fine, six points and insurance grief for up to five years.

My suggestion is that on Monday you contact the Safety Camera Partnership for the area where you think you were caught to see if any action is pending against you. If it is, explain your position and suggest that you will respond to the request immediately upon your return. Get the name of the person you spoke to and any reference numbers for your case they may be able to give you. Then send them a letter confirming the conversation, repeating your undertaking to deal with the matter upon your return. It's about the best I can think of. If you simply ignore the matter you may find that in six week's time you will have received the original NIP and S172 request and a reminder. Some areas provide reminders (though there is no obligation for them to do so). This usually gives the recipient an extra week's grace. But by six weeks there is a very good chance that action under S172 will be put into train. As well as that, if that happens, the chance to be offered a speed awareness course or a fixed penalty (if your speed was low enough for either) will be lost.

TooManyPoints

Further to the latest replies, you are unlikely to be convicted in absence in six weeks. But the court process may have been initiated and once it has you will have very little chance of stopping it. If you are charged under S172 you will almost certainly be "dual charged" with the underlying speeding offence as well. This means that you can do a deal with the prosecutor on the day of your hearing to plead guilty to the speeding offence provided the S172 charge is dropped. But this all gets very messy and inconvenient and you should try your best to gain an extension to the deadline for your reply to the S172 notice.

Car_54

TooManyPoints wrote: »

My suggestion is that on Monday you contact the Safety Camera Partnership for the area where you think you were caught to see if any action is pending against you. If it is, explain your position and suggest that you will respond to the request immediately upon your return. Get the name of the person you spoke to and any reference numbers for your case they may be able to give you. Then send them a letter confirming the conversation, repeating your undertaking to deal with the matter upon your return.

Isn't the SCP prevented by law from disclosing personal information to unidentified callers?

TooManyPoints

Isn't the SCP prevented by law from disclosing personal information to unidentified callers?

I'm sure they are. But they can and do indulge in dialogue with people with queries such as this. There are simple ways to establish that the caller has a legitimate connection with the vehicle concerned and that they are entitled to make their enquiries. Believe it or not they are usually quite helpful as they do not want people to be prosecuted unnecessarily.