Is it Worth Appealing Against a Speed Camera Ticket ?

Denny57

Sorry to hijack this Thread but I am new to this site and can't seem to figure out to create a new one ?

After 37 years driving without any motoring convictions, speeding tickets or otherwise I acquired my first speeding ticket last week.

I was trying to find my son's new house in a suburb of Reading when I accidentally drove from I think 50mph road into a 30 mph zone. (my son is checking this out)

The road I was travelling down was a turn off from the A4 semi rural and in darkness I did not see any speed camera warning notices but I had been travelling for over 5 hours from the Northwest some of that in a tail back on the M40 and I was a bit tired.

I don't dispute that I had exceeded the limit (36 in a 30 Zone !) but After so many years without incident the 3 Points on my License puts me in the league of Boy Racers and people with a Total disregard for other road users.

I am happy to pay the fine if that tops up the Camera Partnership coffers but the 3 points is a stigma which I am not happy about.

The reason I ask if an appeal would be worthwhile I attended a County Court case a few years ago were my daughter was the main witness in the prosecution of a careless driver who wrote her her 2 week old car off and claimed my daughter was to blame. He had slammed into the drivers side of my daughter's car on a bend in the road thankfully she only had minor injuries. He was eventually found guilty and was fined plus awarded 3 points on his license. His Solicitor then made a plea to the court saying that his client already had 11 points on his license for other driving convictions and as he was a Bus Driver !! he would lose his job if he got an additional 3 points. The magistrates duly retired to consider and after 5 minutes returned to award him only 1 extra point. This idiot could have killed my daughter and why he should been allowed to continue as a bus driver beggars belief.

I therefore thought based on the evidence of that case I might be able to ask for mercy in respect of my 3 points.

Any thoughts would be welcome?

Denny57

Crabman

Hello and welcome to MSE

I've moved your post into a new thread for you - have a read of sra's Beginner's Guide and How to Create a Thread. The Unofficial A-Z should address any other questions about the forum :beer:

goldspanners

Denny57 wrote: »

Sorry to hijack this Thread but I am new to this site and can't seem to figure out to create a new one ?

After 37 years driving without any motoring convictions, speeding tickets or otherwise I acquired my first speeding ticket last week.

I was trying to find my son's new house in a suburb of Reading when I accidentally drove from I think 50mph road into a 30 mph zone. (my son is checking this out)

The road I was travelling down was a turn off from the A4 semi rural and in darkness I did not see any speed camera warning notices but I had been travelling for over 5 hours from the Northwest some of that in a tail back on the M40 and I was a bit tired.

I don't dispute that I had exceeded the limit (36 in a 30 Zone !) but After so many years without incident the 3 Points on my License puts me in the league of Boy Racers and people with a Total disregard for other road users.

I am happy to pay the fine if that tops up the Camera Partnership coffers but the 3 points is a stigma which I am not happy about.

The reason I ask if an appeal would be worthwhile I attended a County Court case a few years ago were my daughter was the main witness in the prosecution of a careless driver who wrote her her 2 week old car off and claimed my daughter was to blame. He had slammed into the drivers side of my daughter's car on a bend in the road thankfully she only had minor injuries. He was eventually found guilty and was fined plus awarded 3 points on his license. His Solicitor then made a plea to the court saying that his client already had 11 points on his license for other driving convictions and as he was a Bus Driver !! he would lose his job if he got an additional 3 points. The magistrates duly retired to consider and after 5 minutes returned to award him only 1 extra point. This idiot could have killed my daughter and why he should been allowed to continue as a bus driver beggars belief.

I therefore thought based on the evidence of that case I might be able to ask for mercy in respect of my 3 points.

Any thoughts would be welcome?

Denny57

its hardly worth taking them to court over 3 points, 3 points will only increase your next insurance premium by £30 or so.
unfortunatly your just another statistic.

LuciferTDark

You can try appealing, you'll almost certainly lose & they'll increase the fine & charge you court costs to boot. Not only that but if the Judge (or magistrate) is in a bad mood that day they may want to make an example of you, meaning disqualification or prison sentence if you're really unlucky.

System

Denny57 wrote: »

I therefore thought based on the evidence of that case I might be able to ask for mercy in respect of my 3 points.

Any thoughts would be welcome?

Slight difference here.
In the case you mention, the award of 3 points would have resulted in the person losing his job.
In your case 3 points will have no effect on your life whatsoever.

You can ask for mercy but I doubt very much whether you will get any, especially if you try claiming that you were tired.

blue_haddock

OP,

do you want the long answer to the question or the short answer?

Either way the destination is no!

Horace

I was once nobbled on the A40 (on the exit of the hanger lane underpass) it was early in the morning and I had been hassled by a driver tailgating me - in fact he was quite scary so I put my foot down to get away. I decided not to plead mitigating circumstances so I got 3 points on my licence, it hasn't affected my insurance and in fact put the court to some inconvenience. I have one of those old pink driving licences which meant that my points had to be written in pen. My points have now expired (these are the only points I have ever had and I have been driving since I was 21).

As you state you were tired, I wouldn't be mentioning that to the court because you might just get a higher penalty. If I were you I would accept the 3 points - you're not going to lose your licence unless you are a habitual speeder with stacks of points.

anewman

IMO people who are stupid enough to commit offences time and again deserve to lose their jobs. Otherwise surely we end up in a situation where it doesn't really matter what you do on the road? If they couldn't learn the first, second, or third time, why should we be so eager to give them a fourth, fifth and sixth or even thirteenth chance?

I'd agree with the other posters here though. I'd pay up and take the points on the chin and just make sure it doesn't happen again. There's no real reason to try score points by doing your best not to get the points, unless you can prove you weren't the driver, the car in the picture is not yours, or the speed limit signs were not in place (I think there legally has to be one each side of the road as you enter the zone for a speed to be enforceable).

Feel self contented that you're not a bad driver like that bus driver :cool:

Lorian

Pay up and move on. It's no stigma, many of us have done it by accident.

My insurance didn't increase after an SP30.

Denny57

Thanks to all who replied to my request I am very grateful.

I was hoping that someone might have made a successful appeal but based on the replies received it is unlikely

So on balance I will take it on the chin and go away and lick my wounds, it is strange though that if this were some other minor offence it is possible I could have been let off be cause it was a first offence.

No money in that though

Many Thanks once again i will certainly be a regular reader of this forum if not a contributor.

Denny

C_Ronaldo

In the case the OP mentioned the bus driver should have got the 3 points, it would haqve been his fault if he lost his licence no one elses