Delay in paying speeding fine

[DB2013]

Hi,

I have just become aware that my brother has a speeding ticket, the first correspondance was dated 10th October 2013 (I opened in error as we share the same initital and some of my mail also ends up at my mothers address) - He hasn't receieved the notice as his car is registered to our Mothers address, and she didn't forward the letter. He has since received another letter which we have just discovered. To avoid further dealy am I able to pay the fine for him?

Thanks,

[bluebottle]

Re: Delay in paying speeding fine

Hi and welcome to Legal Beagles.

Could you please advise what the correspondence it is that has been received in respect of your brother's speeding fine?

[DB2013]

Re: Delay in paying speeding fine

Hi,

Thanks for quick response notice of intended prosectuion....

[wales01man]

Re: Delay in paying speeding fine

Does the offenders licence have t be sent to the court?

[bluebottle]

Re: Delay in paying speeding fine

Thank you, A Notice of Intended Prosecution is exactly what it says and applies to the person named on the Notice. You brother needs to take the NIP seriously and decide whether he is going to defend the case or plead guilty by letter. If he does neither, the matter will proceed to court and he could incur the maximum fine and costs. From what you say, the opportunity to pay as a Fixed Penalty has now passed.

As a matter of interest, what speed is your brother alleged to have been driving at and what was the maximum speed limit, please?

[DB2013]

Re: Delay in paying speeding fine

Ok I will send down to him ASAP. He was doing 75 in 60....

[bluebottle]

Re: Delay in paying speeding fine

Ok I will send down to him ASAP. He was doing 75 in 60....

The point at which a driver is likely to be liable to get a FPN for exceeding a 60 mph maximum speed limit is 68 mph, depending on the attitude of the police officer and any aggravating factors. ACPO Guidelines recommend the maximum speed limit in force + 10% + 2 mph to allow for any inaccuracies in a vehicle's speedometer. From this, your brother is 7 mph over the ACPO Guideline speed.

Depending on the circumstances of the alleged offence, the NIP could be for -

a. Driving A Motor Vehicle on A Road in Excess of the Maximum Speed Limit; or
b. Driving A Motor Vehicle on A Road In A Manner That Was Dangerous.

Either way, your brother needs to deal with this as a matter of urgency.

[MissFM]

Re: Delay in paying speeding fine

From recent experience, a grovelling letter admitting guilt, explaining mitigating circumstances and including evidence of previous good driving record (if such exists) might get him the minimum fine/points (no point in trying to get out of this unless he is genuinely not guilty). In his case it would include the fact that he would have responded immediately but the letter went elsewhere etc.. But grovel and express both regret and lesson learnt.

It would be foolish, as Bluebottle says, to do otherwise than take this very seriously and respond urgently.

[bluebottle]

Re: Delay in paying speeding fine

Miss FM has raised some excellent points. Was your brother stopped by a police officer and issued with an FPN or was this as the result of being picked up by a fixed location or mobile speed camera? The reason I ask this is because a number of cases have been either dismissed or dropped due to issues with Home Office Approval of the camera used or issues as to its accuracy and reliability.