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Speeding
Fines
The
last audited 12 month period is the 2003/04 financial year that
ended on 31 March 2004. The total fine receipts for speeding and
red light offences detected by fixed and mobile cameras was £113,549,240.
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Of
this amount, £91,848,844 was reinvested in road safety as payments back
to the partnerships including the police, local highway authorities and
magistrates' courts who operate within the safety camera programme. The
amount retained by the Treasury was £21,700,396 which is the difference
 We
are probably all guilty of exceeding the speed limit at some time
or other. Coming from a fast road like a motorway onto a slow B
road, 30 mph can seem so slow that you're almost going backwards
but you must resist the temptation to put your foot down otherwise
you could receive a hefty fine and points on your licence. The police
no longer have to do the job as they have a team of mechanical watchdogs
to do it for them.
Speed cameras are going up everywhere and not all are obvious. Some
counties have decided that the speed cameras are meant to be for
preventing accidents and are therfore prominent and easy to spot.
Some counties however don't want people to know where they are until
its to late in an attempt to slow everyone down. Sceptics could
of course argue that they just want to make more money. Either way
its the motorist that has the most to lose which ever way they are
caught.
This table
shows the basic fines you can expect to get for each offence but note that as
from December 2004 each case will be looked at individually and assesed for weather
conditions, road conditions time of day etc. |
| Speeding
Offence |
Fine |
Costs |
Penalty Points
|
| up to 15mph over
the posted limit |
£44 |
£30 |
3
|
| 16mph to 25mph
over the posted limit |
£45-£100 |
£30 |
4
|
| 26mph to 35mph
over the posted limit |
£45-£200 |
£30 |
5-6
|
| 36mph or more
over the posted limit |
£67-£300 |
£30 |
Ban 1 month to
12 months
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Association of Chief Police Officers Guidelines
Below is a table of
the current guidelines given to the ACPO but there are new proposals for changes
to some of these figures.
| Limit |
Fixed
Penalty |
Summons |
| 20
mph |
25 mph |
35
mph |
| 30 mph |
35 mph |
50 mph |
| 40 mph |
46 mph |
66 mph |
| 50 mph |
57 mph |
76 mph |
| 60 mph |
68 mph |
86 mph |
| 70 mph |
79 mph |
96 mph |
A police officer can
issue an on the spot fine of £60 and 3 penalty points whereas a GATSO speed
camera can mean a court summons and any further offences caught on another GATSO
Camera can be added together even if up to the point of getting 12 points which
if received within a three year period means an automatic disqualification and
a TT99 endorsement on your license.
Endorsements remain on your licence for:
• 11 years from date of conviction for offences relating to drink/drugs and
driving, causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of drink/drugs
and causing death by careless driving then failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
• 4 years from date of conviction for reckless/dangerous driving and offences
resulting in disqualification.
• 4 years from the date of offence in all other cases
| SP
codes that will appear on your licence after endorsement(s) |
| SP
Code |
Offence
|
| SP10 |
Exceeding goods
vehicle speed limits |
| SP20 |
Exceeding speed
limit for type of vehicle (excluding goods or passenger vehicles) |
| SP30 |
Exceeding statutory
speed limit on a public road |
| SP40 |
Exceeding passenger
vehicle speed limit |
| SP50 |
Exceeding speed
limit on a motorway |
| SP60 |
Undefined speed
limit offence |
| When
endoresements expire you can have them removed from your licence by getting the
D1 application form from your post office |
Safety Cameras
The UK has one of the best safety records in the world, yet on average 9 people
are killed and 85 injured each day on the roads. Safety cameras save about 100
lives a year by reducing speeding and making the roads safer.
 What are
safety cameras?
‘Safety cameras’ include speed cameras and traffic signal cameras. Speed cameras
can be fixed, mobile or speed-over-distance (SPED). Most fixed speed cameras are
run by the National Safety Camera Partnership (NSCP). The NSCP is made up of local
authorities, the police, and the courts, and is subject to rules and guidance
on where cameras are placed, and how they are marked and signposted.
What are the NSCP rules for speed cameras?
Fixed speed cameras can only be located in places with a history of serious accidents,
or evidence of a speeding problem, or where the local community has requested
them, and are marked yellow to make them clearly visible.
Vehicles which contain mobile cameras should be clearly marked. Warning signs
should be within 1km of a fixed camera site, and at the start of an area with
mobile cameras.
Not all cameras are part of the NCSP. Local councils in conjunction with the police
may use fixed or mobile speed cameras in specific areas to control speeding. These
cameras, which are run outside the NCSP, are not governed by the same rules on
visibility, and the law does not require these cameras to be yellow or visible.
Where does the money from speed cameras go?
Neither the police nor local councils make any money from speeding fines. They
can only claim back their running and administration costs for the scheme, and
any surplus goes to the Treasury.
What happens if I am caught speeding?
If you are caught speeding by fixed or mobile speed cameras you receive a conditional
offer fixed penalty notice. The conditional offer gives you the chance to settle
the speeding fine without having to go to court. However, if your speed is excessive
you will receive a summons from the Magistrate's Court.
The fine for speeding is £60, and 3 penalty points will be added to your licence.
Endorsements,
penalty points and disqualification
How to complain about a speeding fine?
You can challenge a speeding fine in court. The Magistrates determine any fine
and penalty points awarded. They have the power to increase the fine and the penalty
points, and you may also be ordered to pay court costs.
Taking a case to court
You should allow 28 days for the conditional offer to expire. You will then receive
a summons. You can give reasons for disputing the speeding fine on the summons,
plus any evidence you want the court to take into account.
What is a notice of intended prosecution? |
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The purpose of the
notice of intended prosecution (NIP) is to inform the potential defendant that
he may be prosecuted for the offence he has committed, whilst the incident is
still fresh in his memory.
When you receive an NIP it does not automatically mean that you are going to face
prosecution, it is a warning that you may face prosecution.
The NIP must be served within 14 days of the offence. The details that are commonly
used if the details of the driver are not known are those of the registered keeper.
If the registered keeper was not the driver and the driver receives the NIP after
14 days as long as it was posted within the 14 days it is still valid. Also if
the registered keeper/driver has changed address and not informed DVLA, as long
as the NIP was posted in 14 days then it is still valid.
If you have received an NIP after a period of 14 days then it is likely to be
for one of the reasons above.
NIPS can also be issued verbally or alternatively you could receive a court summons
through the post for the alleged offence.
Small mistakes on the notice do not render it ineffective unless it would mislead
the potential defendant.
The NIP is said to be served when it has been posted using ordinary post, it is
still valid even if it gets lost in the post. The burden of proof is on the potential
defendant to prove that neither he nor the registered keeper received the notice
and the prosecution only need to prove that the notice was posted.
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