Speeding
Speeding is one of the most common driving offences.
It is easy to let your speed creep up on motorways or find yourself edging over the speed limit when you are late getting the children to school or making it on time for work.
In most cases, being caught speeding will result in a Fixed Penalty Notice and endorsement points on your driving licence. However, if you have totted up several points already, this latest speeding offence may push you over the limit of 12 points over three years, resulting in you losing your licence. And if your speed is well over the speeding limit or you caused injury or death due to driving too fast, you will have to appear in Court. Therefore, if a speeding offence is going to cause you to lose your licence or have to attend Court, it is vital that you speak to our Motoring Solicitors immediately. Our team has an in-depth knowledge of police enforcement technology, ranging from GATSO cameras to in-car police VASCAR systems. Our unrivalled legal and technical insight will provide the best possible representation should you wish to challenge an allegation of speeding.
We are a diverse, multi-lingual law firm covering Coventry, Nuneaton, Rugby, Leamington, Rugby and across the Midlands, that uses best-in-class technology to provide clients with streamlined, modern, and highly effective motoring law advice and representation. Our years of experience in road traffic and criminal law means we have relationships with some of the UK’s best Barristers and King’s Counsel. Our clients also benefit from our ability to instruct the country’s most respected expert witnesses who can provide the Court with the facts required to support a not guilty plea or mitigate the sentence handed down by the Judge.
Below are some of the most common questions we are asked concerning being caught driving with excessive speed.
What happens if I am caught speeding?
If you are caught speeding by a fixed speed camera or an in-car police VASCAR system you will receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution by post. You must respond within 28 days stating who was driving the vehicle at the time. You may then either be offered a speed awareness course or issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of three to six penalty points and a minimum £100 fine.
Never provide false information regarding who was driving the vehicle at the time of the offence – charges for perverting the course of justice are common and a prison sentence is a frequent outcome for those convicted of such offences.
How many penalty points will I receive for speeding?
The table below shows the common speeding offences and how many penalty points you could potentially be given.
| Offence | Penalty Points | Time On Record |
|---|---|---|
| Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits | 3 – 6 | 4 years |
| Exceeding speed limit for the type of vehicle (excluding goods or passenger vehicles) | 3 – 6 | 4 years |
| Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road | 3 – 6 | 4 years |
| Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit | 3 – 6 | 4 years |
| Exceeding speed limit on a motorway | 3 -6 | 4 years |
Can I challenge a speeding allegation?
Although you cannot challenge a speeding ticket on the grounds of “I did not realise I was speeding”, there are defences available, for example:
- you were not the driver of the car
- the speed limit sign was missing
- the speed limit sign was incorrect or not visible
- your car was stolen
Our Road Traffic Offences Solicitors can also persuade the Court not to impose penalty points for special reasons. This would occur if the penalty points you would receive from the Fixed Penalty Notice would result in you totting up more than 12 penalty points over three years and thereby being disqualified from driving. There is no definition regarding what constitutes special reasons but generally, they provide a reasonable explanation for why the offence took place which justifies the Court from not imposing the usual penalties. Special reasons cannot amount to a legal defence but be circumstances that the Court should consider. For example, you were speeding because your pregnant partner needed to get to a hospital fast else risk having a baby on the side of a road.
If there are no special reasons relating to your speeding and you risk losing your licence, our Solicitors can persuade the judge that disqualification may lead to ‘exceptional hardship’ by resulting in a significantly detrimental effect on your livelihood and/or family well-being.
Why choose us
From our offices in Coventry, our Solicitors regularly defend clients facing motoring allegations at the police station and in the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. We can also help with appeals against disqualification and applications for early reinstatement of your licence.
Regardless of the charges against you, you are entitled to a criminal defence. We do not judge our clients; our only objective is to defend you against the Prosecution’s allegations. You can be confident that by instructing us to defend you, your chances of acquittal or a reduced sentence are greatly improved. The most important factor is to contact us as soon as you are stopped by the police for speeding or receive a Notice of Intention to Prosecute.
People choose and recommend us not just in Coventry, Nuneaton, Rugby and Leamington, but across the Midlands and the whole of the UK.
To receive expert advice and if you have been charged with speeding, please contact us using the form below.