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Original poster

Would you try and fight this ticket?

107 replies

DirectionsForUse · 09/06/2021 06:34

My mum is a fit, competent 70 something and a safe steady driver, never had an accident in 50 years of driving.

She does limited mileage these days and drives an old car, that she's had since new and is properly maintained, serviced every year etc.

She's also one of those people who wouldn't dream of driving anywhere, even moving the car off the drive, without a seatbelt. In fact she and Dad were wearing seatbelts routinely long before it was law and Dsis and I had car seats in the 70s when it was really very unusual.

Anyway, she was stopped by police for the first time ever. They wanted to inspect the car. I suspect as it's so old they expected to be able to issue a ticket for some fault or other, but they didn't find one.

Then, after asking her to get out of the car (thus removing her seatbelt) they've issued a fixed penalty for not wearing a seatbelt. It's £100, but can increase to £500 if you go to court.

She's furious at the corruption injustice, but also feels powerless. Anyone who knows her could vouch for the fact that she always wears a seatbelt, but there's no proof she was doing on this occasion.

Is there anything she can do? Would you just pay up?

OP posts:
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 09/06/2021 06:39

What's the thought process behind them wanting to issue her a fine if it didn't happen? I don't understand why you think they'd do that.

Original poster
DirectionsForUse · 09/06/2021 06:43

They asked her to get out of the car before mentioning the seatbelt. Surely it would be usual to point out that misdemeanor before asking her to get out?

I don't know why they'd do it, you'd have to talk to them about that. Mum's assuming they have targets to meet and they'd stopped her so wanted to find "something". I don't know if that's likely or not.

OP posts:
Vanishun · 09/06/2021 06:43

Yeah that's weird. They don't get commissions or anything for fining people.

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Driving & parking
Original poster
DirectionsForUse · 09/06/2021 06:44

Mum really is the straightest person you've ever met. There's no way she made this up.

OP posts:
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 09/06/2021 06:45

They don't have targets. They don't receive the proceeds of the fine either.

drpet49 · 09/06/2021 06:47

I don’t believe your mums version of events.

Original poster
DirectionsForUse · 09/06/2021 06:50

OK so why did someone who always without fail wears a seatbelt, out of habit only get told she wasn't wearing one after getting out of the car?

OP posts:
LittleBirdBlu · 09/06/2021 06:50

I'm sorry but I think maybe your mum has misremembered. The police don't fine people just because they can. Without meaning to sound harsh, why would they? It's just a waste of their time.

MadeForThis · 09/06/2021 06:50

Can you find out if the policemen had body cameras? That might prove your mums argument.

Mumdiva99 · 09/06/2021 06:51

Maybe the also stopped the car because your mum's driving ability has started to deteriorate. At 70 things can slow down for some.....maybe she I starting to forget a few things....and maybe the seatbelt is one of those? (Is she saying she took it off when they pulled her over? Did they have body cams on? When is she saying she took it off?)

Honestly I would pay the fine and then you should maybe go and see your mum's driving.

Original poster
DirectionsForUse · 09/06/2021 06:58

@Mumdiva99

Maybe the also stopped the car because your mum's driving ability has started to deteriorate. At 70 things can slow down for some.....maybe she I starting to forget a few things....and maybe the seatbelt is one of those? (Is she saying she took it off when they pulled her over? Did they have body cams on? When is she saying she took it off?)

Honestly I would pay the fine and then you should maybe go and see your mum's driving.

But that's not what they said. They asked her to get out of the car and accompany them while they inspected her old car, only afterwards did they mention the seatbelt. The quality of her driving wasn't mentioned at all and is actually fine, she gave me a lift last week.

Mum's never had any dealings with the police, she hasn't lived the kind of life where you do and has always respected authority. She has no grudge to bear and £100 is not a lot of money to her. If she knew she was guilty, she'd be kicking herself for being so stupid and pay up.

OP posts:
Vanishun · 09/06/2021 06:59

I have a relative in the police and asked about this a while back - they definitely don't have targets (for obvious reasons).

I'm sure some police officers are arseholes, I'm just not sure why they'd both go on with it, or what kind of kick they'd get out of making stuff up about old ladies.

Rillington · 09/06/2021 07:02

I would fight it all the way. Some police officers are corrupt. If their car was nearby it will have recorded the event on camera.

Vanishun · 09/06/2021 07:02

But you could try fighting it anyway. If they have bodycams it might help prove or disprove it.

prettyvisitor · 09/06/2021 07:03

So they asked her to get out if the car, she then undid the seatbelt, and they then fined her for not wearing the seatbelt? That makes no sense whatsoever. Did they have any suggestions for how she should get out of the car with the seatbelt staying fastened?

legotruck · 09/06/2021 07:03

Anyone who knows her could vouch for the fact that she always wears a seatbelt,

Nobody can state as fact she was wearing one at that particular time though. So people 'vouching' is meaningless.

Pansypotter123 · 09/06/2021 07:07

It was the Queen who said that "recollections may vary". Perhaps the police did tell your mum the reason they'd pulled her over was because she wasn't wearing her seatbelt and then went on to examine the car (which is quite normal) and your mum has forgotten this in her panic, and annoyance with herself for not wearing the seatbelt? She may possibly have forgotten to put it on and she could possibly be becoming a bit forgetful. After all, her old car probably won't have a bleep to go off if she doesn't put a seat belt on?

jojododobobo · 09/06/2021 07:09

I seem to be in the minority here but I would definitely investigate this further. You know and trust your mum and who's to say there arnt a few bad apples in the police? It could be that you report this incident and it turns out the officer had a few other strikes against their name. I think they all wear cameras so the whole incident should of been recorded. Maybe your mum is mis remembering but maybe she's not!

legotruck · 09/06/2021 07:14

I would ask yourself why you think 2 police officers have colluded to fine an old lady, risking their careers. It doesn't seem likely, does it? To what benefit?

She wasn't wearing her seatbelt is the much more likely explanation.

Polkadots2021 · 09/06/2021 07:24

Hey, doesn't matter how careful we all are, we can all make mistakes. It's so easily done. It's only human. Doesn't make your mum a bad driver or forgetful. I can really appreciate her distress, though. And dining an old lady £100 and treating her with anything less than kindness is inexcusable. That in itself IMO is reason to appeal.

Crispychillibeef · 09/06/2021 07:26

How can you be so sure of any of this if you weren't there?

secretskillrelationships · 09/06/2021 07:26

Years ago I had a friend who was forever being stopped by the police. It happened so often it became a joke amongst his friends. He maintained his car to the highest of standards but it definitely felt like they were targeting him and trying to find something wrong. One time they told him his tyre looked a bit flat, for instance. It seemed a point of honour that they justified stopping him.

That said, while I appreciate your mum's sense of injustice, I'd pay the fine and move on. The alternative is that this could take a very long time to resolve and life is too short. We've all broken the laws of the road at some point, maybe inadvertantly, and 'got away with it' so maybe see this as balancing that out.

legotruck · 09/06/2021 07:27

And dining an old lady £100 and treating her with anything less than kindness is inexcusable. That in itself IMO is reason to appeal.

You think finding someone is inexcusable because of their age? 'Less then kindness' ???

headhurtstoomuch · 09/06/2021 07:32

Maybe the reason she was pulled over in the first place was because she wasn't wearing a seat belt and they spotted her rather than something wrong with the car.

Arbadacarba · 09/06/2021 07:33

Can you/your mum easily afford the £500 if it goes to court and you lose? Also, if it goes to court could you be forced to pay costs as well as the fine (which might be £1000s)? Is there any route of appeal other than letting it go to court?

It shouldn't really be about that, I agree, but I'd want to consider those things when deciding what to do.

The problem is that at the moment, it's your mum's word against theirs.