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AIBU?

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To ignore speeding fine

278 replies

wowimamazing · 08/10/2017 23:25

Found out I had a speeding fine sent to an old address. Didn’t respond obviously and it’s been 10 weeks and not heard anything else. Should I just keep quiet.

OP posts:
llangennith · 09/10/2017 09:47

When you eventually get the paperwork just pay the fine.
If it goes to court the Magistrate or Registrar or Judge will be irritated with you for wasting court time and treat you more harshly for lying.
Just pay the damn thing.

mummymeister · 09/10/2017 09:52

so are you thinking of claiming that someone else was driving on that day Op? like your ex partner?

Your car so you are ultimately responsible.

if you go into court with the kind of attitude you have shown here - how can I dodge this, who else can I blame, it wasn't me speeding - then this will undoubtedly affect the fine. courts really love people with this attitude.

Biggreygoose · 09/10/2017 09:54

Op. You could easily end up with a suspended liscence. Most motoring offences carry points and these will just be added on. So if you already have points it doesn't take much to reach that point. (Which is why I imagine you're trying to dodge this). Even if you have a clean liscence failure to identify is 6, it all adds up quickly.

The next thing you know might be being hauled over by the police, car impounded (as your insurance would be invalid), a trip to the nick in cuffs and because you will have form for not appearing , being kept on cells untill a judge is available.

Not to mention the ball ache of having to reapply for you liscence and sit your extended driving test.

You need to get on top of this.

thatdearoctopus · 09/10/2017 09:54

Somewhere on the paperwork it gives you an option to view any photographic evidence. You should do that before you elect to swear blind it was someone else driving!

Mind you, I once received a penalty notice for driving through a red light in Hull at 9.30 on a Thursday morning. Not only have I never been to Hull in my life, I could also prove that I had been standing in front of a class of 30 kids in Hertfordshire at the time in question, with said car in the school carpark. They dropped the charge without fuss. This was 25 years ago, mind, so possibly their camera footage was less exact than nowadays and read the number plate wrongly.

WhoPoppedMyBalloon · 09/10/2017 09:54

My friend did this. It has cost her thousands of pounds.

This is not going away, so deal with it now.

AnneTwacky · 09/10/2017 10:48

So out of interest what happens if two people drive and you aren’t sure who drove that day. Do they just fine the owner of the car?

Yes!!! If the registeted keeper doesn't respond they will get 6 points and a big fine.

wowimamazing · 09/10/2017 11:03

Okay. I understand. I have six points already (NOT for speeding) for reasons I won’t go into here. If worse case scenario I got six for not declaring driver would I also get the 3 for speeding.

OP posts:
Biggreygoose · 09/10/2017 11:10

You could already have the extra 6 for failing to identify giving you a total of 12 and therefore a suspended liscence. (Those driving with over 12 points usually turn up to court to defend it)

You need to sort this today.

wowimamazing · 09/10/2017 11:12

How would I know if they have given me six more if I’ve not had anything further in post. Surely they would write to me to say they had given them to me??

OP posts:
thatdearoctopus · 09/10/2017 11:13

Not sure about whether they're consecutive or concurrent but even 6 will take you to 12, and isn't that the point at which you lose your licence?

thatdearoctopus · 09/10/2017 11:14

Maybe they have written to you (before you changed your address) and your ex is sitting on the letter.

Biggreygoose · 09/10/2017 11:18

They probably did... To your old address.

wowimamazing · 09/10/2017 11:18

No definitely no other post from police

OP posts:
Biggreygoose · 09/10/2017 11:19

You can check the status of your liscence online with the DVLA.

If it hasn't happened yet it will probably happen soon.

Cath2907 · 09/10/2017 11:27

Try watching "Don't pay, we'll take it away" on ITV I think it is... I suspect many of them hoped that if they ignored it it would go away!

FuckingFuckIt · 09/10/2017 11:28

You will get 6 points plus fine for S172 - failing to declare / respond PLUS points for speeding and speeding fine. If it goes to court you'll also have court costs to pay.

As you've already got 6 points, you need to be proactive if you want to avoid losing your licence. Phone the number from the speeding notice and sort it out.

If you ignore it, it won't go away. It'll just get bigger, fines and costs increase and you'll get more points.

DesignedForLife · 09/10/2017 11:29

YABU. Pay up or they'll see you in court.

wowimamazing · 09/10/2017 11:34

Sounds like I can reasonably excuse myself from responding earlier if they try and give me points.

To ignore speeding fine
OP posts:
Sirzy · 09/10/2017 11:37

But the reason you didn’t get the letter was because you didn’t inform them you had moved so that won’t be a defence!

thedancingbear · 09/10/2017 11:37

TBH, I think if you've already got six points (let me guess - using a mobile?) and are in denial about having been caught speeding, then it's probably best if you stop driving.

Are you in an area with good transport links? Can your DP give you lifts?

FuckingFuckIt · 09/10/2017 11:37

FIL "doesn't believe in fines" so didn't pass on DH (boyfriend at time) speeding fine. Nor did he tell us about the signed for letter that came next. Offence had occurred when DH had lived with parents shortly before we got our first flat together. He changed his address with DVLA but letters had been sent to parents address as that was the registered keeper address at time of the offence. By the time we got letter to new flat, it was a court summons. We asked his dad if he'd seen any letter - denied it. Asked for evidence that the signed for letter had been delivered - FIL's distinctive signature was on the proof.

DH ended up in court and was lucky that they waived the S172 as DH's solicitor was able to convince court that DH hadn't known anything until court summons due to his dad's stance on fines (previous record of non-payment and ignoring of similar stuff himself) The solicitor's fees cost more than the fine and costs but the S172 could have had serious implications for DH's job so needed to set record straight.

FIL couldn't understand why DH was angry, nor why DH went to court instead of ignoring it.

AdalindSchade · 09/10/2017 11:37

No it doesn’t Hmm
How are you going to argue that it wasn’t reasonably practicable for you to respond within 28 days? The fact that you didn’t get the letter was your own fault!

Wolfiefan · 09/10/2017 11:37

FFS. You failed to update your details. Not reasonable.
You were speeding. Not reasonable.
You failed to have post redirected and are using that as an excuse to try and wriggle out of a reasonable punishment.
Own up.
Pay up.
Sell the car and get a bloody push bike. Make the roads safer for everyone.

Fluffypinkpyjamas · 09/10/2017 11:38
Hmm Who else drives your car then OP?
DontLookBackIntoTheSun · 09/10/2017 11:39

No you can't "reasonably excuse" yourself from responding earlier - the reason you didn't receive the notice is because you hadn't updated your address with the DVLA.

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