Challenging a Speeding ticket

[TonTonMacoute]

Has anyone ever done this and how did you get on?

I have just received a penalty notice for doing 37 in a 30 zone and I just don't believe it, and I am thinking of challenging it on the grounds that the camera is inaccurate. Is it worth it and would I have any chance of success?

The backstory is that I was caught speeding (also 37 in a 30 zone) in the same place last year, and although it was annoying I accepted that I had been speeding and took the online speed course.

I found the course very good and have been very aware of my speed since then. I am hyper aware of it along this particular road as it is notorious for catching people, including me!

Secondly, I had my 93 year old DF in the car with me, there is no way that I would be driving nearly 10 mph above the limit with an old in the car with me. I may have been doing 31 or 32, but 37mph? No way

Thirdly, last year I was able to access the photograph of the offence but this time I could not. They gave me a QR code, but there was no photo, which again suggests the camera was faulty.

Any professional opinion would be most welcome

If it is a hand held speed camera they are calibrated daily before the police take it out, you will need to get your own evidence about the camera which will be hugely expensive and you’re unlikely to succeed, just take the fine and three points.

They should be able to send you the photos. Can you ask the actual police staff that issued it in case there's a problem?

It wasn't a hand held camera, it is a piece of road that has cameras mounted at regular intervals on tall yellow posts. They record average speed through a village as well as clocking people speeding.

The letter gave the camera number but no photo, so I cannot tell exactly where I was when I was supposedly speeding. I have asked them to let me see the photo.

Could the camera be wrongly adjusted, can they set it wrongly deliberately to catch people?

Exactly the same speed in the same spot. But this time you dont believe it?

Ok then.

No dont be ridiculous 🙄

Take the fine and slow down

I doubt it would be wrong especially if it's a fixed one. However you should still be allowed to see the evidence.

The fact the Qr code doesn't take you to a photo does not suggest the camera was faulty, but that the link or website, database etc is faulty.

I would err on the side of paying it so don't let persuing the photo make you miss the deadline.

My police force were very helpful whem I rang and questioned aspects of the photo so it can't hurt to speak to them and ask. However I don't think you'd get anywhere re it actually being faulty.

Unless you have actual evidence that the camera was malfunctioning, I think your chances of success are extremely low. The fact that you don’t believe you were doing 37 mph, or that you had your elderly father in the car, won’t carry much weight. I’d contact the ticket office and ask for any available photographs first, as these can sometimes help identify the vehicle and confirm the circumstances, but challenging solely on the basis that the camera must be wrong is unlikely to get very far. Many people genuinely think they were only doing 31–32 mph when the recorded speed turns out to be several mph higher

@AgnesMcDoothank you, that's sort of what I feared, I just was interested to hear from someone who had succeeded - people do.

I always regularly check my speedometer every time I drive that bit of road, and I know that could be not entirely accurate, however I do know the difference between driving at 30 and 37mph as it is significant

It's not unheard of for speed cameras to get it wrong, do you have any dash cam footage of the journey?