Speeding Solicitors

Speeding Offence Solicitors

If you are caught speeding in the UK then you are breaking the law.

By just accepting the speeding allegation you could end up receiving unnecessary points on your licence, a disqualification through totting up or even a charge for dangerous driving.

I have a speeding ticket; what happens next?

Generally speaking, the punishment you receive for speeding will depend on the severity of the offence.

You will usually receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution which you have to respond to within 28 days stating who was driving the vehicle at the time of the road traffic offence. You may then either be offered a speed awareness course or issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of three penalty points and a minimum £100 fine.

However, if you accumulate more than 12 points within a three year period you will be automatically disqualified from driving. In other words, your licence will be suspended and you will have a driving ban.

Current speed limits in the UK are 20mph or 30mph in built-up areas; 60mph on single carriageways; and 70mph on dual carriage and motorways. Depending on the type and level of speeding driving offence you have committed, an endorsement code and a number of penalty points will be put on your driving record for four years. These include:

SP10 – exceeding goods vehicle speed limits; 3-6 points

SP20 – exceeding the speed limit for the type of vehicle (excludes goods or passenger vehicles); 3-6 points

SP30 – exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road; 3-6 points

SP40 – exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit; 3-6 points

SP50 – exceeding the speed limit on a motorway; 3-6 points

Can I challenge a speeding ticket?

There are reasons that you could challenge a speeding ticket. Common reasons for challenging them include:

• you were not the driver of the car
• the speed limit sign was missing
• the speed limit sign was incorrect or not visible
• the car was stolen

It is also important to know what reasons cannot be used to challenge a speeding ticket. Factors like typing mistakes or misspellings on the Notice of Intended Prosecution and not being aware you were speeding cannot be used for defence.

I already have points on my licence, what should I do?

If you already have 6 or 9 active points on your licence then you could be at risk of being disqualified from driving.

Once a person accumulates 12 points the Court will impose a ‘Penalty Points Driving Ban’. This driving ban will be for a period of at least 6 months.

Receiving a ban from driving could have a significant impact on your life. You might be unable to drive your family around, or a ban could make it more difficult to get to work. If driving is related to your occupation, you could also be at risk of losing your job.

In some situations, you may be able to enter an Exceptional Hardship Application. This is a legal argument submitted to the Court that could reduce or prevent your disqualification.

There is no set list of what is considered an exceptional hardship. However, simply suffering hardship as a result of disqualification is not an adequate enough argument.

For example, whilst you may suffer hardship from losing a job because of your disqualification, this is not considered exceptional hardship. However, should you lose your job from disqualification and you are the sole financial provider for your household, this may be considered an exceptional hardship.

Our motoring solicitors can help you put together an Exceptional Hardship Application. If you already have points on your licence and are facing disqualification, it could be beneficial to you to get in contact with us for a free initial consultation.

Should I get a solicitor for speeding?

Punishments for speeding offences usually fall into at least one of four different types:

• fines
• penalty points added to a licence
• disqualification from driving
• imprisonment

The majority of speeding offences are typically covered by fines or penalty points. In these, mainly minor, cases, seeking legal advice is probably not needed.

However, if a speeding offence could result in disqualification from driving or imprisonment, seeking legal advice could be beneficial. In these circumstances, solicitors could help you form a defence or show extenuating circumstances to help prevent disqualification or imprisonment.

Why use Rothera Bray for speeding offences?

At Rothera Bray our motoring defence team have considerable experience in challenging speeding offences on behalf of clients and appealing cases where a client has already been convicted.

We have a website dedicated solely to Motoring Offences whilst still using the same expert Transport solicitors. So if you’re looking for more information about types of road traffic offences then head over to KeepMeOnTheRoad.

For each case, we will assess your situation to best advise you on how to defend your speeding offence or get a reduced punishment.

Clients all over the UK can be represented by us.

Free initial consultations can be claimed.

Out of hours service is possible at any time of day

If you contest the charge at court we can advise and guide you through the court process.

We may be able to help you defend a charge even where there is evidence against you, such as being caught by a speed camera or police officer radar.

If you want to speak to one of the country’s leading transport Law teams, give us a call now on 03456 465 465.

We can help you with:

• Totting up
• Special reasons
• Exceptional Hardship
• Notice of Intended Prosecution

What should my next steps be?

Depending on the circumstances of your speeding offence, then your next steps will be different.

If the speeding offence was minor, or the punishment is a fine and/or penalty points that will not result in disqualification, then you may decide to accept the punishment.

If you believe you have grounds to challenge the speeding ticket, for example, you were not driving the vehicle or the speed limit signage was missing, you are entitled to take the case to Magistrates Court.

During the trial, the prosecution will need to prove that you were driving the vehicle and that you were driving above the speed limit. It should be noted that if you are found guilty at trial, then your punishment could be more severe. For this reason, if you are intending to challenge a speeding ticket, it is worthwhile to seek legal advice before you take your case to court.

Finally, if it is likely that your speeding offence could result in disqualification or imprisonment, then seeking legal advice could help reduce the severity of your punishment.

Free initial consultations are available with our motoring solicitors. In these sessions, our team will ask questions to understand the details and circumstances of your case. We may also be able to recommend if you have a legal case. Finally, we will also be able to inform you of what steps to take next and payment options that may suit you.

Arrange your free initial consultation by calling us on 03456 465 465 or completing our enquiry form.

We have a range of fixed-fee services: please see visit our specialist motorist website for more information: