speeding ticket....contest?

galwaytt

before anyone asks, I did search, but didn't get anyting specific.

I got a ticket in the post today for speeding on 2nd March. It wasn't me - I wasn't there - I was at work 20 miles away.

Three questions:

1. There is only a photo of the plate - no pic of the car, or who was driving. Can I request the full photo?

2. I can state on the ticket that it wasn't me, but how can I be forced to name someone else, esp if they don't / won't admit it. Has there been a definitive test case on this? I know that in the UK, you can't be compelled to anymore.

3. Any good solicitors that do/have been known to fight ones like this?


This would be a good topic for a sticky, methinks.....

$Leon$

AFAIK you can get a full photo. I think someone on here got one recently. The computer had read the plate wrong and it was for a totally different car. Don't know if u could identify the person from the pic.

In response to your second question i'm sure you have to say who it is. Otherwise everyone could just say "it wasn't me driving" and get away with it.
It's your car and your responsibility. Obviously who ever you borrowed the car to has to take the points otherwise i'd imagine they're automatically yours.

DonJose

Was the person who borrowed the car insured to drive it. If you contest the ticket then the person who was driving your car could face more charges.

crosstownk

The idea of the photos is to identify the car - not the driver, although it is possible that both could be identified. A few years ago I requested a photo of one our fleet cars as nobody would step up to the plate. The photo came, but because of sunlight on the windscreen it was impossible to identify the driver. And, oddly enough, that was the last I ever heard of the matter - it must have been one of those fines that went unprocessed.

I'm not sure if they still issue larger photos on request.

gyppo

I remember reading some time back about the french police who used to photograph the entire car and occupants, and post it with the speeding fine.

They had to stop this as it caused marital problems - the passenger in the photo was'nt always the spouse:D
I'm not joking, btw.

timmywex

these are esaily avoidable,

say that a relation/friend who lives in another country was driving beacause they cant penalise them in any way/shape or form

overdriver

I've heard that story about other police forces, Gyppo, but there might be a grain of truth to it. You can request the full picture of the car. I did it, and you couldn't really tell who was driving either.

Our man in Havana

The points are not automatically yours if you don't name someone and you can prove it wasn't you, you can't be convicted for speeding and get points. What will happen is a charge under S107 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 will be brought against you for failing to name the driver, this attracts a fine of €800 but no points.

timmywex

hence, my point, name a driver who doesnt have an irish driving license and there nothing they can do, they just have to drop charges against everyone

Our man in Havana

They will create a virtual irish licence and store the points until that person gets an irish licence and then the points become active. That's what they do to anyone with a non irish licence.

timmywex

yes, but why would a foreign resident want a irish licence, like someone living in germany

DonJose

timmywex wrote:

hence, my point, name a driver who doesnt have an irish driving license and there nothing they can do, they just have to drop charges against everyone

The guards could still charge this imaginary person with driving without insurance if they admitted they were driving the car.

Our man in Havana

I hear they investigate the claims of a foreign friend driving closely. Some people have been caught out by naming a foreign person.

timmywex

you give the licence number of your friend from lets say germany, the guards, send a letter requesting the fine, the german throws it in the bin, end of the story, nothing else is done about it because they're in diff jurisdictions

Our man in Havana

Would they not come back to the registered owner looking for real proof of who was driving?

bazz26

timmywex wrote:

these are esaily avoidable,

say that a relation/friend who lives in another country was driving beacause they cant penalise them in any way/shape or form

This used to be the way until recently where the owner claimed it was their uncle from Australia over for 2 weeks who was driving the car at the time. The gardai were not going to follow up as it was too much hassel.

These days though if the registered owner of the vehicle cannot prove it was another person driving the car at the time of the offence ie. by naming that person, then the points automatically are given to the registered owner of the car.

Fey!

This may sound bizarre, but do they have a cctv system where you work; if they have, then you should be on it for the same time as you were supposedly driving the car.

Get on to your boss about it quick; the tapes could be a 1 week turnaround or a 1 month turnaround.

Our man in Havana

http://www.saferroads.org/news/current-news.html

Another Hefty Sentence for Perjury

Despite recent efforts to draw attention to the seriousness of entering a false nomination, another hefty sentence was handed down last week to a Slough man who had tried to pass points on to his mother.

The defendent, 29 year old Satwinder Singh Sahota, had triggered the Gatso camera in Stoke Poges Lane, the road in which he resides but returned to form to Police stating that his 68 year old mother was the driver at the time.

When making follow up enquiries, it was clear that the image captured showed a large man at the wheel.

Mr Sahota pleaded guilty, admitting that he had been driving and falsely nominated his mother. Magistrates sentenced him to three months imprisonment suspended for one year and ordered him to carry out 180 hours unpaid work in the community in the next twelve months.

They also endorsed his driving licence, disqualifying him from driving for 12 months and ordered costs to be paid.

DonJose

Bond-007 wrote:

http://www.saferroads.org/news/current-news.html

Nice