Our motoring specialist solicitors understand how distressing it can be to be accused of a speeding offence and have many years of experience in defending clients with such charges. In many situations, speeding violations can be resolved by participating in an educational awareness course. However, for the more serious offences, there is a potential to accrue penalty points on your driving license, or even receive an immediate driving ban for a period of time.
Many speeding offences may be handled by using online channels or physical mail to submit a plea. More complicated cases, however, can lead to consequences such as an immediate 6-month driving ban. Our speeding solicitors are experts in this area of the law and are here to provide their expertise and guidance on whatever legal issues related to speeding offences you may be facing.
Our speeding offence solicitors in South Wales are able to advise on the following:
- Exceeding the speed limit
- Penalties
- Appealing a speeding offence charge
- Exceptional Hardship
Contact our speeding offence solicitors
To contact one of our expert speeding offence solicitors in the South Wales area, you can call one of our offices in Pontypridd, Swansea and Talbot Green or email us at info@dwharris.co.uk. Alternatively, you can use our contact form and one of our staff will be in touch shortly.
Why use David W Harris & Co.’s speeding offence solicitors?
Real expertise you can trust
Our speeding offence solicitors are well-versed in speeding offence legislation and are experts at crafting robust defences for our clients.
Convenient, local service
Our speeding offence solicitors work from offices in Pontypridd, Talbot Green and Swansea and home visits can be arranged throughout South Wales. We also accommodate our clients by offering meetings via conferencing software or calls.
Transparent pricing with no hidden costs
At David W Harris & Co. we value transparency in terms of our fees from the start, so you never have to worry about any hidden fees. Please contact us to discuss our fees.
Our speeding offence expertise
If an individual is caught driving over the speed limit, they will almost certainly receive a penalty, the severity of this depending on how far the individual exceeded the limit and if they have committed any other crimes alongside their speeding.
The standard penalties are:
- Participating in a speed awareness course
- Accruing three to six penalty points on a license
- A driving ban starting with immediate effect.
Most speeding offences are handled by the individual being sent a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) which is a fine fixed at £100 and three penalty points on their license. Penalty points expire after 4 or 11 years depending on the severity of the crime committed. Whilst speeding offences can appear relatively simple, under the surface they are actually relatively complex and there is often an opportunity to dispute these offences.
Penalties
The highest penalty for exceeding the speed limit is £1000 (£2500 if caught on a motorway). The range of penalty points that can be enforced varies from 3 to 6.
If the infraction is severe, the Court also has the power to immediately disqualify you from driving for a set period of time (this is often 6 months). The court will take into account the various factors involved in the case when deciding on the appropriate punishment, for the more serious cases, the Court will aim to impose 6 points or to disqualify the driver from driving for a period of time.
For less serious cases, the Court may look to enforce only 3 points. However, there is no set algorithm for this decision and the Court will consider all factors when making this decision.
If a total of 12 points are accrued within a three-year period, the court may initiate a disqualification through the "totting up" process.
Should find yourself having 12 points and be classed as a “totter”, you may wish to raise the argument of “exceptional hardship” to try and keep your licence. Our solicitors can help you in this process and put your representations before the court. Please not that this argument can only be used once every 3 years.
Appealing a speeding offence charge
There are often ways of appealing a speeding offence, to do so it is important that you complete the section 172 notice sent to you and return it within the 28 days specified, even if you wish to challenge the speeding offence. To appeal a speeding offence, you will be required to go to Court. In this situation, it is recommended that you have legal representation from an experienced speeding offence solicitor.
When appealing a speeding offence charge, it is highly recommended that you receive guidance from an experienced speeding offence solicitor who will be able to inform you of your rights and the best possible options for your situation as well as look into any mitigating circumstances. Crafting a robust defence will involve a close analysis of the circumstances of your charge, as well as scrutinising the prosecution’s evidence in great detail.
Our speeding offence solicitors have years of experience defending clients, with a high success rate. We will take care of any complicated paperwork required of you as well as providing legal and personal support during this difficult time.
Frequently asked questions
Is speeding a criminal offence?
Speeding is classed as a civil offence in the UK and offenders will receive a civil conviction as a result of speeding. However, should you fail to pay the speeding ticket, you could eventually face criminal prosecution in more serious cases.
When you receive a speeding ticket, you are required to pay it within 28 days, failing to do so may result in the fine escalating to criminal prosecution which can carry much more serious consequences.
What is the offence code for speeding?
The offence code for speeding is SP30, titled as “Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road”. Most roads in the UK have clearly marked signs telling drivers what the speed limit is and the law tends to allow some “wiggle room” allowing for unintentional errors, however, it is never advisable to drive over the speed limit.
Is speeding a strict liability offence?
A strict liability offence is an offence that is essentially “you did it or you didn’t” with a lack of discrepancy for mitigating factors. This means that if you are charged you will
automatically be found guilty unless you appeal and can provide that you didn’t commit the crime.
How long after a speeding offence can you be prosecuted?
Once you have been charged with a speeding offence, the police will have 14 days to send notice of a speeding offence, referred to as a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP), and once you have received this, they then have 6 months from the offence to initiate legal proceedings against you, whether that be a penalty notice or litigation in Court.
Contact our speeding offence solicitors
To contact one of our expert speeding offence solicitors in the South Wales area, you can call one of our offices in Pontypridd, Swansea and Talbot Green or email us at info@dwharris.co.uk. Alternatively, you can use our contact form and one of our staff will be in touch shortly.