34 in 30 but fined.. possible differences in letter and records?

[tanner1980]

I recently visited a speed awareness course after getting a letter for 34 in a 30. The policeman there said I shouldn't be there - actually he said I shouldn't have got a letter saying 34. Someone else there said they had a 34 too. But the letter that had the speed on you have to return back to accept the course. This was from Lincs police.

 

But when I phoned they said their records said 35. Is there any way that anyone knows of of a) there being some kind of discrepancy, unlikely as it may sound or b) do you have the rights to have the original letter returned with your signature on to prove it was the same one?

[crem]

The normal ACPO guidelines for speeding FPNs is based on speed limit +10% +2. So in a 30 limit they wouldn't normally prosecute until 35mph.

 

However, there may be 2 things that affect this, 1 is that you may have been caught on a camera run by the local "safety partnership" and I don't know if they operate to the same guideline or 2 even if it was a police speeding offence, just because they didn't operate to the guideline, speeding is an absolute offence so you couldn't claim the FPN should be dropped because although you were speeding, you weren't speeding by enough!

[tanner1980]

Yeah I mean I WAS speeding - but was told by the police man himself to dispute it IF it was 34 as they only do from 35 for 30 limits, as you correctly say. And I know that other things can come in to play but the lady on the phone basically said no, it was 35 according to all our documentation otherwise you wouldn't have been sent a letter. But I'm 99.99% sure it said 34 on the original letter.

 

Also just to rub it in it took them about 6 weeks to send me the actual letter after the offence!

[Dave Briggs]

It must be different by region or relaxed rules exist as I got done for doing 40 in a 30 and I got offered a speed awareness course. The course was funny as it was a lovely old couple running it and it was £20 more. Whilst I was waiting to do the course (delays with snow) I got caught again but the letter only came in after I did the course and again it was 40 in a 30 and again I was offered the course when you shouldnt as you can only take it once within a certain period. I took the 3 points. The letter I got was weird too as it said speeding and it also said a light violation so when I sent it off I was really worried but now I have 3 points rather shoddily written on my license, oh they make you send it your piccy license too with no thought for ID theft, stupid people

[renegadeimp]

The stupid person is the one who thought they could break the law and drove over the speed limit.

[Dave Briggs]

There are lots of stupid people breaking the law and lots of people taking advantage of stupid people with ID theft when they send documents that you can use to obtain credit with or to use for forging.. Its case of we should know better... In the mean time the minute you get done for speeding remember your last comment.. fyi the course had people from 17 to well into their late life