Being caught speeding can be stressful, particularly if you are concerned about penalty points, a fine, or even losing your driving licence. While speeding is a criminal offence, receiving a speeding allegation does not necessarily mean you have to accept the penalty without considering your options. 

If you have been accused of a speeding offence, understanding your rights and getting the right legal advice from a driving offence defence solicitor can be important. 

Driving Offence are part of the Burton Copeland group and are specialist driving offence defence solicitors based in Manchester, helping motorists understand their options when facing allegations. 

What happens if you are caught speeding? 

If a police officer believes you were speeding, you may be stopped at the roadside. Alternatively, speeding can be detected using cameras. If a speed camera captures your vehicle, the registered keeper will generally receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP). This will usually explain the alleged offence and request information identifying the driver. 

It is important not to ignore the notice and to seek legal advice. The registered keeper is generally required to provide information about who was driving within the relevant time limit. 

What are the penalties for speeding? 

The penalty will depend on factors including your speed, the applicable speed limit, and the circumstances of the offence. 

For some offences, you may be offered a fixed penalty, commonly involving a fine and penalty points. In certain circumstances, you may instead be offered a speed awareness course, provided you meet the eligibility requirements. 

More serious speeding offences may be dealt with in court. Depending on the circumstances, the court can impose a larger fine and penalty points, and a disqualification from driving may also be imposed.

Do you have to accept a speeding allegation? 

Not necessarily. If you believe you were not speeding, that you were not driving the vehicle, or that there are other issues with the allegation, you may have grounds to challenge it. 

The evidence in a speeding case can include camera records, photographs, police observations and other material. The circumstances of each case need to be considered individually. 

However, it is important to obtain appropriate legal advice from a defence solicitor before deciding how to respond. Simply ignoring correspondence or failing to provide the required driver information can lead to a separate offence.

What if you could lose your licence? 

For some motorists, the most serious concern is disqualification. Accumulating 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period can result in a potential “totting up” disqualification, although there are circumstances where a driver may argue that disqualification would cause exceptional hardship.

How a driving offence solicitor can help 

If you are facing a speeding allegation or are concerned about accumulating penalty points, specialist advice can help you understand your position. 

Driving Offence are driving offence defence solicitors based in Manchester. If you have been accused of speeding, contact our team for advice about your circumstances and the options available to you.