Caught Speeding by Bike Cop
Discussion
Stopped by a policeman on motorbike today for speeding. Was doing 75mph he said in a 40mph zone. I know I was speeding but was not sure I was going the fast. He asked to see my license which I did not have, so gave him my debit card as proof of name. He then called in my license plate over the radio and a minute later said he was charging me and I "might get something in the post" in 14 days - NIP I presume. He put his small note pad back in his carry box, didn't issue me any paperwork and also didn't mention any specifics of the offence to the person on the radio.
Car is insured, no points on my license. Not sure if I have been let off or this is the usual process?
Car is insured, no points on my license. Not sure if I have been let off or this is the usual process?
Sometimes you will be given a traffic offence report (slip of paper) when reported, but it isn't required. And he wouldn't have given any details of the offence to anyone on the radio. That would just have been a basic PNC check to see if your car was insured, and to see if you had a licence or were wanted for murder.
Speaking with a biker traffic cop a few weeks ago was pretty interesting. He said he very rarely gives any fixed penalties for speeding. Said he just lets the courts deal with it. But he then said that unfortunately the courts are upping their game with regards to fines, bans and prison sentences.
Make of that what you will.
Make of that what you will.
Rahul uk said:
Guess will have to wait and see what comes of it. Was stupid to be speeding in the first place. Not much I can do about it now I guess. Was just a bit surprised at the lack of paperwork and recording of details.
He probably had all your details emailed to him by the person on the other end of the radio. He will then do all the paperwork when he gets back to the nick.I was cault speeding once about 15 years ago by an officer in a car and I am sure I was issued with a paper notice of the SP30 as it was back then. Not sure if they still work like this with modern tech but I would imagine they would still need to give you formal notification of an offence if they catch you in the act.
My sister is a traffic cop, I will drop her a text to see what she says.....
My sister is a traffic cop, I will drop her a text to see what she says.....
Oddly enough, last time I was stopped, it was at a roadside check - 53 in a 30 but he recorded it as 47 to make me eligible for a driver improvement course instead. After half an hour chatting at the road side (he owned a Blackbird) and noting we had things in common, (me dealing with a notorious accident claim which involved a local Police officer he knew and a wheelying biker who'd recorded the footage on a camera!) I was told to expect something in the post - which never arrived. Never heard a thing, and when I bumped into him again many months later was told that "the paperwork must have got lost!".
Not sure to this day if I passed the "attitude test" of the paperwork really did get lost. But I'm a lot more careful in 30's now.
Not sure to this day if I passed the "attitude test" of the paperwork really did get lost. But I'm a lot more careful in 30's now.
Evil.soup said:
Just spoke to sis and she said they do not have to give you anything at the scene. You will recieve penalty within 14 days. As the speed was so high a fixed penalty could not be given so the offence will be taken to court.
!
I don't understand the bit about recieve penalty within 14 days, but it's going to court. !
agtlaw said:
Evil.soup said:
Just spoke to sis and she said they do not have to give you anything at the scene. You will recieve penalty within 14 days. As the speed was so high a fixed penalty could not be given so the offence will be taken to court.
!
I don't understand the bit about recieve penalty within 14 days, but it's going to court. !
It's not very nice to have to wait that long, but on the plus side, I was once in a similar situation and never heard any more! I think maybe some officers will sometimes give out "6 months' nervous anticipation of a charge that never comes" as an unofficial penalty of sorts. I had a teacher at school who used to do a similar thing. Not that I want to get the OP's hopes up that nothing more will happen, but it's a definite possibility.
OTOH, so is a ban of a month or two, regardless of whether the speed was safe for the conditions...
agtlaw said:
Evil.soup said:
Just spoke to sis and she said they do not have to give you anything at the scene. You will recieve penalty within 14 days. As the speed was so high a fixed penalty could not be given so the offence will be taken to court.
!
I don't understand the bit about recieve penalty within 14 days, but it's going to court. !
Its very possible it may come to nothing as said above but I think that depends on how hot the officer is with their paperwork or how much paperwork he may have to do I would guess. I was left off a speeding fine once because the cop was at the end of his shift and he didnt want the hastle of the paperwork, at least thats what the fella said, he told me I was lucky.....
A notice of intended prosecution within 14 days is only required if a warning was not given at the time (s.1 RTOA). They generally have six months in which to commence proceedings. The speed mentioned is too fast for a speed awareness course or a fixed penalty. This is the guideline used at court:
agtlaw said:
Evil.soup said:
Just spoke to sis and she said they do not have to give you anything at the scene. You will recieve penalty within 14 days. As the speed was so high a fixed penalty could not be given so the offence will be taken to court.
!
I don't understand the bit about recieve penalty within 14 days, but it's going to court. !
a. evil soup misread / mis remembered NIP as 'penalty'
b. the BiB referred to the NIP paperwork as a 'penalty notice' or some such
mph1977 said:
agtlaw said:
Evil.soup said:
Just spoke to sis and she said they do not have to give you anything at the scene. You will recieve penalty within 14 days. As the speed was so high a fixed penalty could not be given so the offence will be taken to court.
!
I don't understand the bit about recieve penalty within 14 days, but it's going to court. !
a. evil soup misread / mis remembered NIP as 'penalty'
b. the BiB referred to the NIP paperwork as a 'penalty notice' or some such
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