NIP - right car details, car not on that road that day...
Discussion
Morning PH, got a mystified and somewhat panicked call from my elderly (80) dad saying he and his partner had received an NIP for 54 in a 30 on a road that's relatively close to where he lives. Automated camera - alleged offence dated 13/06 - he did have the car out that day but he's adamant he wasn't anywhere near the road in question. Only detail of the car given is the registration number, which is definitely theirs.
I'd perhaps be a little wary that he had driven up the road and it had slipped his mind, but I spoke to him on the evening of the day in question, asked about his day etc and he definitely hadn't been along that road unless he'd had a mystery journey to nowhere in particular that he'd already forgotten by that evening...
He does have medical problems (mainly arthritis related) but isn't losing his marbles or overly prone to memory holes or gaffes. Additionally, while no use whatsoever from a proof point of view, I don't think their car has travelled faster than 40 mph in the past two years...
I'm 99.9% sure this is a cock-up of some sort, but I imagine that he's got no choice other than to return the NIP specifying he was the driver on the day in question (he's the only person that drives the car these days), and then to plead "not guilty" when things progress and ask to see the photographic evidence?
Further query is, in people's experience, is there any point in enclosing a covering letter with the NIP stating that he will be contesting the ticket? Or requesting to see the photo evidence in advance of any court summons etc? Area is West Yorkshire if anyone has particular info on how things are likely to go there.
To those that will think he's just gone doolally and suddenly decided to go all Fast and Furious past a notorious local speed trap - that's the 0.01% doubt sadly but for the reasons given above I'm genuinely confident he wasn't on that road and whatever car they photoed wasn't theirs. Given the speed involved I imagine this would be a straight to court job, and I'm keen to spare him as much stress and hassle as possible.
Many thanks in advance.
I'd perhaps be a little wary that he had driven up the road and it had slipped his mind, but I spoke to him on the evening of the day in question, asked about his day etc and he definitely hadn't been along that road unless he'd had a mystery journey to nowhere in particular that he'd already forgotten by that evening...
He does have medical problems (mainly arthritis related) but isn't losing his marbles or overly prone to memory holes or gaffes. Additionally, while no use whatsoever from a proof point of view, I don't think their car has travelled faster than 40 mph in the past two years...
I'm 99.9% sure this is a cock-up of some sort, but I imagine that he's got no choice other than to return the NIP specifying he was the driver on the day in question (he's the only person that drives the car these days), and then to plead "not guilty" when things progress and ask to see the photographic evidence?
Further query is, in people's experience, is there any point in enclosing a covering letter with the NIP stating that he will be contesting the ticket? Or requesting to see the photo evidence in advance of any court summons etc? Area is West Yorkshire if anyone has particular info on how things are likely to go there.
To those that will think he's just gone doolally and suddenly decided to go all Fast and Furious past a notorious local speed trap - that's the 0.01% doubt sadly but for the reasons given above I'm genuinely confident he wasn't on that road and whatever car they photoed wasn't theirs. Given the speed involved I imagine this would be a straight to court job, and I'm keen to spare him as much stress and hassle as possible.
Many thanks in advance.
As said ask for photos.
I recently had a NIP through for a speeding offence that was over 200 miles from where i was that day.
Asked for photos and could see a person with white hair driving the car
Emailed the issuing force back with details of where i was and a photo of myself and revived a letter stating they were investigating and it turned out to be a cloned car
I recently had a NIP through for a speeding offence that was over 200 miles from where i was that day.
Asked for photos and could see a person with white hair driving the car
Emailed the issuing force back with details of where i was and a photo of myself and revived a letter stating they were investigating and it turned out to be a cloned car
agt will no doubt have plenty of experience of such matters, but personally I'd have thought more likely cloning than a misread(?)
Only reason I say that is that if the road is local, rather than some random one hundreds of miles away, it's a bizarre coincidence that a local person happens to own the plate that was mistakenly identified.
Only reason I say that is that if the road is local, rather than some random one hundreds of miles away, it's a bizarre coincidence that a local person happens to own the plate that was mistakenly identified.
PorkInsider said:
agt will no doubt have plenty of experience of such matters, but personally I'd have thought more likely cloning than a misread(?)
Only reason I say that is that if the road is local, rather than some random one hundreds of miles away, it's a bizarre coincidence that a local person happens to own the plate that was mistakenly identified.
Not really, it's more likely that 2 local plates (especially for newer cars) would remain in the local area.Only reason I say that is that if the road is local, rather than some random one hundreds of miles away, it's a bizarre coincidence that a local person happens to own the plate that was mistakenly identified.
Especially if they came from the local dealer (e.g I had PY16 BFA & my FIL had PY16 BFF on L200s)
Mammasaid said:
Not really, it's more likely that 2 local plates (especially for newer cars) would remain in the local area.
Especially if they came from the local dealer (e.g I had PY16 BFA & my FIL had PY16 BFF on L200s)
If the car's quite new, check the plates are the same front and rear! Neighbour's got mixed up with another car and they only realised when they got a parking ticket for somewhere they'd never been.Especially if they came from the local dealer (e.g I had PY16 BFA & my FIL had PY16 BFF on L200s)
The 0.01% doubt is niggling though - elderly FIL is prettty switched on mentally, but he got in a flap when there appeared to be £2K missing from his bank account last month. He'd gone as far as calling the bank and found it was an in-branch cash withdrawal, which he denied doing, until we reminded him he'd been in there and taken it out in cash. He'd even commented at the time about how awkward nearby parking was but that still hadn't locked it into his memory.
Sheepshanks said:
If the car's quite new, check the plates are the same front and rear! Neighbour's got mixed up with another car and they only realised when they got a parking ticket for somewhere they'd never been.
The 0.01% doubt is niggling though - elderly FIL is prettty switched on mentally, but he got in a flap when there appeared to be £2K missing from his bank account last month. He'd gone as far as calling the bank and found it was an in-branch cash withdrawal, which he denied doing, until we reminded him he'd been in there and taken it out in cash. He'd even commented at the time about how awkward nearby parking was but that still hadn't locked it into his memory.
I mean, I'm 20, and I got into a flap about a mysterious £30 withdrawal from my account. Turned out to be something like road tax!The 0.01% doubt is niggling though - elderly FIL is prettty switched on mentally, but he got in a flap when there appeared to be £2K missing from his bank account last month. He'd gone as far as calling the bank and found it was an in-branch cash withdrawal, which he denied doing, until we reminded him he'd been in there and taken it out in cash. He'd even commented at the time about how awkward nearby parking was but that still hadn't locked it into his memory.
Thanks again all - quick update in that Dad spoke to the camera people yesterday, who were actually very polite and helpful. Make and model similar to Dad's car, so the 'new car cousins' theory may well be in play.
They're not sending out the pics at the moment, but spotted enough discrepencies between car in pic and Dad's to ask him to send the NIP back without filling it in, along with a covering letter and some photos of the back of Dad's car. I'll sort that at the weekend and hopefully will sort things.
They're not sending out the pics at the moment, but spotted enough discrepencies between car in pic and Dad's to ask him to send the NIP back without filling it in, along with a covering letter and some photos of the back of Dad's car. I'll sort that at the weekend and hopefully will sort things.
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