NIP Received Late - what to do?
Discussion
So I have an NIP landed today from a camera van on a journey we did on the 21st May. The speed was for 71 on a dual carrigeway in one of our works vans.
Commercial vehicle limit is 60mph, rather than the normal 70mph on dual carriageways, but this particular van was a VW Combi (side and rear windows, extra row of seats and weight within the required limits), so also classified as a 'dual purpose vehicle', which means that the speed limit is revised to 70mph rather than 60mph.
So I was 1mph over the limit.
The NIP arrived in the post today, so 15 days after the alleged incident. I believe that if not received within 14 days then the NIP is not valid. Is this correct?
The post with us at present seems to be arriving in batches, none for several days and then a few letters arrive together wrapped in elastic bands. Guessing this has something to do with perhaps reduced deliveries during Covid-19. The date on the NIP is the 29th May but there is no indication when this was actually posted. There is no postmark or date stamp the envelope to check this.
So which route do we go down. Technically I was still 1mph over the limit so would this wash? Can I rely on the 14 day thing? How could I prove this without a date stamp or tracking details on the envelope?
Commercial vehicle limit is 60mph, rather than the normal 70mph on dual carriageways, but this particular van was a VW Combi (side and rear windows, extra row of seats and weight within the required limits), so also classified as a 'dual purpose vehicle', which means that the speed limit is revised to 70mph rather than 60mph.
So I was 1mph over the limit.
The NIP arrived in the post today, so 15 days after the alleged incident. I believe that if not received within 14 days then the NIP is not valid. Is this correct?
The post with us at present seems to be arriving in batches, none for several days and then a few letters arrive together wrapped in elastic bands. Guessing this has something to do with perhaps reduced deliveries during Covid-19. The date on the NIP is the 29th May but there is no indication when this was actually posted. There is no postmark or date stamp the envelope to check this.
So which route do we go down. Technically I was still 1mph over the limit so would this wash? Can I rely on the 14 day thing? How could I prove this without a date stamp or tracking details on the envelope?
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 5th June 22:26
Andy20vt said:
So I have an NIP landed today from a scamera van on a journey we did on the 21st May. The speed was for 71 on a dual carrigeway in one of our works vans.
Commercial vehicle limit is 60mph, rather than the normal 70mph on dual carriageways, but this particular van was a VW Combi (side and rear windows, extra row of seats and weight within the required limits), so also classified as a 'dual purpose vehicle', which means that the speed limit is revised to 70mph rather than 60mph.
So I was 1mph over the limit.
The NIP arrived in the post today, so 15 days after the alleged incident. I believe that if not received within 14 days then the NIP is not valid. Is this correct?
The post down here with us in Devon seems to be arriving in batches, none for several days and then a few letters arrive together wrapped in elastic bands. Guessing this has something to do with perhaps reduced deliveries during Covid-19. The date on the NIP is the 29th May but there is no indication when this was actually posted. There is no postmark or date stamp the envelope to check this.
So which route do we go down. Technically I was still 1mph over the limit so would this wash? Can I rely on the 14 day thing? How could I prove this without a date stamp or tracking details on the envelope?
I think at 71 mph you can question the accuracy of the measurement - device tolerance is listed as 73 mph!Commercial vehicle limit is 60mph, rather than the normal 70mph on dual carriageways, but this particular van was a VW Combi (side and rear windows, extra row of seats and weight within the required limits), so also classified as a 'dual purpose vehicle', which means that the speed limit is revised to 70mph rather than 60mph.
So I was 1mph over the limit.
The NIP arrived in the post today, so 15 days after the alleged incident. I believe that if not received within 14 days then the NIP is not valid. Is this correct?
The post down here with us in Devon seems to be arriving in batches, none for several days and then a few letters arrive together wrapped in elastic bands. Guessing this has something to do with perhaps reduced deliveries during Covid-19. The date on the NIP is the 29th May but there is no indication when this was actually posted. There is no postmark or date stamp the envelope to check this.
So which route do we go down. Technically I was still 1mph over the limit so would this wash? Can I rely on the 14 day thing? How could I prove this without a date stamp or tracking details on the envelope?
As you're not RK, the NIP was probably sent to the company first, so fulfills the 14 day requirement.
It sounds like you're porbably going to have to decide whether to refuse the SAC/FPN offer on the grounds that the speed limit being enforced was wrong... it would be interesting to see how a 71/70 fared in court!

Solocle said:
I think at 71 mph you can question the accuracy of the measurement - device tolerance is listed as 73 mph!
As you're not RK, the NIP was probably sent to the company first, so fulfills the 14 day requirement.
It sounds like you're porbably going to have to decide whether to refuse the SAC/FPN offer on the grounds that the speed limit being enforced was wrong... it would be interesting to see how a 71/70 fared in court!
Sorry just checked the NIP and V5, my name and home address is on there as RK, my mistake. So the NIP has come straight here. The van is owned by the business though, not that this makes any difference.As you're not RK, the NIP was probably sent to the company first, so fulfills the 14 day requirement.
It sounds like you're porbably going to have to decide whether to refuse the SAC/FPN offer on the grounds that the speed limit being enforced was wrong... it would be interesting to see how a 71/70 fared in court!

Drawweight said:
Does the NIP tell you the limit that you have exceeded?
Are you being charged with doing over 60 or 70?
Excuse me if this is a naive question..it’s been a few years since I had one of these.
The NIP has a reference of 71/60 so I presume it's for being 11mph over 60mph.Are you being charged with doing over 60 or 70?
Excuse me if this is a naive question..it’s been a few years since I had one of these.
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
I don't know much about these matters (or anything else really)...
...but can a Kombi weigh less than 2 tonnes when fitted with seats etc? Just curious really.
Dual Purpose Vehicle limit is 2040kg unladen. This one of our vans according to VW spec sheet is 2023kg unladen, so just inside....but can a Kombi weigh less than 2 tonnes when fitted with seats etc? Just curious really.
Andy20vt said:
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
I don't know much about these matters (or anything else really)...
...but can a Kombi weigh less than 2 tonnes when fitted with seats etc? Just curious really.
Dual Purpose Vehicle limit is 2040kg unladen. This one of our vans according to VW spec sheet is 2023kg unladen, so just inside....but can a Kombi weigh less than 2 tonnes when fitted with seats etc? Just curious really.
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
martinbiz said:
It's not just about weight, it needs to be built on a car derived platform
Not so, car derived is different to dual purpose
Andy20vt said:
The NIP arrived in the post today, so 15 days after the alleged incident. I believe that if not received within 14 days then the NIP is not valid. Is this correct?
Alas it appears it's not that simple. It needs to be posted such that it would usually arrive within 14 days, so if its taken a week due to Covid or a postal strike is can be more than 14 days and still valid.
OverSteery said:
I googled this today (I was flashed on the 19th and have yet to receive anything).
Alas it appears it's not that simple. It needs to be posted such that it would usually arrive within 14 days, so if its taken a week due to Covid or a postal strike is can be more than 14 days and still valid.
Really? That does not sound very fair. If it went first class yesterday then it wouldn't have been with me in 14 days. If it was posted a week ago then it would. Any way to prove which day it was posted?Alas it appears it's not that simple. It needs to be posted such that it would usually arrive within 14 days, so if its taken a week due to Covid or a postal strike is can be more than 14 days and still valid.
OverSteery said:
Andy20vt said:
The NIP arrived in the post today, so 15 days after the alleged incident. I believe that if not received within 14 days then the NIP is not valid. Is this correct?
Alas it appears it's not that simple. It needs to be posted such that it would usually arrive within 14 days, so if its taken a week due to Covid or a postal strike is can be more than 14 days and still valid.
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