Notice of intended prosecution - Help

[rsav]

This morning i've just received a letter from northamptonshire police stating that i was caught going through a red light.

I was going 19MPH ! The light had probably just changed from amber as i was going through! - bugger.

I guess this means a £60 fine and 3 points.

Anything i can do to appeal this (without getting sent down forever)

Thanks

[eliminator]

Do you have a NIP? Anyone know if the "don't sign" works for this?

[rsav]

Yep got a NIP - just sitting on it at the moment until i can decide what to do.

Probably just end up sending it back signed.

[Mr Peevly]

rsav said:

This morning i've just received a letter from northamptonshire police stating that i was caught going through a red light. I was going 19MPH ! The light had probably just changed from amber as i was going through! - bugger. I guess this means a £60 fine and 3 points. Anything i can do to appeal this (without getting sent down forever) Thanks

They only trigger if you start crossing the detectors AFTER the lights change to red - Not while on amber.

The same arguments about NIP forms apply so you can try either the 'not sign', or the recent 'get your wife to accidentaly fill it in withought telling you' trick (Yorke). Good luck

[boosted ls1]

Yep, don't sign it! Looks like a car like yours jumped a light oh, amber is also the same as a red so never say 'it was amber officer'. If ever this happens again and plod come to see you always insist the light was green, no matter what colour it was. It can't be proved otherwise as far as I know even with independant witnesses. I read that in a book somewhere. I've got less then a month to go before my NIP expires of natural causes. Just waiting to see what happens.

[hertsbiker]

This is tricky. While I totally condone speeding in sensible places... I don't agree with hopping over a junction on a red. Ok, so it's only 19mph, but surely you must have seen it was amber for quite a while, yet you still decided to go? what if someone had gone on amber in the other direction? crash?

Sorry to rain of your parade, but I think you probably deserve this one. If we are to ever persuade the authorities that 100mph is safe on motorways, and to leave the NSL alone, we DO NOT NEED red light jumpers. Yeah I hate stopping as well, but think about it eh?

Nothing personal.

C

[TSS]

rsav said:

i've just received a letter from northamptonshire police stating

Don’t you mean “from the Northamptonshire Police State”?


First get the pictures. Northants seem to be pretty good about sending out pics for speeding so will probably send you red light pics as well. My brother and I both got our speeding photos just by phoning the Scamera office and claiming we wanted to try and identify who was driving.

As far as I know (I may be wrong) the photo will normally show both the offending vehicle and the traffic light so you can see if it is red or amber. The red light Scameras in Northants all look as if they are positioned so their photos would include the lights.

If the photo shows the light to be red then your best bet is probably not to sign the NIP.

[gh0st]

TSS said:

[quote=rsav]i've just received a letter from northamptonshire police stating

Don’t you mean “from the Northamptonshire Police State”?

[rsav]

hertsbiker, i'm with you on this one, although i must say i can't even remember going through a red! My girlfriend was in the car at the time as well and she doesn't remember either! (which is weird because she's an awful passenger)


Have i got time to ask for a photo and still send the NIP back within 30 days? Really prefer not to go to court.

[Tivster]

The only criteria that may assist you are:

1. you approached the light signal at a safe speed and slowing down AND
2. there were reasons why you could not stop safely at the amber or red light - both mean stop...
i.e. it was not safe to do so by virtue of you being the imminent party in a crash i.e. someone travelling very fast from behind, etc and it was not safe to stop.. you'd have to prove this.

If you can't satisfy the above, then you really don't have a leg to stand on. As others have said no-one condones jumping traffic light signals and the bottom line with lights is that only green means go and that is qualified by the additiion of 'if it is safe to proceed'.

Pay your money...

Tivster

>> Edited by Tivster on Friday 22 August 08:49

[TSS]

rsav said:

Have i got time to ask for a photo and still send the NIP back within 30 days?

Yes, I think you have. Northants are quite quick at getting the photos to you in my experience.

[hertsbiker]

cheers mate, I really wasn't having a dig at *you* as such... maybe the light wasn't working? but glad you can see that it could have serious consequences. Ok, let's assume you got flashed by a camera, and the light wasn't red....... how do we go about getting you off the hook??? well the driver ID'ing thing is a good 'un, as is not signing. If you look at the pictures, maybe it will turn out to be a different car? or am I being daft.

C

[rsav]

Think i'm going to apply for the photo and then go from there. If it turns out i blatently went through a red light then fair play, i'll pay the fine and take the hit.

[rsav]

Just one more thing, when applying for the photo do you have to come up with a good reason for wanting it?
What do you need to say for them to provide it.

Thanks

[eliminator]

Refer to the NIP, say that several people have use of the vehicle from time to time and you need any assistance that they can provide in identifying the particular driver at that time.

[oyster]

It's possible that you never did go through a red, at least worth asking for the pic to see if it is you. My brother recently got a parking ticket for his number plate but with the wrong car identified..

[jessica]

recently on the roundabout at the Trafford centre,the lights for pulling on to the M60 slipway appeared to be out of sink.My light next to car went green.the light next up from that also for my lane turned green. I set off in my Tivvie,always do a look left to make sure no-one jumping other lights and two cars went through.i thought cheeky sods till another one did the same ( I suggest and I had a witness that the lights here had gone out of sink and boy Was i lucky that i always check oncoming traffic has stopped before i blast it.)still cannot believe it happenend.