How to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket from a Speed Camera – Guide

Did you get a speeding ticket and feel unsure about what to do next? You’ve come to the right place. Every month, over 130,000 people visit our site for guidance on fines and parking tickets.

In this guide, we’ll explain:

• What a Fixed Penalty Notice is and why you might get one.
• If you need to pay your speeding fine right away.
• How you can challenge your fine in court.
• Times when you might not have to pay your speeding fine.
• What could happen if you decide not to pay your fine.

Receiving a Fixed Penalty Notice can be concerning, but you’re not alone. In fact, a group of MPs and Peers say FPNs, which can cost up to £10,000, are hard to understand and might be unfair.¹

Don’t worry; we’re here to help you figure out what your next steps should be.

Can you contest a fine for speeding UK?

Yes, you could, but there is no simple appeals process, and you may need to go to a court hearing. Only a judge can decide whether you have to pay a fine or whether it gets cancelled.

You could argue the following points when challenging a fine for speeding:

• There were no road signs indicating the speed limit
• The Notice of Impending Prosecution (NIP) you got contained incorrect details
• The speed camera calibration was wrong (although this is hard to prove)
• You weren’t the driver when your vehicle was caught on a speed camera going over the limit

Fixed Penalty Notice Appeal Reasons

If you were caught driving over a speed limit on camera, you need strong evidence and a valid excuse to appeal.

Losing your case could result in a higher fine.

I’ve put together this quick table that explains valid appeal reasons to increase your chances of success. If you want to learn more about the appeal process, be sure to check out our specialized guide.

Traffic safety education

As mentioned above, you can avoid endorsements on your licence and a fine if you are offered the chance to take a speed awareness course.

These courses are offered at the discretion of local police forces, which means not everyone can participate.

Your chances of being offered are higher if you are a first-time offender and the traffic violation severity you have committed is low. Drivers are only offered an opportunity to participate once every three years from the last date of the offence.

A speed awareness course usually costs between £80 to £120, and they typically take around four hours to complete.

Not only can drivers avoid points on their licence by taking this course, but it may also help them understand the importance of adhering to speed limits and staying safe on the road.

Another benefit of a speed awareness course is that you don’t get a speeding conviction.

As you can see, this MoneySavingExpert forum user has taken the course to avoid penalty points on their licence but is confused about what they should tell their future insurer.

The answer is ‘no’. They have avoided conviction by taking the speed awareness course.

Can I appeal a speeding ticket when caught on a speed camera?

You could appeal the fine when caught on a speed camera, but it could be challenging.

You may need to attend a court hearing, as only a court ruling can decide whether the fine is unjustified. In the end, you could end up paying more.

Whether a speeding appeal is successful is typically based on a ‘technicality’. For instance:

• Was the camera calibrated correctly?
• Was the fine issued correctly?

As I see it, it’s a gamble when you challenge a fine for speeding. Just 1% of tickets are contested, and the appeal success rate is low, with around half of the appeals being successful.

How do you contest a speeding ticket?

You must reply by filling in the ‘not guilty plea’ on a speeding ticket.

After this, you’ll be sent a court summons, and there will be legal proceedings. If you go down this route, you can either opt for self-representation or seek professional legal assistance.

Lastly, how do you get out of a speeding ticket from a speed camera?

Getting out of a speeding ticket from a speed camera is not easy.

Two ways to get out of it are to prove you weren’t the driver or that the speed camera was not calibrated correctly, which is hard to prove.

My advice? Only challenge the fine if you have enough evidence to win.

Otherwise, it could be worth paying the fine if you don’t think you’ll win and don’t have the funds to pay for an expensive lawyer.

How much is a UK speeding fine?

The minimum penalty is £100 when caught driving too fast on a speed camera.

Plus, you’ll get three points on your licence. This may not sound like a lot, but any points usually result in a higher insurance premium.

When you’re caught speeding on a motorway, the fine goes up to £1,000.

However, it could be higher than that. Some speeding motorists have received fines of £2,500.

The higher fines for speeding are designed to discourage motorists from breaking the speed limit. An added incentive to not speed is the threat of losing your licence if you receive 12 or more penalty points.

You can use my free speeding calculator to get an estimate of how much your fine will be.

Possible repercussions of repeat offences

If you are a habitual offender and get caught every time, you can expect cumulative consequences like more points on your licence, more fines and increased insurance premiums.

In addition to increased penalties, your licence will be revoked if your endorsements tot up to 12 points.

Does a speeding ticket affect your insurance UK?

If you have endorsements on your driving record because of a speeding ticket, your insurer will deem you a risky driver, and your insurance premiums will likely increase.

Moreover, the more endorsements you have on your licence, your premiums will soar.

Premiums can go up by 5% to 10% if you get three points on your licence, but the insurance rate adjustments depend on several factors included in your insurer’s risk assessment.

These include the motoring offence’s severity, car type, age, and driving history.

The fine can impact your premiums for years after the endorsements have been removed. In general, car insurers consider motoring offences spent after five years.

However, the length of time can differ from insurer to insurer.

I wasn’t driving when the fine was issued. Do I have to pay?

If you’re the car’s registered keeper and you weren’t driving when the fine was issued, you must tell the authorities who was.

Failure to provide the driver’s details could result in a £2,500 fine. Moreover, you could lose your licence!

Should I get a lawyer to represent me if I challenge a fine for speeding?

It may be worth hiring a lawyer if you are sure you didn’t commit a speeding offence and you stand to lose your licence.

Legal advice can be expensive but necessary in some cases.

A speeding ticket lawyer understands the law and technicalities surrounding UK driving regulations and will fight for your rights. However, their services are not cheap.

Sometimes, attorney fees can range from £200 to £600.

It is important to understand that every case is different, and you may end up paying a lot more, or less, for legal representation.

When do I get a fixed penalty for speeding?

You will be sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) if you are caught speeding by a speed camera.

The NIP must be sent to the registered keeper within two weeks of the alleged speeding offence. Remember that speed camera evidence is solid – unless they’re not calibrated correctly, which is rare and difficult to prove.

You must respond to a NIP within 28 days of receiving it and provide all the required information in your reply.

What defence could I use against a fixed penalty for speeding?

There are certain legal defences which could get you out of paying a speeding ticket:

• Details on the Notice of Intended Prosecution are incorrect
• You weren’t driving when the fine was issued
• There were no speed limit signs
• The speed camera was incorrectly calibrated (this is very hard to prove)

Contesting a fine received for speeding is not easy, especially if you are contesting the speed detection accuracy of a camera. Doing so is risky, and you may end up paying a much larger fine!

References

1. UK Parliament — FPN