Rule changes coming into force over the next week and a bit.

 

First up, don’t forget that starting this Monday, the 24th September, anyone caught “failing to identify the driver,” when caught by a speed camera or suchlike, will automatically earn themselves double points.

 

Thanks to the provisions set out in the Road Safety Act 2006, the government has amended the law which now means that drivers who don’t admit to their indiscretion will receive six penalty points.

 

Paul Smith, founder of SafeSpeed.org.uk, said: "This change has absolutely nothing to do with road safety - it's just spiteful."

 

"Vehicle owners should be aware that they have no obligation to 'name the driver' if they do not know who the driver was at the time of the alleged offence, and cannot discover the identity of the driver using reasonable diligence. This is a statutory defence - sometimes known as the Hamilton defence - and is enshrined in statute 172 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988."

 

Secondly, although vehicles with incorrectly displayed registration plates already fail the MOT test, from 1st October, the rules will be tightened further.

 

This is as a result of feedback from traffic enforcement cameras, Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems and road user charging technology. The new rules require the MOT tester to visually inspect the number plates, which must be present, secure, show the correct registration, colour and be the correct size, format and font.

 

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/speed/default.asp?storyId=16835

that is true they will no doubt be xcused any impending fines as they do not have an income!! or they will be allowed to pay it back at 1 penny a week for the next 4500 years!

section to be filled in at all times - normally your name, address, DOB etc

 

Part 1 - if you were the driver fill in your driver licence and sign

Part 2 - if you were not the driver and are not a hire company complete this, the driver's name, and address and sign it.

Part 3 - statement by a vehiel hire company

Part 4 - if you were not the keeper or owner of the vehicle at the time complete here (date of sale etc)

 

Thats on the fine Im looking at right now (Hampshire Constabulary one, they may vary slightly .... but now where really to 'contest')

 

This is another none legally binding, but very leeding forms being sent out by Police forces up and down the county.

 

Best thing to do is to write see attach across it and answer it in your own words. you must tell them who owns the vehical, but you can ask them why they have sent it to you, what equipment used, last time calibrated etc and wether you contest it or not.

 

The forms are just a confession form. Impossible to answer fully and not in someway incrimiate yourself even if your inocent. Don't fill them in.

Fookin country,

 

Where is the UN when you need them to resolve this dictatorship!!

fine statement mark. :bow:

 

Seconded :cry:

 

Also let me add another scenario where you may not know who was driving your car. You and your partner are driving from say Brighton to Inverness and share the driving, swapping at various intervals.

 

Let's assume the car gets snapped somewhere by a mobile camera like a van on a motorway bridge. There may be no flash and neither of you saw the b@stard van.

 

It is possible that 2 weeks later neither of you would remember who was driving on that stretch of road - like the Hamiltons.

 

Whilst some people would try to claim this knowing full well who was driving, it is possible you may not.....

 

And as for the company car thing where the keeper (or company director) gets the points that is just plain spite. Sure, levy a fine on the company but is endorsing the managing director's licence when he has not actually comitted a driving offence is morally wrong.

 

Richard :nono:

you know who is driving your car but if there are two or you on the policy and the camera is located in a place you both use regularly to do the shopping, pick people up, get petrol etc and it is on a normal week night and you dont see the camera flash how are you supposed to remember indefinitely who was driving at that exact point when the ticket comes through 6 weeks later?

 

They have to issue the NIP within 14 days and I hope you would be aware that you were speeding and saw a flash in your rear view or realised that you may have gone through a camera otherwise maybe you shouldn't be allowed to drive anyway.

Furthermore, if you don't want the hassle then don't speed, it's like gambling if you can't afford to lose then don't bet.

Furthermore, if you don't want the hassle then don't speed, it's like gambling if you can't afford to lose then don't bet.

 

I agree in principle but that's not the real issue here. It's all about the registered keeper receiving points on their licence for not identifying the driver when an offence occurs.

 

Granted if it's your car and no-one else drives it then own up and shut up. However in the case of fleet operators and hire companies etc it is wrong to inflict penalty points on someone who may never break motoring laws, just for the actions of someone else.

 

I am in charge of my company's vehicle fleet. When I recive an NIP, I alway call the regular driver first just to make sure it was him, before returning it with his details.

 

However 2 vans are used by a team of 2 chaps each. Supposing an NIP arrives for one of those vans, so when I call the driver(s) neither of them believes they were driving. I genuinely cannot therefore identify the driver, so why should I face 6 points on my own (clean) licence???

 

It's just another ill conceived idea by a controlling big brother state.

 

Richard

yep.. just thought about it Im sure I heard on the news one night that if the registered keeper (the owner of the vehicle) says basically 'I dont know who was driving the vehicle' he gets done for it....... how can you not know who was driving your vehicle unless it was stolen? Which would have been reported to the police so you'd be ok.

 

Dont know what would happen though if you said 'He was driving' but he goes up in court and denies it ... hmmmm

 

My zed got caught speeding whilst in a garage for some work :nono: Ok, so I knew where it was, but not necessarily who was driving. Can't believe that under the new rules I'd get 6 points for that! Would seems a bit harsh when I didn't even have my car at the time.

 

So, car wasn't stolen, but I didn't know who was driving either. :confused:

not all motorists have a job though ..... and alot of thieving scum bags probably do have jobs but are just sh1t heads ;)

I have a job and i'm not a scum bag and you still won't let me drive your car??? Lol :D :cool:

It seems to me that they are trying to scare your money out of your pockets.

 

I had a NIP back in April and I ignored it, the alledged offence (and I say alledged because no proof was offered) was in March and as yet they havn't taken me away even though I put the NIP in the bin, and the follow up letter.......followed.

 

Innocent until proven guilty my friends

And as for the company car thing where the keeper (or company director) gets the points that is just plain spite. Sure, levy a fine on the company but is endorsing the managing director's licence when he has not actually comitted a driving offence is morally wrong.

 

Richard :nono:

 

But the car is being driven on behalf of that company and they a have responsibility by law, they are still using the vehicle.

the driver has a responsibility by law, no body else should take a punishment for a crime they never committed, it goes everything this country supposedly stands for.

 

Any one that says this is being done over safety is disillusioned, this is another blatent attempt to collect more money into the pot.

 

If only they put as much effort into amending the criminal justice system and bringing to task the really dangerous members of society, maybe this country would not be in half the state it is now.

 

It would appear you ll probably get away with murder, as long as you dont break the speed limit during the getaway.

But the car is being driven on behalf of that company and they a have responsibility by law, they are still using the vehicle.

 

Yes the comppany has a responsibility but why should a director have his personal licence endorsed for an action that was not under his control?

 

Like I have said, 2 of my company vans are each manned by a team of 2 lift fitters. If one of those vans is being driven to Scotland, both men share the driving and during that trip the van gets photographed speeding; if neither of the co-drivers know who was driving at that point (or for that matter argue among themselves and not admit to the offence) then neither me nor my co-directors can identify the driver. Why should we then face 6 points on our own personal driving licences??

 

Again like I said before, levy a fine on the company (and yes, I'd still probably challenge that) but leave our personal licences alone. Licence endorsements are there to punish an individual for their own bad driving. End of story!

 

Richard :cool:

I have a job and i'm not a scum bag and you still won't let me drive your car??? Lol :D :cool:

 

so I can take the double points for your little mischevious doings :rofl: ...

Yes the comppany has a responsibility but why should a director have his personal licence endorsed for an action that was not under his control?

 

Like I have said, 2 of my company vans are each manned by a team of 2 lift fitters. If one of those vans is being driven to Scotland, both men share the driving and during that trip the van gets photographed speeding; if neither of the co-drivers know who was driving at that point (or for that matter argue among themselves and not admit to the offence) then neither me nor my co-directors can identify the driver. Why should we then face 6 points on our own personal driving licences??

 

Again like I said before, levy a fine on the company (and yes, I'd still probably challenge that) but leave our personal licences alone. Licence endorsements are there to punish an individual for their own bad driving. End of story!

 

Richard :cool:

 

I had a situation last summer. Company car usually driven by my wife, Sometimes buy me. The incident happend on a Saturday at 12.30. I assumed it was My wife. She insisted that it wasn't her and Iknew I hadn't been up that road for months. Then she remembered that we'd taken a load of stuff to my college lads digs and that we'd had to use the estate car that John has for his company car.

 

He claimed he collected the Car on film at 13.00 my wife insists he collected it at 12.00. In the end the company got a £250 fine. Now under the new circumstances I'd get 6 points and a fine. They'd both get off.

 

Thats not right. Infact it is a travesty. + Like richard says. We have 2 pickup trucks out every night with a 2 man crew on each and all 4 are able to drive the vehicles. If they both inssist that neither was driving I'm screwed again. It looks more and more like a means for workers to walk.