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Tuesday, 9th February 2010

Fewer speeding cases end in prosecution

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Published Date:
08 June 2009
Thousands of potential court prosecutions for speeding in Lancashire have been withdrawn.
Official figures from the Government and Lancashire police show that of the 85,994 potential prosecutions identified in four years, 24,021 actually ended up in court.

Police say the prosecutions are "withdrawn for a variety of reasons, such as lack of evidence, lack of time due to the limitation period, mitigating circumstances".

Figures from the Ministry of Justice and Lancashire Police reveal that in 2006/7, the latest figures available, 27,006 of the 108,766 speeding offences that year were identified as "potential prosecutions" – a quarter of the total offences.

Potential prosecution relates to cases where a fine has not been paid, speed awareness course has not been attended, a court hearing is elected or the matter can only be dealt with at court due to the speed involved.

But just 6,087 of them were actually forwarded to be dealt with at the courts.

Nigel Humphries of the Association of British Drivers, which campaigns on behalf of motorists, said: "It shows they can't cope with the numbers involved so they are giving up in a lot of cases.

"That says to us there are far too many people being prosecuted, and if that many people are driving over the speed limit maybe they should be looking at the speed limits."

The figures were revealed in answer to a Freedom of Information Act request to Lancashire police.

The response said: "I have been advised that potential prosecutions do not equate to the number of cases that are ultimately forwarded to court, for example by raising a summons.

"A large number are withdrawn due to a variety of reasons, such as lack of evidence, lack of time due to the limitation period, mitigating circumstances etc.

"Therefore, this figure cannot be compared to the figures obtained from the courts for actual proceedings."

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  • Last Updated: 08 June 2009 1:20 PM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Preston
 
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1

Spireite,

08/06/2009 11:07:56
This couldn't be another situation where the honest majority pay up but the usual scallies don't - and nobody can be bothered to pursue them - can it?
2

jonh,

08/06/2009 12:16:49
"such as lack of evidence"

I'd be most interested as to how this can be a reason for dropping a speeding case!!
3

SallyP,

08/06/2009 12:26:48
"such as lack of evidence"

I'd be most interested as to how this can be a reason for dropping a speeding case!!

Because evidence is necessary to secure a conviction? What a daft question.

If the camera has not been calibrated properly, if the vehicle has not been targetted correctly, if the N I P has not been sent correctly, or even if a vehicle has no traceable registered keeper, and so on, then the evidence is not sufficient to proceed.

Unless you think, John, that the fact that the Safety Partnership or the police sending a letter is good enough reason to obtain a conviction?
4

jonh,

08/06/2009 12:33:34
"Unless you think, John, that the fact that the Safety Partnership or the police sending a letter is good enough reason to obtain a conviction?"

Why not, they do?
5

SallyP,

08/06/2009 13:03:59
They do what? Send a letter? Think that the letter is sufficient to obtain a conviction?

If the former, there's no dispute that they do that. But it is not evidence of an offence.

If the latter, they clearly don't (and they are right), otherwise they wouldn't drop so many cases.
6

ShelleyMac,

Lancashire 08/06/2009 13:41:46
1#"This couldn't be another situation where the honest majority pay up but the usual scallies don't - and nobody can be bothered to pursue them - can it?"

Why should they bother to pursue them? They get paid £634,000 a year out of the income from "The honest majority (mugs?)" who just pay up, NOT TO PURSUE THEM! So they can't lose whether they send them to court or not!

These are ISSUED FPNs not NIPs or letters etc.so there is no lack of evidence, no mitigating circumstances (unless a court decides so) No Timescale for an UNPAID FPN that is not paid in 28 days (Courts collect, £60.00 fine plus a 50% surcharge plus £35 fixed costs!)

They have been sent out to drivers who admitted they were the driver at the time, in the vehicle with an identified address!

Looks like the Partneship members have a lot of friends, family members etc who never get fined for speeding in Lancashire!

Who has the authority to cancel a FPN when it has been issued?

I wonder how much it costs to get into this 20,000 a year scrap heap? No fine, No points, No speed awareness, no court appearance, no totting up!
Completely corrupt!!!!!
7

SallyP,

08/06/2009 15:01:21
That's interesting if they are all cases where FPNs have been issued. But the article doesn't say it is. Some of the cases are where a court hearing is the only option due to speed, and some are where a court hearing has been elected. In any event, it doesn't say that all are cases where people have been stopped by the police. Surely some must have been dealt with by mobile camera and a N I P issued, rather than an FPN?
8

SallyP,

08/06/2009 15:03:05
Sorry, Shelley - I'm assuming that you know ore about this than the LEP do, and yet again, they've written a very lazy piece, telling us only half the story.

So, this story relates to FPNs only. I wonder what the figures are for police NIPs and camera partnership NIPs. Anyone know?
9

ShelleyMac,

08/06/2009 15:44:39
8#
"So, this story relates to FPNs only. I wonder what the figures are for police NIPs and camera partnership NIPs. Anyone know?"
For 2006-7:
NIPS 103,672
Issued FPNs for Speeding (No Speed awareness, etc 106,699
Paid FPNs 57,551
Source:
LRSP returns to Ministry for Transport FPNH1 form 2006-7

Police Issued NIPs just over 5,000(Source Lancs Constabulary FOI)
This is just 1 year 2006 - 7
Hope this helps
10

ShelleyMac,

08/06/2009 15:51:19
Sorry!
ISSUED FPNS Partnership 101,699.
Actually ALL FPNs are issued by Lancashire Constabulary but they can claim costs from Camera income only for Red Light Light & Camera recorded offences.
The Partnership can only deal with camera offences.They don't actually issue anything but simply claim costs on behalf of the Partners from the income from PAID FPNs.
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