Rant DAMN! Ran a red light?! Notice of Prosecution?! Help needed!!

I dont know how but apparently I ran a red light and I have recieved a notice of intended prosecution asking for my details, upon which further instructions will be sent to me.

I am quite a safe driver and dont think theres any way I would have done this intentionally and am just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them and what the punishment is?

I dont mind paying a fine as I would have learnt my lesson but 3 points on my license would kill me as I am a new driver...and my insurance would be too much... I really dont know what will happen....anyone ever had this happen to them? what was the outcome?

Im wondering whether to try even contest it and say it was totally unintentional and whether I could simply pay a fine as I have never been in trouble....also the fact that I work for part of the Criminal justice system myself and am law abiding professional!

Help!

 

If you ran a red light, and they're prosecuting, I'd guess that they have photographic evidence of the event from a traffic / red light camera.

I believe you can ask to see the evidence.

The fine is the same as a speeding offence IIRC - £60 and 3 points, if you don't contest it. If you do, and you go to court, it can wind up being more.

 

Contesting by saying it was unintentional won't get you anywhere i don't think - traffic laws are broken by action, not intent. I know I don't need to say this but if you did run a red, you should have been paying more attention, the punishment is for that as much as anything else.

If you do get 3 points it might kill your insurance a little, but at least it's 2 strikes and you're out, rather than just one!

RwD

 

Ask for evidence first and foremost.

 

get the evidence, if you did, then step up.



Count your lucky stars TBH.

You ran a red light and got 3 points, lesson learnt, be more carefull and pay the extra.

IF you ran a red light and caused a crash you would NOT get any insurance at ANY price and you might have been living with a guilt trip about killing someone.


While it was not intentional, if you broke the law, you broke the law.
Do the crime, do the time.
If it could be mitigated by everyone there would be no point in having any laws or rules.

 

It's just a traffic ticket.

 

I totally agree - It was my fault and I should have paid more attention. I believe if it was done it would have been done by accidident as it was turning amber and then red with me being unable to stop safely.
Regardless its not an excuse and the 3 points is something that I really wanted to avoid but I may need to bite the bullet...

I have requested the evidence they have so I can examine it, perhaps I was letting an emergency vehicle through at the time as a few have gone by...or perhaps it was just plain ignorance and me not paying full attention...

I just felt 3 points also was too harsh + a fine....I would have hoped to get the half-day course for my first infraction as I really do feel gutted and felt I would have learnt the lesson that way...not being kicked in the nuts like this as it will effect my lively hood as I am dependant on driving and this could very well cause great problems!

 

do NOT send any details - There is a scam going around with parking fines and traffic fines. I would notify your local council - Just ask if its a legitimate fine.

That should have said DO NOT send details

 

mr flibbles - check out the edit button. and i agree, it sounds pretty scammy. why are the police asking for your details? they should already have them through their records. and a photo ticket should always have the photo attached to it when they initially send it to you.

i don't know how it works where you are, but here they can't put points on your license for a photo ticket because they can't prove that you were the one driving the car,.

 

Did the NIP state where the offence was committed (i.e. what road)? Do you remember if you were actually there at the time of the offence?

I got a speeding fine a month after I passed my test, so I know how you feel. Unfortuneately you'll just have to live with it. It just sucks that for the next 2 years or so you have to be incredibly careful, and one lapse in concentration could be the difference between you keeping your license or losing it. Of course, it doesn't help that the police seem to be resorting to even more devious measures to try and catch people out.

 

+1. I wish more people would. It's there for a reason.

 

Yeah but if he gets a second (or a speeding ticket, etc.) he loses his license; quite harsh IMO.

 

Ya, how can they put the ticket onto YOUR license if you didn't get pulled over. Unless you get pulled over for going through a red light they have no proof you were the one driving. Therefore, they cannot do anything to your license and all they can do is make the owner of the car pay a fine.

 

Well, that's where the photographic evidence comes in. By law, the NIP requires you to respond and state who was driving the vehicle at the time of the offence. If you do not respond, then you get a court summons, and if you state that another party was driving the vehicle at the time of the offence and are found out to have lied, then you'll find yourself with an even bigger fine and possibly more points for perverting the course of justice than if you had just dealt with the consequences of the ticket in the first place.

 

aye, on a lot of the photo stuff now the driver is included (unless lighting conditions don't permit it - lens flare etc) so they have proof you were driving.

also - if you were letting an emergency vehicle through, you'll still get the points - was a thing on the news a while ago about a guy who'd done that, and he still got the fine. Stupid imo.

RwD

 

There are speed limits for a reason.
Go too fast and make a mistake and people will die.

at 30mph 80% of people survive
at 40 mph 90% of die.

there needs to be a deterent to speeding or there would be plain anarchy on the roads, points suck, but the alternative is worse.

Speed and get points, get points and lose the right to drive, lose the right to drive and lose your job.

Very easy solution tbh.


Dont speed.

 

Erm RTFT much?

He wasn't speeding, he ran a red.

 

Yeah, it don't think it's that serious though.

But my point was more that you can commit an offense so minor you don't even notice and get points equivalent to doing 40 past a school. One of my mates went through a no entry sign in Edinburgh, doing maybe 20 at the time; first we knew of it was when we were pulled over

3 points for that

 

Which offenses are so minor you don't notice? You get three points for a bald tyre but if it means you can't stop in time on a wet road and killa child, it's not very minor...

Being able to drive should be seen as more a priviliage than a right, it can be hugely dangerous and requires a fair amount of responsibility, people should treat it as such

RwD

 

Things like clipping a double white line or not stopping at a stop sign; IMO it can be acceptable to almost stop and then keep going once you see it's safe to do so; an easy three points where no-one's put at risk.

There are a whole load of things that are illegal by the letter of the law but completely within the spirit of it, the whole "due care and attention" thing's almost pot luck.