Can I defend a spped camera conviction?

[Jayney b]

My car has recently been caught on camera doing 36 in a 30 zone. The car is insured for 3 people and although I have viewed the photographic eveidence it does not identify the driver. I truly cannot say who was driving at that particular time and have put this in writing on several occasions. What are my cahnces of successfully defending this in court?

[GuavaHalf]

I belive that it is the registered keeper that will get the fine unless the registered keeper can identify the driver.

[andy hughes]

'Fraid that's the truth of it. The courts don't waste time wondering who was driving, it's not their problem. the registered keeper is liable for the fine, unless they can prove the driver at the time. Appealing on this one is a waste of time. Sorry.

[cheyenne]

im afraid ive got to agree with andy and guava half.but you could share the fine between the three of you but not the points.

[Headtime]

Jayney, I seem to remember Neil and Christine Hamilton successfuly had a speeding conviction overturned because neither could remember who was driving at the time. And as there was no proof the case was dropped. I don't know how much your fine is, but it may well be not worth the effort in arguing it through the courts. But I think as the above case illustrates, it can be done.

[ludwig]

I'm sure there was a famous case a year or so ago when the chief constable of somewhere or other got off using exactly this defence. ie 'I couldn't be sure it was me driving at the time'.

[Philtaz]

ludwig is right, though I believe he was an Inspector not Ch. Constable in one of the Northern forces like Northumbria or Durham. He had his sun visor down at the time therefore the driver could not be identified and he claimed his son may have been driving.

[Drewhound]

If they can't identify the driver and the registered keeper can't, or won't, either, the keeper is open to prosecution for failure to disclose the identity of the driver. The link below gives a classic example http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2014539.stm

[CleverClogs]

This site may be able to offer you some legal advice where you can post a question on the web. http://www.criminal-solicitors.gmapps.com/drive.html . This was a link from this site http://www.pepipoo.com/ . Which also has a lot of info......... Good luck.......

[OBonio]

I think the long and the short of it is : If you're famous or a high ranking officer, you can get away with it. If you're a normal, run of the mill person, you'll get the fine and penalty.

[woofgang]

No, actually i have a friend who is neither famous or high ranking who successfully used this defence. It was a bit of a long drawn out process and much pressure was put on her and the other possible drivers to 'fess up, but they genuinely didn't know who was driving and so the prosecution was eventually dropped.

[woofgang]

should add that all the possible others had ben in the car at the time and had been sharing the driving that day, which I guess helped as none could be rued out