Free Traffic Legal Advice

Any advice please.

Driver was caught by two speed cameras in Kempston, Bedfordshire within one minute, one NIP is timed 9.31 (speed recorded as 37 in 30)and the other 9.32 (speed as 35 in 30).  Driver currently has clean licence with no points etc. 

One ticket was received last week, 10 days after the offence, the other today and 15 days after the offence.

Any advice gratefully received, thank you.

Edit for clarity: the registered keeper has received a further speeding ticket for the same journey, timed 35 minutes later, also in the same area, so there are three speeding tickets. 

Is the driver the registered keeper of the vehicle concerned?, do they have physical possession of the V5c registration document? and if yes to both of the above, can they confirm that the address shown on the document is 100% correct for where they are now living?

Quote from: yorkshirepudding on April 15, 2025, 11:48:01 am

One ticket was received last week, 10 days after the offence, the other today and 15 days after the offence.

When was the second one dated?  (Regardless of any 'late' NIP* the s172 request to name the driver must still be complied with)

* If the letter is dated to arrive within 14 days then it is notoriously difficult to evidence the fact it didn't arrive in a timely fashion

Were the camera's on a continuous stretch of road, any change of limits, turns etc.?

The second letter, received today, was dated 7th April, the road looks to be a large multi lane traffic island incorporating a major A road, the driver assumed it was at least 40 but it looks like 30 from street view.  The speed cameras are incorporated into the traffic lights by the wording on the NIP.  The driver is unfamiliar with the area, and Bedfordshire as a whole, and was just navigating through to the airport to collect friends.

On the presumption the alleged speeds and limits were correct (almost certainly - the 30mph is likely to be a restricted road by virtue of a system of street lighting and no signage to the contrary)...

The 'late' NIP appears to have been produced and dated to arrive within the statutory timeframe - showing it didn't isn't easy as it will be presumed delivered 2 working days later (Assuming, as it should, 1st class).  Evidencing it didn't is a challenge and would require taking the matter to court as the Police are unlikely to cancel it on this basis.

As I noted already the s172's have to be complied with regardless.  (It's a separate offence carrying 6 points if not)

You can ask the SCP/Police (informally) if they would consider dropping one of the offences given the short duration between them - but they may not oblige (it may depend on the locations and layout etc.).  As above, taking a formal approach to this will require court attendance.

So it appears one of them is 'bang to rights' and could be disposed of by way of course or fixed penalty.  The other has two possible angles to explore, i.e. late NIP/single continuous offence.

...or the driver can take a course and fixed penalty and move on if court isn't something they want to entertain.

How would we go about asking the police informally please?

Call them?

I have looked at the roads on street view (I'm not the driver and he was lost so cannot remember where he was) and they are the sort of roads I would expect to be 40 mph A road and three lanes wide etc.

Don't conflate the issues.  Either the limit is correct or it's not - as I already noted I suspect it's a restricted road.  (Which makes it a 30mph by default - all drivers should know this.  Notwithstanding, a 30 terminal sign would be passed entering it from a higher limit)

Tell us the name of the road would be useful...

OK, thank you, will try calling them to see if they will merge the two.

The road is Woburn Road, in Kempston, one offence was southbound, the other an minute later was northbound.  It's just off the main junction with an A road, and I can see now it looks like a 30 road as well   No idea how he's managed to go through the same set of speed cameras both ways within a minute.

Edit:  I've just found the speed camera on street view, it's a regular speed camera, not integrated into traffic lights.

Yup, terminal signs Here - and then the system of street lighting maintains the restriction.  (There will be other terminal signs from the other approaches too)

If the offences were in different directions I find it unlikely they'll relent easily.  (But don't ask, don't get)

The signage says it's an average-based system - Here over a fairly short distance.  I presumed shot past them one way, swung around the roundabout and shot past the other way...  (The minute difference being the time difference in passing the last camera to calculate the average)

There's an argument it was 'on the same occasion' but the court angle still applies.

We will approach the police as you suggest but I don't hold out much hope!  He might be looking at clean licence to 9 points all in the space of half an hour 

9 points?  At worst 6, at best 3.

EDIT: Just seen your edit (Remember speed awareness course may be available to avoid points)