For those that mean well, but have missed the point by a country mile, as regards an s. 172 charge, the date of service (or issue if date of service cannot readily be proven) of the NIP is only relevant to the date of the alleged s. 172 offence and/or the start of the 27 day period to provide the information.
Where the accused was not the driver, it is not even relevant to some contrived circumstance where he manages to divulge the identity of the driver whilst giving evidence defending the s. 172 charge (unless the speeding had, by some equally contrived circumstance, not timed out by the time the case was heard).