Free Traffic Legal Advice

For context, I am a 20M who drives a Subaru Impreza WRX.

I was going to a friend's house in Camden and I got stopped for my strobe lights on Oxford Street, fair enough I know its illegal and I should get a ticket for it. However it became apparent quickly that the officer was trying to find anything and everything to penalise me for. This included my front plate that was **** due to an accident a week prior, which he stated was illegible but can be read by cameras at carparks etc, and when I tried to explain that I had a quote from a mechanic to go sort it out in a few days time he did not seem interested. Then the officer said my car was improperly registered (registered to my dads business at which I work and commute) and that I need to get it sorted out which I didnt see how it was any of his business. Finally, he gave me an offence for driving without glasses as according to my licence, I for some reason require eyesight correction despite never having any eye issues or wearing glasses in my life. I asked the officer once he was done if I was legally entitled to leave and drive off at which point he made vague unclear statements such as "I am not going to stay here and watch you so I cannot stop you driving off". After he got back into his vehicle, I started my car, and waited a few seconds to see if he would come out and he did. He said, "I told you, you cannot drive" which was very unclear from what he actually said and I felt like it was designed to catch me out and potentially pin me for another offence. He asked me to get out of my car so he could drive it around the corner and park it.

After this, the officer made remarks about my age and my car saying that I was driving, and I quote "a killing machine" at which I asked him if I was dangerously driving, had any speeding offences or was speeding at the time of the traffic stop to which he called me "obtuse".

I am obviously going to challenge the offence regarding the eyesight correction as that is a DVLA mistake and I have perfect vision. Would it be reasonable to challenge the number plate offence as well as I felt like the officer just saw a young lad in a car like mine which bear in mind I saved up for to buy with my own money, and assumed im just some rich kid who drives carelessly endangering people around me and profiled me based on that. Also, the officer stated that the letters of the offences would be sent to my home address and not the registered business address which seems incorrect as the car is registered under a business.

Any advice would be helpful

Strobes: you admit you should get done - and you called attention to yourself.

Plate: you seem to admit the offence. “I’m going to get it fixed” isn’t a defence.

Eyesight: sure, challenge it - but it seems unsurprising that he believed what was on your licence.

Maybe have a look at “the attitude test” - might save you more hassle (on top of making sure your car is legal).

I was respectful throughout the interaction and I admitted fault to the strobe. The officer could have also been respectful and charitable towards me instead he made unnecessary comments, tried to tell me not having my licence on my persons was illegal when I know it isnt, told me I should not be driving a "killing machine" as he put it and all in all just made it seem like he was assuming I am a certain kind of driver based on my age and my car when I wasnt. I wasnt speeding, driving dangerously or anything. I didnt do anything to warrant that kind of attitude. This is the first time I have been stopped by police so I was nervous but was not aggressive etc.

I asked him very clearly if I was legally allowed to drive off once he was done. He gave a very unclear vague response which again felt like it was designed to catch me out when he couldve just said hey mate you cant drive due to the eyesight issue. Only when I turned on the engine and remained stationary to get the heating up, did he come out and ask me to exit the vehicle so he could drive it and park it up somewhere. He then told me he would give me a note to put on the car so I wouldnt get a PCN but didnt even do that and just drove off.

It is an offence not to produce your licence, but it is a defence if it is subsequently produced at a police station within 7 days, or if was not reasonably practicable to produce it any sooner or at all.

As sections must be read as a whole, the effect of s. 164 is that if you fail to produce on the spot, and also fail to produce within 7 days, and cannot rely on the reasonable practicability defence. You committed the offence when you initially failed to produce on the spot.

As regards the attitude test, being 20 and driving a WRX with strobes is going to be an instant and hard fail.

As a matter of law, the occifer's attitude is about as relevant as yours.