Contesting a speeding ticket?

Just received a 'notice of intended prosecution' in the mail.  The camera caught the car at 41 mph in a 30 zone, all the car details are correct, but the owner's name is spelled wrong.  Going to check the area to see if signs are visible.. if they're not, will that help?

Anything else I can do here?  (And no, I don't think speeding is a good idea.) 

Hi madeira,

Overall, you'll probably find it's not possible to contest on the basis the name is wrong. I'm sure they pull that information off the DVLA database for registered owner details?
Check your V5 document, is your/owners name on that spelt correctly?

However, I'm not an expert, I 'think' you can contest if you really want to, there are sites which give you advice etc and look for technicalities to try and get you off. However, when in court and you say i contest it that the name is wrong, I don't think the judge will agree that's enough of a reason of why you were speeding that day

I'd say just suck it up and take the hit (pains me to say it, as I've been in a ticket situation where I knew I wasn't speeding to the extent on the police ticket - but to go through the whole process just means hassle with the prospect of being even more out of pocket for lawyer and court costs etc)

41 in a 30 - take the 3 points and the 60 quid hit - I have a feeling if you did contest and lost, they'd try and stick you for 150 or 250 quid fine and possibly 4 points or something?

Also, were you hit by a static camera or a mobile unit? if static, you might want to look at getting a GPS system with the static camera location map on it which warns you in advance you're approaching a speed trap area...

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Yeah, not holding out much hope with the 'wrong name' idea... more hopeful about looking to see if the signs are obscured.  Mr Madeira thought he was still in a 40mph zone. 

check out http://www.pepipoo.com/

i successfuly contested a speeding ticket about a year ago- unable to identify driver with any level of certainity. 

Get yourself a copy of this. I bought it last year and have so far successfully contested two fixed penalty tickets (cameras) and one traffic police stop. It saved me 6 points and £90 so far

  www.DriversSurvival.com

Actually in looking the above site was not the one i used though it is similar. A better one for the uk is below,

http://www.drivershandbook.co.uk/

more hopeful about looking to see if the signs are obscured.  Mr Madeira thought he was still in a 40mph zone. 

Signage must be absolutely correct in some cases for a limit to be legally enforceable, but the problem with it being this way round is that a built-up area defaults to 30 mph automatically in the absence of any signs to the contrary.   In other words, if they haven't properly posted 40 signs on a road which would otherwise be 60, then the 40 limit isn't enforceable.  But if they neglect to post 30 signs on a road which would default to 30 anyway, I don't think there's much you can do to get out of it.

The built-up area being 30 by default is why you get the smaller repeater signs for 40 or 50 where the limit is higher.

Signage must be absolutely correct in some cases for a limit to be legally enforceable, but the problem with it being this way round is that a built-up area defaults to 30 mph automatically in the absence of any signs to the contrary. 

Also, I believe if there are street lights, it's classified as a built-up area and the 30mph limit is in effect.

Also, I believe if there are street lights, it's classified as a built-up area and the 30mph limit is in effect.

Yes.  Specifically, the requirement for such classification is that there are street lights spaced no more than 200 yards apart.   That rule was introduced way back in the 1930s when the 30 mph urban speed limit was made standard.