How much is a speeding ticket fixed penalty notice in the UK
The minimum penalty for speeding is a GBP100 fine and three points on your driving licence. But how you are dealt with after you are speed depends on how you are caught speeding. If you are caught by a speed camera then within 14 days you will be sent a section 172 notice.
You must return the notice within 28 days, telling police who was driving the car at the time of the offence. After that, you will receive either a fixed penalty notice or a letter telling you to go to court.
If you are stopped by police for speeding though, they can either give you a verbal warning, give you a fixed penalty notice or order you to go to court, with a letter being sent to your address. If you plead guilty to speeding, then you will have to pay the GBP100 fine and have three points added to your licence, unless you are given, and take, the option to attend a speed awareness course. If you plead not guilty then you will have to go to court and could face a more severe fine if you are found guilty.
The amount you're fined depends on what the speed limit was and how much over it you were driving. It's usually a percentage of your weekly income, up to a maximum of GBP1,000 (GBP2,500 if you were driving on a motorway).
Common speed camera myths
Is it true that speed vans have to be visible at all times?
No. There are no laws about visibility, so nothing is stopping an officer from operating in the dark.
But they don't often choose to do this and maintain that being visible acts as a deterrent in its own right. Go Safe Casualty Reduction Officer, Gareth Thomas said: "Legally, we don't have to be visible. I could camouflage myself if I wanted to - but it's all about being fair, education and preventing an accident.
Even if I parked my van and went for a walk somewhere, it would deter people from speeding right away."
Is it illegal to flash your headlights to alert motorists of a GoSafe speed van?
If drivers choose to flash to warn others about a speed van, they could be in breach of the law. Under section 89 of the Police Act 1997 it is an offence to "wilfully obstruct a constable in the execution of his/her duty". However, Gareth says while it is an offence, it is very difficult to prove.
He said: "It doesn't bother me that people flash to warn them of the speed van - I just want to educate people and the van to act as a speed deterrent."
What happens if I am caught speeding?
It all comes down to the circumstances within which you were caught speeding, and how much you were more than the limit. The minimum penalty for being caught speeding on the UK's roads is a GBP100 fine. But Gareth explained in some circumstances, police can offer the option of attending a speed awareness course - an alternative to a fine and penalty points.
Gareth, said: "An accredited course is far more likely to improve driver behaviour and consequently make our roads safer. "Courses are available to drivers who respond quickly to the 'notices' and who were driving at no more than 10 per cent, plus 9 mph above the posted speed limit." So for example, anyone travelling over 86mph on a motorway would not be offered the awareness course.
Those who don't have a clean licence at the time of the office, or if you have been on the course in the last three years, it is unlikely you will be offered the awareness course as an option.