UK drivers urged to 'keep the envelope' of speeding fines as loophole may help Britons avoid fine

A national speed limit sign with a speed camera's symbol underneath

A national speed limit sign with a speed camera's symbol underneath

PA
Jack Walters

By Jack Walters


Published: 23/05/2023

- 21:32

Motorists caught speeding must receive a notification of the alleged offence within 14 days

Drivers have been urged to keep envelopes if they receive a speeding ticket as a way to avoid coughing up cash for motoring fines.

Motorists could escape a fine or points on their driving licence amid disruption to the UK’s postal service.


Royal Mail is currently being accused of delivering post to neighbourhoods as little as once a fortnight.

The latest development comes amid chronic staff shortages, rock-bottom industrial relations and a recent shake-up to working practices.

Motorists could escape a fine or points on their driving licence amid disruption to the UK\u2019s postal service

Motorists could escape a fine or points on their driving licence amid disruption to the UK’s postal service

PA

Royal Mail will this week release fresh figures which will likely show that annual delivery performances have plunged to near-record lows.

Despite leading to missed hospital appointments and late birthday cards, issues with Royal Mail have handed drivers the opportunity to escape alleged speeding offences.

A motorist lawyer claimed disruption could even seen drivers escape fines and points on their driving licences, The Telegraph has revealed.

Nick Freeman, also known as Mr Loophole, highlighted how anyone caught speeding must receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) within 14 days of the alleged offence.

Cars travelling on a motorway

Cars travelling on a motorway

PA

He advised drivers to “keep the envelope” if and when a speeding ticket does come through the letterbox as a potential way to challenge the allegations in court.

The Parking Appeals Group said that there had been examples of people receiving County Court Judgments (CCJs) because claim forms issued by private parking companies had not been delivered or not delivered on time.

Pressure on Royal Mail appears to have abated over the last three months.

Workers have taken fewer days in industrial action over the period compared with the final quarter of 2022.

Union leaders who represent 115,000 postal workers accepted a deal with Royal Mail which brought to a halt a year-long dispute.

Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson could even quit following a fierce confrontation with trade union leaders

Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson could even quit following a fierce confrontation with trade union leaders

PA

The dispute resulted in 18 days of strikes and Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson could even quit following a fierce confrontation with trade union leaders.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: “We are committed to improving our performance and accelerating Royal Mail’s transformation in order to restore service levels while meeting the changing requirements of our customers.

“We’re sorry to any customers who have not received the high standards they expect.

"To improve our quality of service it is vital that we modernise our network and ways of working so that we can more effectively manage the changing mix of mail in our posties’ mailbag.

“Like postal authorities around the world, we have to make changes to adapt to the reality of significant structural declines in letter volumes - which have declined by 25 per cent since the pandemic - alongside growing demands for parcel deliveries.”

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