Drivers Ignorant When It
Comes To Cost Of Defending A Speeding Charge
Some fifteen years after the introduction of speed cameras huge
numbers of drivers are still speeding. But very few motorists
realise the horrendous and unexpected costs in defending such a
prosecution.
Glasgow based lawyer, Graham Walker of roadtrafficlaw.com said
that many clients do not realise that The Scottish Legal Aid
Board will be unlikely to fund their defence due to the fact
that Legal Aid is a means tested resource and most motorists are
likely to fall out with the financial guideline limits.
He said "When they realise how much they will require to pay to
defend their case they are often horrified."
Walker said that it can easily cost in the region of £2,000 to
£3,000 to defend such a case depending upon how much time the
whole court procedure takes.
When asked - Who would spend this sort of money defending a case
where the penalty would most likely be 3 penalty points and £60
fine?. Mr Walker explained that there are more than 6000 cameras
on the roads of Britain and that 4 in 10 motorists were driving
with some penalty points on their licence therefore a licence
could fall into jeopardy very quickly.
Under the totting-up system, those with 12 lose their licence –
and often their livelihood. Walker says part of the blame for
the rise in speeding fines lies with the explosion in the number
of cameras. But he also cites the pressure of modern life, with
‘stressed-out' workers rushing to meet deadlines as they average
20,000 miles a year on business.
Official figures show that the war on motorists has reached
unprecedented heights. The Department of Transport said there
were more than 13million prosecutions in a year, with camera
offences up 45 per cent to a record 1.9million.
In the UK around 33,000 lost their licence for hitting 12
points.
He advises that motorists should look to their insurance company
for cover in some cases or that they make provision by joining a
"Fee Discount" scheme like his own "Trafficlawplan" He explained
that after a particularly painful visit to his dentist he
noticed a scheme called "Denplan" that would have reduced the
pain of paying the dentist's fee. He then decided to set up a
similar scheme for legal fees in road traffic cases in Scotland.
Graham Walker LLb,DipLP,NP
25 Years practising as a Criminal lawyer in Scotland.
Specialising in road traffic law .