NEWS: For immediate release

News is emerging than many drivers prosecuted for speed camera offences may have had their licences endorsed with the wrong offence code.

A normal speed limit offence, other than on a motorway, should be coded as SP30 on drivers' licences, But it is clear that in a number of areas drivers have been given SP60 offence codes by mistake.

Paul Smith, Founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign commented: "This is just typical of the shoddy and careless modern approach to road safety. 3 million so-called offences last year and they can't even endorse drivers licences properly. No wonder the speed camera system is hated by the motoring public. The degree of incompetence behind it at all levels is quite staggering".

The DVLA lists speed limit offence codes as follows:

Speed Limits

SP10 Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits
SP20 Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle (excluding goods or passenger vehicles)
SP30 Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road
SP40 Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit
SP50 Exceeding speed limit on a motorway
SP60 Undefined speed limit offence..........

Paul continues: "The problem is that SP60 should normally only be issued when other offence codes do not apply - for example at a temporary speed limit at road works."

"Having an endorsement will often increase the cost of motor insurance" explained Paul, "but the problem here is that SP60 premium increases are frequently greater than SP30 premium increases. I recommend that everyone check their driving licence and ensure that they have been issued with the correct offence code. Anyone whose offence is wrongly coded may be entitled to compensation, and they should certainly get any error corrected."

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Notes for editors.

We have reports of wrong offence codes being issued in Cumbria and Northampton. This may be the tip of the iceberg, or it may not.

The DVLA offence codes are here:
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/endorsem.htm
 

About Safe Speed:

Since setting up Safe Speed in 2001, Paul Smith, 48, an advanced motorist and road safety enthusiast, and a professional engineer of 25 years UK experience, has carried out about 5,000 hours of research into the
overall effects of speed camera policy on UK road safety. We believe that this is more work in more detail than anything carried out by any other organisation. Paul's surprising conclusion is that overall speed cameras
make our roads more dangerous. Paul has identified and reported a number of major flaws and false assumptions in the claims made for speed cameras, and the whole "speed kills"  system of road safety.     

The inescapable conclusion is that we should urgently return to the excellent road safety policies that gave us in the UK the safest roads in the World in the first place.     

Safe Speed does not campaign against speed limits or appropriate enforcement of motoring laws, but argues vigorously that automated speed enforcement is neither safe nor appropriate.     
  

Contact Safe Speed:     

web: http://www.safespeed.org.uk     
email : psmith@safespeed.org.uk    
telephone: 01862 832000 anytime.     
mobile: 07799 045553     
note: the mobile does not work well at our office. Always try land line first.     
Location: North Scotland     

We are available for press and media interviews.