On 15/02/2024 05:57, Simon Mason wrote:

Three companies who failed to provide information about the identity of who was driving when their vehicle was caught speeding in Warwickshire have received hefty fines after being found guilty in their absence at Leamington Magistrates Court on 6

February 2024.

A DI MARIA & SONS LTD of Auto Pavillion Ltd, The Stampings Blue Ribbon Park, Coventry was fined £1000 and ordered to pay £110 costs and £400 Victim Surcharge for failing to give information relating to the identity of the driver of a Volkswagen

Passat when required by Warwickshire Police.

Although they responded to Warwickshire Police’s requests, they were unable to identify the driver who was alleged to have been speeding on 10 August 2023 in Rugby. Instead no plea was entered and as the driver could not be identified the company was

found guilty at court.

Similarly CLAIMS SOLUTION GROUP LIMITED of Dunkeld Street, Aberfeldy, Perth & Kinross was also sentenced in the driver's absence at court to a £1000 fine and ordered to pay £400 Victim Surcharge and £110 costs.

The company did not respond and so failed to give Warwickshire Police information relating to the identity of the driver of their BMW X6 car who was caught allegedly speeding on 5 July 2023 in Rugby. As they did not respond, no plea was entered and

the company was found guilty in their absence.

Although STONEGATE HOMES LIMITED of Cathedral Square, Cathedral Hill, Guildford did respond to Warwickshire Police they were unable to identify the driver of a Volkswagen Golf who had been caught allegedly speeding in Rugby on 10 August 2023. No plea

was entered and the company was found guilty in the driver’s absence and sentenced to a £1000 fine and ordered to pay £110 costs and £400 Victim Surcharge.

Alison Treharne of Warwickshire Road Safety Unit said “Companies have a responsibility to know who is driving their vehicles at any given time, if they are unable to provide details of a driver at the time of an alleged speeding offence when

requested, the company is liable instead. Not responding to our requests or being unable to name a driver can lead to higher fines and costs as has happened in these cases.

“This could have been avoided if the driver was named because Warwickshire Police prefers to educate drivers first and if the driver is eligible they will most likely be offered a speed awareness course. You can only attend one course every three

years and those not eligible will face a £100 fine and three points. Speeding is illegal and dangerous and high speed offences will go straight to court.“

https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/news/warwickshire/news/2024/february/companies-sentenced-after-failing-to-identify-their-speeding-drivers/

The price - not all that high by corporate standards - may well be seen
as acceptably reasonable if it keeps valued employees (a concept that fully-qualified night shift floor-swabbers may not recognise) on the
road and working productively for the company.

Perhaps responses would be more forthcoming if punishments for minor
"offences" were less disproportionate. A disqualification for purely
technical breaches of administrative rules can have devastating effects
on a worker and his family.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)