Your best bet is to either find a way not to receive a ticketin the first place or to contest it and have it dismissed. I was driving in Canberra for 56 years, never got booked for speeding, DUI, parking or anything else, i retired to NSW ,and one Sunday 3 weeks later on the way home from Lunch at the Soldiers club in Batemans bay i decided i would take the tourist drive by way of Tomakin, i was driving towards Malua Bay shops and the road was a downhill run and i didn't check the speed, (the only two cars that were on the road that day was me and the coper) i heard the siren behind me not knowing it was for me, i pulled over, and the cop said i was doing 89 klms an hour, i pleaded with him to give me a break and told him that i had never been booked since i got my licence in 1964, he just said bad luck and he wrote me a ticket for $489 and 3 demerit points, i went home and wrote a sympathetic letter to the minister and told him my story, he was like the cop, not interested, I know and understand it was my fault but Christ Almighty after i told him my story you would think he would show a little bit of compassion, but not even a scerrick of compassion did he show, nor did the minister, I was hurt pretty bad but it was still my fault, so new south wales is not a good omen for me in retirement. I was caught prior to the change but my letter was sent afterwards. I wrote back and pleaded for leniency but they said the fine stands and i paid it. This is hard though, but once you can do it, it is worth the struggle. you're kidding mate. We have helped over 300,000 people with their problems. Dont want to see these adds anymore? Enter once and then never again!. Preparing your defence could be tricky on your own, and if you cannot prove your case, you may be directed to pay additional costs to the court and the issuing agency in addition to the fine you were contesting. Get stories like this in our newsletters. To ensure you receive emails from us, we recommend that you add our email address (@moneymag.com.au) to your contacts or safe senders list. Sample letter requesting an adjournment This is a sample. A reminder that each character reference letter will be handed up to a Judge or Magistrate to read in the driving matter for sentence. read here to learn how to write a professional letter to a judge/court. All rights reserved. sample letter of hardship asking for leniency in the payment of fines. My name and address are above, and the ticket number is [TICKET NUMBER]. Office 2 Suite 92, Level 1, 515 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. HIJ Pty Ltd Date: To: The Presiding Local Court Magistrate or District Court Judge Name the specific court I.e. It's best to tell the other person first and you will probably need to complete a statutory declaration naming the person responsible. Since it will result in an increase in my insurance rate, which I cannot afford. Avoiding Imprisonment sentences for serious drink driving offences. For more information, please read our editorial policy and find out how we make money. 100% Agree - This should be a billboard. This is why police can hide as opposed to being visible which would be a deterrent. For insight and remorse: you may outline whether the offender has expressed an acknowledgment as to the seriousness of the offence, accepts responsibility for it, felt genuine regret and understands the harm or potential harm the driving offence caused other road users. plead guilty to speeding ticket letter. When you're given a speeding ticket, one of the first concerns you may have is its cost. But it's generally advisable to seek an internal review first, as the review process is no longer available once you go to the court. A parking fine appeal is a letter you can write to your local council to dispute a parking fine you've received. All fines were below 60knm in a 50km zone. For severe offences, you may even find your driving licence suspended for some time. Your rating will help us improve the website. If his/her job requires a security clearance, security licence or criminal background check, you may outline what impact a conviction will have on his/her ability to obtain or maintain these requirements for the job. We pay respect to the Traditional Custodians and First Peoples of NSW, and acknowledge their continued connection to their country and culture. I received the ticket on [Name of Street] for [driving 40 mph in a 25 mph zone]. You should keep each letter to one page, and as a general rule, hand up between 2 to 4 of your best letters for the Judge or Magistrate to read. We used to have 3 basic speed zones in Australia. Again in NSW, for example, if you had a clear driving record for at least 10 years before the offence your penalty may be downgraded to a caution, which means you won't have to pay the fine and demerit points won't apply. Whether you are a layperson looking to increase your knowledge, a law student striving to excel in your studies, or a practicing lawyer wanting to expand your expertise, I am here to help. When are the people going to stand up together and have all this rectified. Maria Bekiaris is editorial campaigns manager for. What to avoid saying in a character reference letter. }); First name, Your reference letter for driving offences should be limited to 1 page. There were no other serious traffic violations in addition to speeding (suspended license, DUI, speeding in a school zone), Your speed wasn't egregiously high when you received your ticket (i.e., 65 mph in a 35 mph zone). Start your letter by introducing yourself and state the purpose of your letter, proceed by providing the details of the ticket; date, ticket number, fine, etc., and tell the place of the incident plus your licensed plate number, after that provide the facts and evidence that shows that you deserve the court mercy, close your letter by requesting a relief. This letter is a formal request to appeal a speeding ticket I received on DATE. White boxes are for data that needs to be entered manually each time Avoid giving excused for the offenders driving offence. When your fine arrives by mail, however, it's possible that someone else was driving your car at the time of the offence, and you have the option of nominating the person who was driving. If you are settled that the letter is necessary then, lets see how you can craft your introduction, main body, and conclusion. They meticulously planned and methodologically approached my case with utmost care with an empathetic approach. A decision by the RMS (RTA) to suspend a P1 or P2 provisional driver's licence for loss of demerit points. Usually it is because some people feel - rightly or wrongly - that it is pointless to make representations to Revenue NSW, because you will likely get knocked back anyway, and have to go to court regardless. Red Light Camera Fine | A red light fine. a speeding fine in victoria legal blog, public parking fine appeal letter sample template, leniency letter traffic infringement owners forum, first name surname postcode state to whom it may concern, nsw leniency letter for rms netrider, n a national getting a warning for speeding fine all, sample request for review of a penalty notice . Calculations in comparison tables will vary based on personal data input. Ensure it doesnt contain irrelevant information. Penalties range from fines and demerit points to licence disqualification and imprisonment. Generally, the penalty may be waived if the notice was issued wrongly, there was a case of mistaken identity, or you were caught up in a medical emergency. While I acknowledge that I was exceeding the speed limit at the time, I hope that you can understand that my actions were the result of an unforeseen circumstance. Otherwise I'm good. A serious speeding offence is defined by: For serious speeding offences, you may have your licence suspended or disqualified for a period of time. Some more complex cases may require more reference letters to be used to ensure that all relevant points are made for the Magistrate or Judge to take into account in your sentence. This system is in place to raise revenue for the States. I got a ticket for [driving 40 mph in a 25 mph zone] on [Name of Street]. driving more than 45km/h above the speed limit, driving more than 30km/h but not more than 45km/h above the speed limit. All were within a few days of each other. Did you know speeding is the biggest killer on NSW roads? In NSW alone, speeding penalties worth $2.3 million were waived for drivers with good records. You may include something, like. I agree that I was driving over the speed limit and that the officer was right to give me the ticket. This letter should state who you are when you received your ticket, and why you feel the fine should be reduced. DoNotPay can help you fight your speeding tickets or any other traffic ticket you may face. Do your best to schedule your court date for as far into the future as possible. Let us show you howto create a speeding ticket sample letter to judge to reduce fineso that speeding tickets don't deplete you financially. I concur with your view there are many similar circumstances , it is rather a money making ventures the whole system is operated by contractors. 60, 80 and 110. Finty earns a commission for applications referred from this website. I have a fine that says I was doing 10km/hr above the limit. Finty is not a credit provider, nor does it advise consumers to apply for a specific product with any provider in particular. This includes, family, charity, partner, friend, employer, colleague and/or religious organisation. I apologize to you and the county for exceeding the speed limit. Hand the Judge or Magistrate with the original letter, not a copy. They don't care and will not change anything as it earns the government [police] too much money. Outline who you are as the referee for the offender, your name, age, occupation and context on how you got to know the person you are writing the reference for (the offender). The first thing you should do is to make sure you are the one actually responsible. They won our appeal case at very short notice & low fees with the most capable and caring lawyers! City, State, Zip Code of Court of Police Station. Getting serious drink driving charges dropped or downgraded early by police. Is writing a speeding ticket appeal letter necessary? Request a copy of your driving record from the state before filing your appeal. You can take a look at the camera image online to make sure it was your car. So don't hesitate. The ticket number is [NUMBER], and my name and address are as stated above. This would stop my insurance premium from increasing. After you've let out a few expletives you may start wondering what you can do to get out of it. I'm not creating content, I'm creating awareness to empower you to take control of your legal understanding and achieve your goals. In general, exceeding the speed limit in a work zoneor a school zone comes with even higher penalties. Thus Its extremely unlikely that I was driving too fast. Maybe 61 in a 60 zone!? The amount of money you have to pay for a speeding ticket can go as high as a thousand dollars if you exceed the speed limit by a significant amount. A decision by the police to suspend your licence (on the spot) for . What happens when appealing a traffic ticket? With the heavy penalties that NSW speeding fines carry, along with the accumulation of demerit points (especially during double demerit point periods) and immediate and "automatic" suspension periods for certain offences, what used to be viewed as a minor indiscretion, can now so easily result . Wherever a fine is in the form of penalty units, remember that 1 penalty unit is equal to $110. I too was brought up with Scottish parents where learning correct driving technique (as if driving on ice) was mandated, irrespective of the local 'go do a computer test' requirements. if not update on your My Data section of the My Account page. Avoiding criminal convictions for drink driving offences. I am sorry for having driven too fast and would never have done so if I had seen the new speed limit sign. You may also outline whether he/she has told you of the progress experienced from undertaking this. Fairly enough, the highest parking fine you can cop in NSW ($686) is for falsely displaying a disabled parking sticker. It is important to write your letter with your own details and based on your own circumstances. Verified by Debbie Duncan Here are five things you might have missed. sample Speeding Ticket Appeal Letter (free) Large Fines Speeding tickets not only have large fines, they may also raise the insurance rate the driver pays. Speeding offences for learner and provisional licences, the stopping distance of your car increases. If applicable, outline brief details of any charity contributions he/she has made or is currently making. Getting a judge to reduce the amount of your speeding ticket is one option that you can take. Please ensure you read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) for the relevant products on the providers website before deciding what action to take. You will likely get a better outcome by keeping each letter succinct and to the point. Last financial year NSW reaped $79 million from almost 230,000 speeding offences. Agree 1000%. Evidence that your speedometer was faulty: If your speedometer was faulty and you were not aware of your speed, you may argue that you should not be held responsible for the ticket. Local Courts of New South Wales. Avoid duplicating the relevant points you make across multiple character reference letters where using So be sure to gather as much evidence as possible to support your case. We will call you to confirm your appointment. Below is a list of speeding offences and penalties in NSW effective as of 1 July 2020. I agree with a lot of the comments. The more time between the day you receive your ticket and your court date, the less likely it will be that the ticketing officer will be able to remember the exact events that led to you receiving a ticket, which will help your case. Provide us with some details on why you believe the citation issued is a mistake. In NSW about 1260 fines are issued by mistake each year, which is 0.2% of total fines, according to an article on news.com.au. Published 21 Feb 2022. Slow and unco drivers cause most of the problems. I am a cautious driver who always adheres to the speed limit and due to my age (67), I find it unsettling to exceed (50mph). Subscribe to our premium service. My name and address are above and the ticket number is [NUMBER]. James Kemp 12 Pambula Street Wellington NSW 2820 Tuesday 14 October 2013 Wellington Local Court PO Box 77 Wellington NSW 2648 Dear Registrar, and choose to download either a word, pdf or email version of the template. So you open a letter to find that you've been done for speeding or running a red light. Information about your driving record: If you have a good driving record, you may want to mention that in your appeal as it may show that this incident was out of character for you. Often, hearings come down to your word against the officer's, and most courts tend to take the officer's side. For example, if plants or other signs obscure the speed limit sign near the area where you received your ticket, you can take a picture of it and send it with your letter to prove that you couldn't see the sign. I humbly request that my speeding ticket be dismissed or reduced to a non-moving violation. I would never have done so if not for the circumstances. Speed is not a major contributing factor in road fatalities but the police always use this excuse as a fear campaign in their advertising to justify speed camera's everywhere and unjustly taking money from us. Evidence that you were not the person driving the vehicle: If you were not the person driving the vehicle at the time of the violation, you may argue that you should not be held responsible for the ticket. Free Speeding Ticket Appeal Letter (Sample). Period of time you have known him/her for. My cars license plate is [NUMBER]. How often you see or communicate with each other. You'll receive an appeal letter that contains state vehicle codes to boost your case. This list should be used as a guide only, as penalties and offences are subject to change without notice. If you are found guilty or you intend to plead guilty to a traffic or driving offence, a compelling character reference letter for a Judge or Magistrate to read can significantly improve your sentence outcome in court. After you're issued the ticket, be sure to write down any circumstances that may have affected the circumstances, such as missing speed limit signs and the method the officer used to determine your speed. If possible, outline the approximate extent of revenue he/she generates the business every month/year. Unfortunately, I failed to recognize the speed limit because I was concerned about getting to the hospital in time to be by her side. There are some common steps for contesting a ticket. For example, if you wish to point out the hardship a family dependent will suffer in the event that you are disqualified from driving or dismissed from work, it will be worthwhile getting a character reference letter from that dependent briefly outlining details of this and why. I am willing to enroll in a defensive driving course if this will help with my request. Free Speeding Ticket Appeal Letter [Sample] Last updated on February 26, 2023 / By andre bradley / Speeding Ticket. Avoid telling the Judge or Magistrate what to do. For example. Sit back and relax while we do the work. If you find that it is not calibrated correctly, you can attach the mechanics report to show you had genuine reason to believe you were not speeding.