Moved Address

Question:

I have had a NIP reminder sent to my previous address. My driving licence has been registered in my current address since long before the NIP was originally issued, but I made the mistake of assuming that the log book would have been updated.

Anyway it is long past the 28 days to respond, but it says that the points will go on my licence not on the log book, so surely the police should have used my registration number and name to check the address of my licence with the DVLA.

As I said my licence is up to date in my current address and obviously it has my name and registration on it so I can’t see why they didn’t use it. Would 14-28 days have been deemed a reasonable amount of time for the police to do this?

Does this give a me a defence in court – I’m not gonna deny it was me driving because it is only ever me who drives my car. My previous address where the log book was registered, is still my parents house, so I’m assuming that the courts won’t believe that the post wasn’t forwarded to me.

My parents are getting on a bit (late 70’s) and tend to throw anything out that is not addressed to them but I was staying over when the reminder came and I saw the envelope with my name on it.

Does the period of time between the speeding incident and me receiving the reminder make the charge invalid or is it still likely that I will get a huge fine and points on my licence.

By the way – I was doing 36 in a 30 zone, in an industrial area with no road speed signs and no sign saying this is a speed watch area. This is supposed to be about public safety but the police have been hiding along this road for the last 5 years and no traffic calming measures have been put in place or speed signs.

Dominic says:

I’m afraid the police and the DVLA do not think in a joined up kind of way.

You have to change the log book on the car to make sure that any NIPs are sent to your most current address.

If you accept it was you driving you need to go back to the police urgently otherwise you will get a summons for failing to name the driver. If they have summonsed you come back to me and I will be able to help you defend the matter. Now that you know about it you need to try and provide the information that they have requested.

The police have a defence to the suggestion that they failed to get the NIP to you within 14 days if they can show that they did send the NIP to the last known address if if they can show that they sent you a NIP at the correct address as soon as they managed to track you down. Either will do.

If you respond quickly you may be able to keep it to the fixed penalty.

You may even be able to get on the speed awareness course – I suggest you call the fixed penalty office urgently.