More than 4,000 speeding tickets were cancelled on Merseyside last year.
A total of 66,498 fixed penalty notices were issued for speeding offences last year in the county, analysis of Government data by the RAC Foundation shows.
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Of those, 4,012 were cancelled, or one in 17 (6%).
Most people who were fined for speeding were caught by speed cameras - 62,906 cases in 2020/21, compared to 3,592 fines issued in person by police officers.
You’re much more likely to see your fine cancelled if detected by a camera - 6% were cancelled versus 4% of fines issued by Merseyside police.
Other outcomes for drivers saw 29% pay a fine, 48% sent for driver retraining, and 17% face court action.
There are several reasons why offences are cancelled, including:
- Faulty speed cameras
- Cloned vehicles carrying false number plates
- Emergency vehicles lawfully breaking speed limits
- Delays in issuing notices of intended prosecution
- Lack of resources to bring cases to court
In response to the figures, Merseyside Police said that while a small percentage of FPN notices were cancelled last year, more than 60,000 tickets were upheld.
Inspector Carl McNulty from Merseyside Police Roads Policing Unit: "Offenders who drive carelessly and dangerously on our roads not only risk their own safety, they risk the lives of other road users.
"Our Roads Policing Unit patrols the roads of Merseyside 365 days a year to protect people and regularly help bring to justice those who threaten the safety of pedestrians, drivers and cyclists by driving recklessly and at speed.
"It is in everyone's interests to keep our roads safe. The drivers themselves, other road users and pedestrians will all be a lot safer if those who drive at speed are subject to enforcement.
"Issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for speeding is one many measures we take to create a safer environment for everyone to use our roads. Complying with speed limits, driving with regard to other, more vulnerable road users and to the prevailing traffic conditions is critical if we are to achieve this. We're optimistic that those drivers who comply with the speed limits at fixed camera locations will continue to do so elsewhere in Merseyside.
"In addition to fixed speed cameras, we also use mobile speed cameras and regularly deploy officers with speed guns to locations across Merseyside. This means that our officers can educate and engage with motorists and enforce legislation where necessary.
"While a small percentage of FPN notices were cancelled on Merseyside last year, more than 60,000 tickets were upheld and we will continue our proactive policing operation to keep our roads safe.
"Our message is clear - there is simply no excuse for speeding and it can have catastrophic consequences on the lives of others. Plan your journeys ahead and stay calm on the roads.
"It is absolutely imperative that everyone takes responsibility for their actions on the road, both with regard to speed, concentration and not driving impeded by drink, drugs or the use of mobile phones and other devices.
You can also follow Merseyside Police's Roads Policing Unit @MerPolTraffic and the Merseyside Road Safety Partnership @Merseysidersp on Twitter or visit their website https://merseysideroadsafety.org/ for advice and updates. They will answer any queries via DM, on this or any issues.
Home Office urged to start collecting data from police forces about these cancelled offences
Analysis of the data also revealed 404,335 (17%) of 2.4 million speeding cases in 2020/21 were dismissed nationally.
That’s the equivalent of one in six fixed penalty notices in England and Wales being cancelled.
The RAC Foundation said some of these issues could have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
The highest proportions of cancelled speeding cases during 2020/21 were in Greater Manchester and Warwickshire, where two in every five tickets were scrapped (39%).
Wiltshire, which has no fixed speed cameras, saw the lowest proportion of dismissed cases, at just 2%.
RAC Foundation director, Steve Gooding, said: "It is correct that drivers caught speeding should face the consequences, but it is also important that the systems of detection and prosecution are robust.
“The hundreds of thousands of cancelled offences each year indicate they are not. At the very least it is an administrative burden the police could do without.
"We urge the Home Office to start collecting data from police forces about these cancelled offences so we can understand where the problem lies."
The total number of speeding offences detected was down by only 6% on the previous year, despite traffic volumes falling by more than a quarter due to coronavirus lockdowns.
However, the number of tickets cancelled rose by 22%.
Some of the change might be due to the Metropolitan Police moving to a new system for processing fixed penalty notices.
This system change is likely to affect the total number of FPNs and the way in which outcomes are recorded (especially cancelled FPNs).
Adam Snow, a lecturer at the law school of Liverpool John Moores University, who worked on the report, said: "Police forces and local authorities are seeing number plate cloning as a growing problem
"With the increasing reliance on camera enforcement for clean air zones and moving traffic violations, there is some evidence to suggest more motorists are seeing this as an acceptable response even though it is fraud."
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