s172s need to be taken seriously. Here’s how I know:
Every once in a while, I prosecute road traffic matters for the CPS.
The majority of the prosecutions on a typical Magistrates Court Traffic list are s172 Road Traffic Act matters (failure to give information as to the identity of the driver).
Most drivers tell me that they didn’t receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution – and didn’t even realise that they had been caught by a speed camera in the first place.
Others have received the Notice of Intended Prosecution in the post, but they can’t remember who was driving at the time the vehicle was caught on the camera.
It is never too soon to get expert Motoring law advice. While, it may be your first time in the Magistrates Court – it is unlikely to be either the Prosecutor’s or the Magistrates’.