Dumfries Traffic Solicitors and Experts in Scottish Driving Law
If you have been accused of a motoring offence in Dumfries it is important to engage the services of specialist Dumfries traffic solicitors Michael Lyon Solicitors. We have secured outright acquittals for motorists accused of driving offences such as dangerous driving (Dumfries Sheriff Court); speeding (Dumfries Justice of the Peace Court) and drink-driving (Dumfries Sheriff Court). If you require expertise in Scottish driving law then contact our Dumfries office to discuss your motoring offence today.
Road Traffic Lawyer Dumfries
Our Dumfries office opened in 2011 specifically to deal with the high volume of road traffic offences on the M74 a.k.a. A74(M) and on the A75. Situated on Buccleuch Street, Dumfries directly across the road from Dumfries Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court we have successfully represented hundreds of drivers accused of motoring offences in Dumfries and Galloway and have a combined 30 years’ experience in Scottish driving law.
Motoring Offence Solicitors for Speeding in Dumfries
If you have received a notice of intended prosecution for speeding on the M74 or A75 or speeding elsewhere in Dumfries and Galloway you should contact our highly experienced motoring offence solicitors for free legal advice. There are often technical lines of defence to speeding charges in Dumfries. You may even have been pulled over by the police at the time and require immediate advice about the legal process. Invariably, when the police stop a motorist the speed detection device is produced and its workings explained. In Dumfries speeding offences the police will engage a variety of speed detection devices including: the Unipar SL700; the LTI 20:20; Kustom ProLaser III; a calibrated speedometer; a VASCAR or a PUMA. Michael Lyon Solicitors has successfully defended speeding charges in Dumfries across all of these devices through exploiting technical legal defences (‘speeding loopholes’); challenging the accuracy of the devices; questioning the calibration of the device; challenging the training of the officer; and good old fashioned advocacy. If you are facing an allegation of speeding in Dumfries and Galloway then Michael Lyon Solicitors offer complete legal advice and our first consultation is free. We can often make the difference in retaining your driving licence. We also tell potential clients that they do not in fact require the services of a solicitor as demonstrated by some of our Google+ reviews.
Speeding A75 Gretna-Stranraer Road Motorcycle
Michael Lyon Solicitors has specialised in the defence of speeding offences since 2007 and has secured acquittals for hundreds of motorcyclists and drivers over the last decade. The A75 is the main arterial route from Gretna to Stranraer. It is a popular route for motorcyclists who find themselves an easy target for the police. Motorcyclists can often fall foul of the law on the A75 and find themselves on the wrong end of a dangerous driving charge (section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 1988). Classic examples of dangerous driving on the A75 are overtaking where it is unsafe to do so (normally involving the overtaking of a slow moving HGV); contravening solid white line systems; travelling at a grossly excessive speed for the road conditions; causing other vehicles to take evasive action; and overtaking on a blind bend. We have successfully defended motorcyclists accused of dangerous driving on the A75 by having our clients found not guilty of the charge; persuading the Procurator Fiscal to accept a plea to careless driving (or dropping the case altogether); or presenting legal arguments at Court to have the charge reduced by the Sheriff to careless driving. You can refer to our track record for further examples of our work in this area. If you have been accused of dangerous driving on the A75 contact Michael Lyon Solicitors to discuss your case today.
Speeding is taken extremely seriously on the A75 as it is considered locally as an accident blackspot. The penalties for speeding on the A75 are often considerably higher than the A74(M). The A75 passes through Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Gatehouse of Fleet, Newton Stewart and Stranraer. The A75 (along with the A77) is also the main road taken to catch a ferry to Northern Ireland from Cairnryan. Police know the ferry timetable well and lie in wait to catch motorists who are running late. We have secured outright acquittals for motorists accused of speeding on the A75. If you have been accused of speeding on the A75 and require assistance contact Michael Lyon Solicitors for a free case assessment.
Totting-Up Ban Exceptional Hardship Argument Dumfries
Often clients contact Michael Lyon Solicitors having pled guilty by letter to a fairly minor speeding charge at Dumfries Justice of the Peace Court only to receive a letter telling them that they require to appear at Court to make representations against disqualification. Totting-up bans are imposed when a driver reaches 12 points within a 3 year period (from date of offence to date of offence). The minimum period of disqualification for a totting-up ban is 6 months (rising to a two year minimum in certain circumstances).
A totting-up disqualification can have disastrous consequences e.g. job loss; unable to pay your mortgage; unable to pay debts; unable to visit relatives; unable to get alternative employment; unable maintain contact arrangements with children or take children to after-school activities etc. etc.
It is open to a driver faced with a totting-up ban to argue exceptional hardship would be caused were he to be deprived of his licence for a substantial period of time. We have successfully argued exceptional hardship at Dumfries over the last decade and know exactly what is required in terms of preparation and presentation. Exceptional hardship arguments (more formally known as Exceptional Hardship Proofs) require thorough preparation, agreement of evidence and witness testimony to have any realistic prospect of success. If you have been asked to attend Dumfries Justice of the Peace Court to make representations against disqualification or wish to try to avoid a totting-up ban by arguing exceptional hardship, contact our team of experienced road traffic lawyers in Dumfries to discuss your prospects of success. Michael Lyon Solicitors brings a wealth of experience and a great deal of local knowledge to Exceptional Hardship Proofs in Dumfries and Galloway. Call today for a free case assessment.
