Speeding (again)

[Ronnie]

Just received a helpful letter from the Avon & Somerset constabulary informing me that I was recorded at 50mph in a 30mph zone and that they intend to prosecute me.

This follows my first ever points and fine for driving down the A9 in the Highlands at a mere 74mph, at night, on a long straight empty road with no sign of human habitation within 30 miles. CAught by some horrible videographic system which times you over an extended distance. Unlike the good old gatso which only an idiot can't notice, I never saw it.

This time I drove around a corner and was immediately recorded by a mobile lazer unit at about 500 yards and these things can operate at 1000 - if they can see you they've already got a reading, don't have to measure over a distance or anything so slamming on the brakes is not going to help. I spotted it immediately but by then it had already spotted me.

The technology is just too good these days - or is it? There have been a lot of questions asked about the accuracy of these lazer systems - so it's a round of demands to the police to supply a valid certificate of calibration for the unit involved and anything else that might be of interest to the interested accused motorist.

And by the way, if any law enforecment officials happen to be reading this, I do not recall what speed I was doing at the time of the alledged offence.

[redline]

its not so much the fines I mind,

its the points on the licence I could do without.

if I get caught speeding I only have myself to blame but the system does not allow for differing circumstances ,

I have been done by a camera for jumping a red light which I did to avoid an accident .

I spotted some lunatic in a jag speeding up behind me whilst I was stopped at a red light ,
He hit the anchors at the last minute and locked up ,
working on the theory that a jag front end against a fiesta ( doctors car ) rear end was a bit unfair , I decided to get out of his way.
My reward for avoiding the accident and probably saving the doctors and my own life was ( you guessed it ) £40.00 fine and 3 points

Now that , I thought, was a bit harsh

[SoLaMaNdA]

The stupid part of the system is that if you are aware of cameras in an area, there is little to stop you speeding in 'safe' areas. Police on the roads help more than cameras. The idiots don't realise.

[ebdl]

And by the way, if any law enforecment officials happen to be reading this, I do not recall what speed I was doing at the time of the alledged offence.

You want to be careful with this... if you don't recall or worse, don't know, what speed you were doing then you were not only speeding, but driving without due care and attention into the bargain

If you always drive at the speed limit, then you would be certain to know what speed you were doing (allowing for prevailing traffic conditions).

[Ronnie]

if you don't recall or worse, don't know, what speed you were doing then you were not only speeding, but driving without due care and attention into the bargain

If you always drive at the speed limit, then you would be certain to know what speed you were doing (allowing for prevailing traffic conditions).

This is not a valid legal argument...

[ebdl]

Maybe not, but if you can't remember that you definitely weren't speeding, that doesn't leave you with much of a defence, does it?

Personally I think 50 in a 30 is outrageous and anyone doing that deserves prosecution. If that's what you were doing then I'm afraid you get no sympathy from me.

The only speed limit I object to is 70mph on the motorways because I think it's based on out-of-date principles. That still doesn't give me the right to tool along at 100mph+ simply because I think I'm a great driver and perfectly safe at that sort of speed.

[SteveP]

Ofcourse its fine for a police officer to travel at 150mph on a motorway to check if the car is safe at that speed and to 'break it in'

[kevGLT]

I was caught doing 34 mph in a 30 limit cost me £40 and 3 points, a few years ago, the money doesn't really hurt, but having the points on your licence certainly makes you think !!!
kevGLT

[redline]

Ofcourse its fine for a police officer to travel at 150mph on a motorway to check if the car is safe at that speed and to 'break it in'

Around our way the traffic cars most annoying party trick is driving at high speeds in convoy, sirens wailing ,forcing cars out of there way on prison escort duty,

I wouldn't mind but that is on the way TO the prison before they pick up the prisoner so is totally unneccessary !!!!!!

we have this up to four times a day and the main road by us is not even the most direct route from the prison to the court

[Ronnie]

How does piss off grab you ebdl?

[redline]

guys , lets calm this down ,

we have all been guilty of speeding at one time or another and I would call anyone who denys this a liar ,

there are occaisions when the road speed changes with little notice and this is where plod normally waits ,

I have even heard of them waiting by national speed limit signs to nick people who start accelerating from 30 as they approach them

for what its worth Ronnie (like me ) is a higly trained professional driver
( Ronnie ambulance service and myself police trained )

but at the end of the day we all make mistakes and sometimes end up paying for them

I think it unfair to comment when we were not there and dont know all the circumstances .

I got caught out a couple of times coming home from Hertford last night on a road I had never driven along before, chops and changes between 30,40 and 50 for no apparent reason,

open countryside ,clear view over hedges, clear road markings without junctions or bends all the things "professional drivers " are taught to look for

It can happen to any of us , I even got nicked twice (by cameras )and prosecuted whilst driving for the emergency doctor service on twos and blues

[SteveP]

guys , lets calm this down

Agreed! Some of the comments in this thread really aren't in the spirit of this place atall - dissapointing.

[jtbo]

I have not got any tickets from speeding, young kid I got warning when I drove with moped to downhill, I think speed was 56kph and little faster and I would have to pay motorbike tax + fines for driving under aged and without license + fines for driving motorbike that was not registered as motorbike and also without motorbike insurance, etc.

You have to love byrocracy

I have been speeding, though, I remember once years ago when I did constant 110kph with van and trailer which has limit of 80kph, it was night and throttle had been floored for half hour already, I started to see blue flashing behind me in distance, I was then on straight that is more than 5km long, so I slowed to 80kph and very soon I heard horrible ZOOOOOMMM, it was Mondeo police car, did lot more than 150kph, I guess max speed, little after that lot slower zooooommm with blue flashing lights, that was VW transporter, I think max speed also, ingnored me totally, but car did shake a bit when that did go by

Conclusion, everybody drivers there at night with max speed, that was E75, there is few quite long straights when going to Oulu from southern part of country, boring so need to travel fast

[ebdl]

Hey, it's nothing personal.

I just find it a bit ridiculous when people who speed complain when they get booked for it. It's just as annoying to me as people complaining about traffic wardens because they get tickets for parking on double yellow lines.

[SoLaMaNdA]

ebdl has a fair point. I for one cannot claim to have never speeded, far from it. If you break rules expect to be caught.