View Full Version : On the subject of speeding
A few threads have popped up here recently regarding speeding, people receiving points, etc so thought I'd mention what I received in the post a few days ago.
I commute from MK to Leicester each day. Junction 16 to 19 currently have road works going on, so are filled with average speed cameras set at the standard 50. I had work last Saturday and Sunday. Lo and behold, Tuesday morning I receive 2 speeding offences, one for each day. 62mph average on the Saturday and 63mph on the Sunday.
10 years of driving and riding with a squeaky clean licence and then two at once:( (No not looking for sympathy before the 'it's your fault' brigade come running in). But I do wonder if I will get a speed awareness course for the first offence and points for the second. Any ideas orgers?
Red Herring
18-10-14, 04:10 PM
Medical emergency...?
andrewsmith
18-10-14, 04:41 PM
What rh said
Biker Biggles
18-10-14, 05:32 PM
Medical emergency...?
What every day?:D
Spank86
18-10-14, 05:50 PM
In Hampshire if you get two lots of points you're ineligable for the course for either.
Not sure how you stand in your neck of the woods but I got paperwork that explained it all with the first letter.
EssexDave
18-10-14, 10:43 PM
That's a bit rubbish. I remember a ride late last year on the M25 (a stretch I hadn't used for a long time) that had 50 limit and roadworks and average speed cameras.
After a fair few miles I clocked that some (but not all) of the average speed cameras were rear facing...
I hadn't been getting much of a shift on but was probably sitting between 60-68 on the clock but must have just about got away with it, or the cameras weren't switched on!
Anyway, I have nothing constructive to contribute to your thread, but harsh luck two in two days! Good luck on getting the course.
punyXpress
19-10-14, 10:38 AM
Could you write twice, once for each, asking about the course & hope they don't put 1 and 1 together before it's too late for them to withdraw the offer?
littleoldman2
19-10-14, 04:23 PM
Could you write twice, once for each, asking about the course & hope they don't put 1 and 1 together before it's too late for them to withdraw the offer?
Good plan after all nothing to lose really.
They do make you sign something to say you have no other pending courses from memory...
Red Herring
21-10-14, 02:43 PM
I think we've already established he has a rubbish memory given he got zapped two days running in the same place.....:D
I once got caught twice in a single journey. Outside Derby on a dual carriageway I thought I was doing the speed limit at 60. I hadn't noticed the 50 signs. Half an hour later I came off a NSL road into a village posted at 30. I was still going 40 as I passed the sign and turned into the village only to see that the police had set up a laser to catch people like me. All the cars before and after me were being stopped.
Paul the 6th
22-10-14, 10:40 AM
OP - if it's any comfort at all, I've found that points for speeding don't make a massive difference to insurance premiums. In 2010 I got an MW10 for crossing a solid white line on the motorway.. That fooked my insurance in the ear. (http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=163666&highlight=mw10) Think the points are either eligble to come off now or next summer, but in April this year I got an SP50 for doing 65mph in a van on a dual carriage way NSL (60mph for vans on there, not 70 as it is for cars and bikes).
The SP50 has been of no consequence for my insurance costs whatsoever, bikes or cars. The only thing that has changed is work are now getting on my case wondering why I used to get my jobs done and back to the unit quicker than anyone else, now I arrive at the same time or slightly after = because I am sat at bang on 50/60/70 everywhere I go.
Mind you they're also getting on my case about me constantly raising safe lifting and handling after they made us sit through a 4 hour course on moving heavy kit. That's another story.
Good luck with the awareness course, hopefully they'll miss it but they're pretty on top of their game with this stuff.
Red Herring
22-10-14, 11:43 AM
.... in April this year I got an SP50 for doing 65mph in a van on a dual carriage way NSL (60mph for vans on there, not 70 as it is for cars and bikes).
You sure you have got that right? Prosecution under those circumstances shouldn't be considered until 67mph.
Teejayexc
22-10-14, 04:28 PM
Good luck with the awareness course, hopefully they'll miss it but they're pretty on top of their game with this stuff.
^very much this I'm afraid, it's an easy cash cow for 'em.
Pity they don't show so much vigour in chasing other matters.
Paul the 6th
22-10-14, 04:47 PM
You sure you have got that right? Prosecution under those circumstances shouldn't be considered until 67mph.
eeh feck - fat finger syndrome and typing from piePhone, 75 on a dual carriageway, not 65 (sorry).
Red Herring
22-10-14, 05:43 PM
No problem.... did you actually know most vans are restricted to 60 on NSL dual carriageways before you got done? It never failed to amaze me how many we stopped didn't.
Spank86
22-10-14, 06:00 PM
No problem.... did you actually know most vans are restricted to 60 on NSL dual carriageways before you got done? It never failed to amaze me how many we stopped didn't.
I know you weren't asking me that but I didn't know that before I got done the first time, I had known it in the past but completely blanked on it.
Over 3 Years I'd been driving a van when I realized.
Red Herring
22-10-14, 06:04 PM
Without wishing to start a slanging match.... perhaps if you had been required to take additional training before becoming a professional driver that might have been avoided?
Phoenix22
22-10-14, 06:08 PM
I'm in the same boat as him. No points for over 30 years then bang, got caught twice within 3 months, both in the van. Cameras have no sense of negotiation or common sense, they have no intelligence to distinguish between a clear road or a congested one. Some signs say they are put there to protect our workforce..........what workforce? They are all at home or sat in the pub!!!!!!!!!
Spank86
22-10-14, 06:13 PM
Without wishing to start a slanging match.... perhaps if you had been required to take additional training before becoming a professional driver that might have been avoided?
I wouldn't say I'm a professional driver as such, although I couldn't do my job by walking.
I have always questioned that my work doesn't give any driver training until AFTER you crash (I've had that training apparently I'm a "low risk", I can drive very well when i want to). I went from driving nothing bigger than a Peugeot 106 to a ford transit loaded up to within an inch of it's life. I got to grips with it but a half day for all new recruits would probably be a good plan, they train everything else to death.
Well thanks for the replies. This keeps getting worse! Yesterday I recieved another ticket for the same day for a different stretch of the M1 by a different police force (63mph average again).
That makes 9 points in 1 weekend on the same stretch of average speed cameras. Another one arrives and Im royally goosed. Ive been really behaving since this all came through, but didnt expect another one to come along for the same day. Sad times.
I didnt think there were mitigating circumstances for speeding. If you're speeding you're speeding, right?
Some signs say they are put there to protect our workforce..........what workforce? They are all at home or sat in the pub!!!!!!!!!
Exactly! There wasnt a man on the road that weekend!!
I know you are not looking for sympathy but I really don't have any sympathy for anyone getting caught speeding. Do the crime and suffer the penalty.
Just pay up and get on with life.
Red Herring
22-10-14, 06:43 PM
I didnt think there were mitigating circumstances for speeding. If you're speeding you're speeding, right?
Three times in one weekend is beyond funny....even if you were having a mad moment you still have my sympathy!
There is a subtle difference between mitigation and defence. There are very few defences to speeding, unless you can claim to be using your vehicle for emergency ambulance type services....?
Mitigation however is another matter. This is where you are guilty of the allegation but you can provide a very good reason as to why you were doing what you were doing (hence my original post) and the court may take this into consideration. You will still get convicted, however hopefully a reduced penalty.
punyXpress
22-10-14, 10:26 PM
How close together were the 3 ( hope that's all! ) ?
Any chance of getting 2 or more treated as concurrent?
EssexDave
23-10-14, 02:37 PM
How close together were the 3 ( hope that's all! ) ?
Any chance of getting 2 or more treated as concurrent?
I don't know the law but have heard some argument about if it is all one instance of speeding, then the suggestions is you should only be liable for one ticket.
No idea if this argument is current, I'd suggest a quick phone call to some motoring solicitors - White Dalton (although Bike specialists are very good at all motor cases) may be worth a shout. They will likely tell you when you have any chance or not as they won't waste time working on it if there is no hope.
Well the Northamptonshire police were extremely reasonable. Following a letter I sent them, they agreed to merge the two offences into one as they were so close to each other. I booked a speed awareness course for the other offence clocked by the Leicestershire police. So a potential 9 points have ended up as 3. Happy days :)
Teejayexc
21-11-14, 11:22 PM
So what exactly did you put in the letter?
Thought if you were caught speeding it was a done deal ?
So what exactly did you put in the letter?
Thought if you were caught speeding it was a done deal ?
Several things:
1. I was on call that weekend. Although I wasn't rushing for an emergency as such, a colleagues wife suffered from a miscarriage that weekend so I had to cover his duties as well as mine. Weekends in a hospital are stressful at best, but when covering two peoples workloads it's pretty bad and my mind was slightly distracted which I mentioned in the letter (don't know how much of a difference this would have made).
2. Explained road conditions were clear on the motorway and there weren't any road workers so I wasn't watching my speed as I perhaps should have but didn't excuse the fact I was indeed speeding.
3. Mentioned in 10 years of driving/riding I've never had a speeding offence.
They sent a reasonable letter back saying they noted the 2 offences were indeed very close together and they would treat it as one. Thought it was worth a shot which paid off. Thanks to orgers who suggested I write in as I was just gonna take it as a given.
dirtydog
22-11-14, 09:30 AM
Well thanks for the replies. This keeps getting worse! Yesterday I recieved another ticket for the same day for a different stretch of the M1 by a different police force (63mph average again).
That makes 9 points in 1 weekend on the same stretch of average speed cameras. Another one arrives and Im royally goosed. Ive been really behaving since this all came through, but didnt expect another one to come along for the same day. Sad times.
I didnt think there were mitigating circumstances for speeding. If you're speeding you're speeding, right?
That's a pretty good result if you ask me :cheers:
Red Herring
22-11-14, 10:16 AM
Glad you had a result (sort of). Common sense still prevails at times!
Corny Gizmo
24-11-14, 01:52 PM
Brilliant result and one to keep in mind if anyone else gets stung in a similar way :)
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