NIP - The Usual Then

[454697819]

Well, as per my previous post aboiut a week and a half ago,
a NIP landed on my door step thismorning...

Yep i was doing 82 in a 70 at 7.42 in the morning on the A1 , u know the really dangerous stretch that is straight with no slip roads...yeah that dealy bit :evil:

Any way, as u can see, i feel slightly miffed about all this for a couple of reasons,

One: after the two pages of forms making u feel like ur the most criminal person on the plannet . i recieved a "safety advice leaflet" basically saying..u were caught cause we were having a crack down last week..any other week u would have been fine...... :roll: lovely..thanks for that..

Secondly... 82 in a 70, ok ok so yes i was breaking the speed limit, but at 7.45 on a friday morning...u point out the other traffic to me.....

and thirdly.... i feel slightly discriminated against as if i had been on my bike i would have got away with it as it was a forward facing camera. ... :?

so thats my grivence with the whole crappy system...

the £60 is a pain as im trying to move house...the 3 points at 20 makes my car insurance that is already a joke , funnier than lenny henry on red noes day... and the fact i dont even get a shinny photo of my car as proof that it goes fast ( 1.8 fiest diesel M reg 146500 miles on the clock) is icing on the bitter cake.. :(

Sadly the worst thing is i beat myself up about my mistakes..therfore i drove to work thismorning more concearned over my insurance hike than if i was driving on the path :?

So i have made this a poll to try and make myself feel better.... please answer honestly...

Ans i suppose at the end of the day it will slow me down..simply cause i could not afford the hike in insurance again..... and i iwas proud of my shiny licence..now its blemished..... bugger.... :(

[diamond]

I know it's bad but i honestly don't think i ever stick to the speed limits in my car or on the bike, i'm not saying i do stupid speeds like 60 in a 30 or anything but i have been very lucky to have only been caught once.


Strike me down now, i'm a reckless criminal :roll:

[Kate]

Bad luck mate, unfortunately **** happens. Lol, try having 3 points and a group 20 car.... :cry:

[Aurora]

'Spose living in the 'back of beyond' has its benefits, I nearly always go over the speed limit, not by much 35-40ish in a 30, 45-ish in a 40 and so on. So far never been stopped either on a bike or in the car. I know I shouldn't but it is so difficult to drive at 30 or 40 on an empty road

[fizzwheel]

I've been done twice, once on the M5 for 95.3mph that I got 3 points and £60 fine for, traffic was quiet that day and it was dry and sunny, Got pulled and the policeman was very nice and friendly, explained that they were having a crack down that day as there had been lots of accidents over the last few months, He complimented me my lane discipline and said that there was nothing wrong with my driving except for my speed.

2nd time was my a mobile camera van that I didnt see till I was right on top of it as the van was obscured by a hedge. Again straight bit of road, dry no traffic no junctions, 77mph in a 60mph. 3 points and another £60 fine, If anybody knows the Yeovil to Dorchester A37 it was on that road.

Has it slowed me down, not really no, I'm just more observant now and a bit more cautious

Just take it on the chin mate theres nothing you can do, Its just one of those things, no point beating yourself up about it, Could always be worse you could have got a bigger fine / more points

Oh and Kate I know what you mean I have a group 17 car and 6 points for a while :shock:

[keithd]

i've been caught and prosecuted twice. once by camera doing 70 on a dual carriageway! oh yes. its on the a303, there's been loads of complaints and the camera has now been removed as its confusing many a motorist. i knew it was a 60 despite it being a dual carriage way (over a 7 mile stretch it goes from single to two lanes 3 or 4 times), and the other time i was caught by a traffic cop doing 88 in a 70, peak speed being 94.

i was also stopped doing 78 in a 50 and was let off with a caution, so in my experience i take the rough with the smooth. it hasnt slowed me down as a driver or rider possibly as the 6 points only over-lapped by about 6 months.

i am also awaiting an NIP as we speak. i think i was doing about 36/37 in a 30 when i was filmed :? the polisman without the gun looked to his man with said equipment as i passed as if to say "did you get him..." booooooo

[wheelnut]

You said about a week and a half ago, wasnt that when your Thai cousin borrowed your bike and took the Au Pair out for a ride? :P

[454697819]

You said about a week and a half ago, wasnt that when your Thai cousin borrowed your bike and took the Au Pair out for a ride? :P

:lol: :lol: i wish....

It was in the car...cant even laim any one stole it... im sure no one would want it...

:D

[SVeeedy Gonzales]

I've gone for the 3rd option, but only cos there's no "no - they'll never catch me - ahahahahaaaaa!" option.

I pretty much always drive and ride in excess of the limit, as fast as I feel is safe and convenient at the time. Never been stopped, never been flashed, always see police and cameras in plenty of time, or else hard braking into the trap (rare) does the job.

I'll keep doing the same in the car and on the bike until I get my first near miss or my first NIP, then I'll maybe think about it. Solong as I'm safe, I don't see speed as a factor.

It helps that Kent/London seem reliant on fixed cameras with few patrols and almost no temporary traps/scam vans... only seen one temp one down here (London) which was easy to spot. I always slow down to the limit though, even for forward facing cams and where there are road markings but no visible cams, people looking shifty with cars parked by roadside, etc. I figure if I keep an eye out, they'll have a damn hard time catching me. :twisted:

[Morti]

I very rarely drive to the speed limit and i accept the fact that one day i wil be caught by a camera and i don't have any problem with that. I am very surprised that in 10 years of driving i haven't been caught. Having said that i think age is slowing me down as when i went away at the weekend i only when over 75/80 when i was overtaking on the motorway (i always used to sit at around 90 on the motorway)

[Grinch]

Well I have a 99.10 in a 70, 4 points and 250 quid and a 97.5 in a 70, 5 points and 500 quid.
One on a Sunday and another a week later.. :( both on the A27.
My insurance is 250 (for 2 bikes).. fully comp.. 3 years no claims, I'm 30 this year.
I've slown down a bit.. but I have a rules system now.. no more than 10 mph over the limit unless I have a clean line of sight when it might move to 15... or I'm in a town then I try to stick to the rules.
Don't get caught speeding on the motorway as the fine can be twice as much as on A roads. A roads max 1000 fine, motorways max 2000 fine.

[keithd]

Don't get caught speeding on the motorway as the fine can be twice as much as on A roads. A roads max 1000 fine, motorways max 2000 fine.


which to me makes no sense. i'd have said if there were a sliding scale of dangerous places to speed a motorway would have been one of the safer places. surely an A road with its junctions, cross roads, tractors, learners and various other hazards is a more dangerous place.....but whenever did common sense take presidence

[H-Gerickemark]

I got caught in september of 2004, only passing my test in january so that gave me 16 months were I could not get caught/break the speed limit again otherwise my lisence would be revoked.

If im honest it has slowed me down and made me more cautious because all the money I put into getting my test and bike, would of all been lost for the sake of a few extra mph when it probably would'nt of been necessary or safe??


Mark

[SVeeedy Gonzales]

Forgot to add... the golden rule... always make sure there's someone going faster than you are, preferably in front. If there is anything ahead it'll do them while you're slowing down. :wink:

[diamond]

Forgot to add... the golden rule... always make sure there's someone going faster than you are, preferably in front. If there is anything ahead it'll do them while you're slowing down. :wink:


:thumbsup: I always try and stick to that one

[Grinch]

Forgot to add... the golden rule... always make sure there's someone going faster than you are, preferably in front. If there is anything ahead it'll do them while you're slowing down. :wink:


:thumbsup: I always try and stick to that one

very much so.. and its normally.. a white van,bmw or a merc..

[keithd]

Forgot to add... the golden rule... always make sure there's someone going faster than you are, preferably in front. If there is anything ahead it'll do them while you're slowing down. :wink:

sorry, thats pants. i was behind 2 other cars going quicker than me and i was the one pulled over.

[diamond]

Glad to see no one has voted in the last option :wink:

[diamond]

Forgot to add... the golden rule... always make sure there's someone going faster than you are, preferably in front. If there is anything ahead it'll do them while you're slowing down. :wink:

sorry, thats pants. i was behind 2 other cars going quicker than me and i was the one pulled over.
Were you in the car or on the bike?

[keithd]

Forgot to add... the golden rule... always make sure there's someone going faster than you are, preferably in front. If there is anything ahead it'll do them while you're slowing down. :wink:

sorry, thats pants. i was behind 2 other cars going quicker than me and i was the one pulled over.
Were you in the car or on the bike?

car on this occassion. they were my first points.....ah the memories of a clean license....

[diamond]

Forgot to add... the golden rule... always make sure there's someone going faster than you are, preferably in front. If there is anything ahead it'll do them while you're slowing down. :wink:

sorry, thats pants. i was behind 2 other cars going quicker than me and i was the one pulled over.
Were you in the car or on the bike?

car on this occassion. they were my first points.....ah the memories of a clean license....
Bit harsh then, the police do have a tendency to do a bike over a car if all 3 are doing the same excessive speed.

[454697819]

the thing that urks me more than most is i have used that road thousands of time... i kno wwhere all the spped camera sections are and for that reason i never do more than about 80 in any partcicular part,

except this time..where other things n my mind and a lack of concentration on my speedo got me done..

i usually apply the dont go faster than any thing else on the road rule too... cept again, this time i was making progress and just for got to look at the speedo.... ironic really that i was paying attention to the road... :roll:

[SVeeedy Gonzales]

Forgot to add... the golden rule... always make sure there's someone going faster than you are, preferably in front. If there is anything ahead it'll do them while you're slowing down. :wink:

sorry, thats pants. i was behind 2 other cars going quicker than me and i was the one pulled over.

It doesn't work if the cars going faster than you are *police cars* though! Silly... #-o

[jambo]

I have voted "Yes and it hasn't slowed me down" but that's not stricly true. I'm more paranoid and observant than I was, and I don't go quite as fast as I used to in town, but I still go way in excess of the speed limit fairly regularly, I've just become more paranoid about being nicked!

[Saint Matt]

I havent been done, been flashed many times, but only from the front, with compulsory finger raised. I dont speed round town or round schools etc, main reason cos its dangerous, second cos the birds cant see your bike if you're riding fast! I'll get flashed one day though, its gonna happen.

[Anonymous]

the thing that urks me more than most is i have used that road thousands of time... i kno wwhere all the spped camera sections are and for that reason i never do more than about 80 in any partcicular part,

except this time..where other things n my mind and a lack of concentration on my speedo got me done..

i usually apply the dont go faster than any thing else on the road rule too... cept again, this time i was making progress and just for got to look at the speedo.... ironic really that i was paying attention to the road... :roll:

Funnily enough I emailed Cambridgeshire Camera Partnership about the increase in driver/rider focus on license preservation and speedo watching. The reply was:

Speedometer watching and panic braking only applies to people who are braking the law by exceeding their legal speed limit. Safe legal drivers would not need to "panic brake" as they would already be driving within the speed limit. Drivers should check their speedometer as often as they check their mirrors. The notion that you need to constantly drive round with your eyes on the speedometer is absurd - you can tell from experience and one glance at the speedometer what speed you are travelling at and know if you have sped up/slowed down from that speed. In addition, most peoples' field of vision enables them to see the speedometer needle out of the corner of their eye whilst at the same time concentrating on the road ahead.


1. I don't know about you, but looking at my speedo every 4 seconds (which is the average for checking mirrors) doesn't sound particularly safe.

2. The accuracy speed cameras require us to drive at almost neccesitate panic braking - especially with analogue speedometers. Even if you're doing 34-35 you're going to stick the brakes on.

3. This idiot who replied must have superman style vision. Sit on your bike and look at the road ahead as normal, can you read the speedo to the level of accuracy demanded by a speed camera?

Additionally - he neglects to realise that a lot of vehicles (particularly motorcycles) have digital speedometers which demand a direct look.

When we've got people like this running the show who spout the official line over and over again, is it any wonder the roads are in the state they are?!

[BigglesBird]

Re: the comments in the letter back from Cambs safety partenrship where they say a safe driver would be within the speed limit in any event. I point out the article in this week's MCN where a rider was held to be jointly to blame for an accident where he was within the speed limit and hit by a car coming the other way on the wrong side of the road. The judge reduced damages by 50% as he said the rider should not have been going so quick that he could not take avoiding action....and he was on his OWN side of the road and UNDER the speed limit. Seems a stoopid state of affairs where you can be liable and legal at the same time.

[Anonymous]

I actually agree with personal liability regardless of the "law" - not this sorry state of affairs we have today where you can sue anyone for hurting your little finger on a slightly protruding nail in a fence.

[amarko5]

nope, never, nada, zero, zilch, zip, in my 29 years of driving cars and bikes.

unless you class a parking ticket as an offence. (1 off)

otherwise i have been either very lucky (or as i prefer observant and wise :wink: ).

as rich quoted i have now probably tempted fate to deal me a cruel blow :?

[creamerybutter]

Well I chose No- But one day I will be on friday, looks like I'll have to change that :(

[$i]

wheres the option "YES, but i got away"? :lol:

but yes it did slow me down.

[K]

I was done by a fixed camera just over three years ago in my MG. I almost always drive under the limit in 20s, 30s and most 40s, or at least I thought I did.
Then this camera, in a village I know, gets me on 33 in a 30. £60 fine, no points but attendance of a road safety lecture instead.

I find out at the lecture that the size of tyres can affect your speedo reading (espescially on older cars) by up to 15% - get mine checked out and sure enough, because I had non standard tyres on it was reading 4 mph under.
If it was accurate I would have been under the limit. :roll:

To be honest it really depends on what I'm driving/riding. The 4x4 seems to naturally sit just under the limit - town and motorways, but the MG's engine (even though she's 27 yrs old) sounds more comfortable at 35/80.

As for bikes, the SV is happy within the limits unless I actively open her up - but the Blade...


... dear god he's got long legs! :roll:

I was out with the IAM this morning and found myself never getting above 4th gear, it was either that or be told off later. :wink:
His 'jogging pace' in 6th is about 90 mph. :oops:

Getting caught the one time hasn't changed the way I ride or drive - I've always generally been fairly conservative - but that was due to a bad accident in my formative years that simply has made me far more observant.
That fed my rather accurate and graphic imagination, it is enough to have various nasty 'what if' scenarios run through my head approaching junctions etc.

My personal speed does not concern me... it's knowing what other people's speed can make thier metal do to my flesh that does.