Speeding ticket

Batch

Ex. Club Member
Just got my first speeding ticket today, absolutely gutted...beeen driving for 5 years now without incident.

38mph in a 30mph limit, mobile van....DOH!
 

tse_adam

Micra Attitude
you're not the first and certainly not the last, dont worry, we all experienced it before. drive clean for 5 years again and you'll be a free man!
 
OP
OP
Batch

Batch

Ex. Club Member
Yeah that's right...4 years.

How annoying.

Oh well, 4 years watching the speedo instead of the road and i'll be much safer...and a better driver of course lol :)
 

Swiper

Ex. Club Member
Club Member
insurance companies still ask for the last 5 yrs though, even though you can have it removed after 4. then it costs you about £20 to have pionts removed. i just left mine on.
 

Ed

Fusion Motorsport
MSC Founder
Official MSC Trader
For a while I had 6pts. Didnt seem to make any difference on insurance. I have 3 now, again doesnt seem to make any odds. I wouldnt worry about it
 

NeX

You're after my robot bee
Club Member
Just got my first speeding ticket today, absolutely gutted...beeen driving for 5 years now without incident.

38mph in a 30mph limit, mobile van....DOH!

mate have 6 points for doing EXACTLY the same thing twice. it was just after a 60 limit and comming in to a 30 and the cops had parked their van at the bottom of the hill where the 30 begins, i didn't even see them, the first i head of it was when i got a letter through....
 

stonesie

Grease Monkey!
Round here thay have a habbit of parking just round the corner after a fixed camera, sneaky sods use a camera on a tripod and have been known to 3/4 hide the van behind a bush or other vehicle..... Hence i have 3 points for 48 in a 40 on a long downhill section o_O (but of course they are not there to make money... eaven though they hide the best they can:suspect: )




Edit, sarcasm overload within the brackets.
 

rlees85

Ex. Club Member
Just got my first speeding ticket today, absolutely gutted...beeen driving for 5 years now without incident.

38mph in a 30mph limit, mobile van....DOH!

how long did it take for your ticket to come through??

i got one on the way too, in middle of the night, open dual carridgeway, empty, 30mph limit, seen a mobile van hidden by the night i musta been going 50 or 60...

been driving 4 years too and is first offense

1wk 2days so far still not got my ticket....
 
no, I think they've got to get it to court within 6 months of the offence or it's squashed.

have a look at this site, it's been posted before but a while back, it tells you how to beat the camera, I would have loved to try it out but didn't have the guts to try I guess.

http://www.pepipoo.com/
 

gam1984

Professional lurker.....
It all depends on what you think of the system really. If you agree that its run by genuinly honest, caring people who have only one mission in their job (which is to enforce speed limits to the exact letter of the law and therefore save lives) then you just accept the points, lay down and take it.

If you believe (like I do) that the speed limits in this country are enforced less and less by useful police and more and more by corrupt local camera partnerships out to make a quick buck out of often fairly minor driving errors that everyone makes, then kick up a fuss about it, appeal the ticket and let it go through the magistrates court if necessary (see the pepipoo website as has already been mentioned).

Whether or not you win the case is irrelavent really. Its out of your hands whatever happens. The good points in appealing are that its almost unheard of to have extra points added to your licence for appealing the ticket and usually the worst that can happen is an extra amount added to the fine by the court. Also, by taking it through the court system, it would appear that the camera partnership that caught you won't get any funds. Instead, it will go into the public purse and hopefully be used to pay for more police.

(I'm not claiming this to be a complete description of the system, just a brief overview as I understand it as a pepipoo user).

If everyone did this, speed cameras would cease to exist within a month as they would be too costly and the backlog of people in the court system would be enormous.....

Although not everyone thinks like I do :)
 

NeX

You're after my robot bee
Club Member
dont care what anyone says they are just making money, the people who make descisions like that couldnt give a toss about saving lifes. makes me sick to my stomach

agreed its a fact mate,

when was the last time you saw a police man stop the guy behind you for tail gating. with the money rolling in from the cameras there is no need for them to do anything.

even if speed cameras are saving lives they should still get rid of them to restore the plublic's faith in the police system. the very fact that they are still there proves its all about the money...
 

Alienfish360

Awesome Dawson
worst that can happen is an extra amount added to the fine by the court. Also, by taking it through the court system, it would appear that the camera partnership that caught you won't get any funds. Instead, it will go into the public purse and hopefully be used to pay for more police.


Wrong, if you take it to court and you lose the case, you'll end up with a bigger fine AND YOU will PERSONALLY have to pay the court fees, the
 

gam1984

Professional lurker.....
Wrong, if you take it to court and you lose the case, you'll end up with a bigger fine AND YOU will PERSONALLY have to pay the court fees, the

Well no, the basics of what I originally said are right actually (although I'm sure there will be some cases where what I have said is not correct - I don't claim to be a policeman).

Its not impossible that you could have extra points added for appealing in court, but its highly unlikely. What is more likely is that you will have a bigger fine to pay and court costs as I said, although these will not usually be enormous on a case like the one mentioned at the start of this thread. Also, if you have been caught speeding by more than a certain amount (I understand this varies between different areas according to how the ACPO guidelines are interpreted and followed) a court summons will automatically be issued anyway.

The only thing that really would annoy a judge is if you simply showed up with no case at all. However, if you have anything whatsoever to contest, such as the clarity of photo from a GATSO camera, or camera calabiration or placement issues, or even the length of time between the date of the "offence" and the NIP being received (there will usually be something thats questionable in a speed camera case - although this is much harder to do if you are actually pulled over by the police themselves), its certainly worth challenging it in my opinion.

Loosing the case isn't really the issue, I think that challenging it is.
 
OP
OP
Batch

Batch

Ex. Club Member
To be honest i was speeding...like i say by only 8mph but i was still speeding.

The calibration of the camera might be in question seen as it's a mobile van but to honest i don't have the time or inclination to contest it, i'll just pay my dues and move on.

I agree with what everyone has said above, but i'm more annoyed with myself than the system really as i was semi-aware that i was speeding and i noticed the van from about 200m away but couldn't decide whether it was a cop van or not.

Just life i suppose.

Never mind, i'll live. :)

Cheers for the consolations though guys. Much appreciated
 

Alienfish360

Awesome Dawson
Well no, the basics of what I originally said are right actually (although I'm sure there will be some cases where what I have said is not correct - I don't claim to be a policeman).

Its not impossible that you could have extra points added for appealing in court, but its highly unlikely. What is more likely is that you will have a bigger fine to pay and court costs as I said, although these will not usually be enormous on a case like the one mentioned at the start of this thread. Also, if you have been caught speeding by more than a certain amount (I understand this varies between different areas according to how the ACPO guidelines are interpreted and followed) a court summons will automatically be issued anyway.

The only thing that really would annoy a judge is if you simply showed up with no case at all. However, if you have anything whatsoever to contest, such as the clarity of photo from a GATSO camera, or camera calabiration or placement issues, or even the length of time between the date of the "offence" and the NIP being received (there will usually be something thats questionable in a speed camera case - although this is much harder to do if you are actually pulled over by the police themselves), its certainly worth challenging it in my opinion.

Loosing the case isn't really the issue, I think that challenging it is.




Sorry, mis-read your post. Thought you said you wouldn't have to pay court fees.
 

gam1984

Professional lurker.....
To be honest i was speeding...like i say by only 8mph but i was still speeding.

The calibration of the camera might be in question seen as it's a mobile van but to honest i don't have the time or inclination to contest it, i'll just pay my dues and move on.

I agree with what everyone has said above, but i'm more annoyed with myself than the system really as i was semi-aware that i was speeding and i noticed the van from about 200m away but couldn't decide whether it was a cop van or not.

Just life i suppose.

Never mind, i'll live. :)

Cheers for the consolations though guys. Much appreciated

Well its good your being honest and up front about it anyway. I mean, if you knew you were speeding you were "breaking the law" and thats the end of it. You just happened to get caught out. Whether or not you were actually driving dangerously is another matter, but that debate has been covered many times before on here.

The reason I'm so anti-speed camera is simply because I don't think that the cameras are being primarily used to save lives and also I'm still under the new drivers act, so I can't really afford to get any points at all. If I'm being totally honest about it, I don't think I'd bother kicking up so much of a fuss if I was out of my 2 year "probationary" period. For the record I actually stick to speed limits probably more closely than anyone else in my family (including my 75 year old grandfather!), but getting caught by a camera speeding is always a fear of mine because the system is set up so strongly against the motorist.

Anyway, my point was that if you have the time and inclination to fight it, you don't actually have that much to lose provided you were't driving like a total idiot.

Sorry, mis-read your post. Thought you said you wouldn't have to pay court fees.

Not a problem, I don't think I actually explained the court costs in my first post anyway, I thought that I did.

Also just as a side, I think the way you have handled your ban and admitted your mistake is a lesson for us all really.
 
M

m1ck97

Guest
Well its good your being honest and up front about it anyway. I mean, if you knew you were speeding you were "breaking the law" and thats the end of it. You just happened to get caught out. Whether or not you were actually driving dangerously is another matter, but that debate has been covered many times before on here.


We'll thats it, you already know what the speed limit is, you already know what the concequences of speeding is, yet people still speed. They know they are speeding and know they could get caught, yet they still have the balls to complain about it. I've been through mobile speed camera's at 37mph in a 30, and got away with it. Thats with a friend going through at 38 and getting pulled over and getting the fine and points. Very lucky, yes i'd have been annoyed to get a ticket but not at dvla, i'd have been annoyed at myself. Why dont people accept that they were wrong and accept the punishment instead of skanking out on a few quid.
 
OP
OP
Batch

Batch

Ex. Club Member
Not really fussed about the £60 fine, i'd take that over the points without batting an eyelid...although i can understand why people get narked about the fine as speed cameras are basically a revenue generating option for the government....conveniently coupled with "life saving properties" of course.

It's the points that bother me...just a reminder of a simple mistake on my behalf that i could have prevented....by slowing down when i saw the cop van in the first place lol.
 

Layla

Deactivated Account
or stick to speed limits. always makes me laugh when people get caught speeding then kick up a fuss. as someone has been on the wrong side of a bumper in an RTA, it hurts the kid you hit a lot less if you stick to the limits.

if you have to be there so urgently you need to speed, leave earlier
 
M

m1ck97

Guest
Not really fussed about the £60 fine, i'd take that over the points without batting an eyelid...although i can understand why people get narked about the fine as speed cameras are basically a revenue generating option for the government....conveniently coupled with "life saving properties" of course.

It might be a revenue option for the goverment, but what other punishment could the goverment seriously imply, as an alternative other than a small fine and the 3 points. I do break the speed limit when i drive, i'm not a overly fast driver but I do tend to drive around 35mph in a 30. Yet if I was caught it'd be my own fault, I know alot of people that have been caught, yet I cant see how they can complain when they take the risk.
 

gam1984

Professional lurker.....
It might be a revenue option for the goverment, but what other punishment could the goverment seriously imply, as an alternative other than a small fine and the 3 points. I do break the speed limit when i drive, i'm not a overly fast driver but I do tend to drive around 35mph in a 30. Yet if I was caught it'd be my own fault, I know alot of people that have been caught, yet I cant see how they can complain when they take the risk.

Agreed that if you know your speeding, then its your own fault. However, by the very nature of speed cameras, you can get caught speeding without even knowing your speeding.

Nobody here can possibly say that they haven't entered a 30zone at 38mph, done 80mph on a motorway, not realised that a speed limit had changed, or simply considered it safe to travel slightly above the speed limit on an empty road at 2am. Theres absolutley no discretion. Every single person on this website who drives a car could get caught by a speed camera tomorrow if they happen to make a driving misake in the wrong place.

Likewise, you could be doing 50mph past a busy school at 3 in the afternoon, or kids playing next to a road, slow down for a speed camera half a mile ahead and your fine.....

The answer is to use more real life police who can actually have some ability to decide for themselves what is dangerous and what isn't. I've got no problem at all with people who drive dangerously having the book thrown at them, but speed cameras can't differentiate. If I was actually stopped by a policeman for driving dangerously, then I'd rightly get a fine and points and I'd only have myself to blame.
 

Layla

Deactivated Account
Nobody here can possibly say that they haven't entered a 30zone at 38mph, done 80mph on a motorway, not realised that a speed limit had changed, or simply considered it safe to travel slightly above the speed limit on an empty road at 2am. Theres absolutley no discretion. Every single person on this website who drives a car could get caught by a speed camera tomorrow if they happen to make a driving misake in the wrong place.

i'll admit to speeding on motorways. no stupid speeds at stupid times, mainly early in the morning driving between my flat and my house.

speed cameras should be in residential areas, where they are needed, where speeding is really dangerous, not on the middle of a three lane motorway in the middle of nowhere.
if they were restricted to residential areas i would say that yes, they are there to prevent accidents from speeding. but on a motorway? no, pure profit

swines
 
M

m1ck97

Guest
i'll admit to speeding on motorways. no stupid speeds at stupid times, mainly early in the morning driving between my flat and my house.

speed cameras should be in residential areas, where they are needed, where speeding is really dangerous, not on the middle of a three lane motorway in the middle of nowhere.
if they were restricted to residential areas i would say that yes, they are there to prevent accidents from speeding. but on a motorway? no, pure profit

swines

I cant say I can think of many speed cameras in 40 or 50 zones. Arnt motorway speed cameras (that work) only usually in places that are often congested and where most accidents happen and near major cities? I also believe most motorway speed cameras are set at almost 87/90mph, which at the end of the day is reasonable.
 

gam1984

Professional lurker.....
I cant say I can think of many speed cameras in 40 or 50 zones. Arnt motorway speed cameras (that work) only usually in places that are often congested and where most accidents happen and near major cities? I also believe most motorway speed cameras are set at almost 87/90mph, which at the end of the day is reasonable.

I'm not sure about that. I've seen several cameras both fixed and van on unpopulated roads with 40, 50 and 60 limits. Theres a regular van placed around 200 yards before a 40 zone changes to a 50 that I go through every morning on the way to college at Burton (close to the Marmite factory if anyone knows it)..... Also camera vans are placed on the bridges above the A38 dual carriageway around the same areas on a regular basis.

According to the ACPO guidelines (which camera partnerships are intended to follow, but they have no actual compulsion to do so), I believe that the cameras *should* be set to 10% of the speed limit +2 mph. So on a motorway a camera should technicaly be set to trigger at 79mph, although this will vary dependant on how these guidelines are interpreted locally. I don't think its unheard of for someone to get a ticket for doing 75 and in other areas the camera won't trigger until you are going much faster.
 

rlees85

Ex. Club Member
lol nice discussion.. people always have lots of opinions on speeding, imo EVERYONE does it, a lot of people will say they dont, but if you drive around with them and watch their speedo they will always be going 35 in a 30, 75/80 on a motorway, etc.

Ticket still not turned up, nearly been 2 weeks now.........
 
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