Busted :(

[RoyMi6]

Bit more to it than the title might suggest but willing to pay my dues, just not happy as how it came about.

500 miles of driving over the last week, and I'm one of those drivers that fairly rigidly sticks to the speed limit and drives with conditions, but got caught out the one time (about 200m of driving) that I'm over the speed limit.

More annoyingly is I feel tricked into doing it!

Was on some windy roads in the boarders (where I'm aware speed camera are plentiful) and was stuck behind someone doing 30 round all the bends and 70 odd on the straights (managing to pull away from me doing 60)

Infuriating and dangerous to drive behind so I keep my distance and take my time - no rush.

However, at one point I find myself sitting behind him doing 40 (with a 60 speed limit) with plenty of visibility so decide to make a pass. However, as more experienced drivers might realise (and I'll be more wary of in the future) this is just an opening for him to give me a wee race and stop me over taking.

Split second decision to back off (and put up with more of his nonsense) or carry on trying to pass him I decide on the latter only to pull back in front of him and get snapped by a GATSO.

I wasn't aware of it's presence before I made the move and it was only when I was having to speed up more than I felt comfortable with that I spotted it. Once in front, with hindsight, I maybe should have slammed on the breaks but at the time I wasn't willing to break hard with someone so close behind me.

So yeah, annoying as I reckon I was probably doing about 65 (had let off once I passed the other car) through the camera.

Suppose I better hold on to my Christmas money to pay some fines and cover the increase in my insurance then

 

[RoyMi6]

What was the limit? A camera won't flash at 65 in a 60

Limit was 60. He was doing 40, dropped a gear and signaled to pass, got up to 60 and he was sitting level with me before I hit ~70 to move in front.

Once I was I was in front and back in the left hand lane I took my foot off the accelerator but didn't break so was still doing ~65 through the markings and saw it flash.

Actual speed could have been more like 67, 68 - was looking more at the road rather than my speedo.

If someone speeds up/tries to race when you overtake you should pull back in behind - you're responsible for creating a safe gap around your car, if you're behind him you can be in control of that.

It's your mistake, the other guy was being a **** but its still your own doing, so lesson learned and move on

Yeah, first time I've had to make that decision but annoying to get it wrong. I'm a calm driver so could have sat behind him all the way if I had given it any thought.

if you were on the wrong side of the road overtaking when it flashed youll be fine, i highly doubt theyd have markings on the wrong side of the road too

Was back on the correct side of the road. It was apparent he'd backed off once he'd made me gun it* so had managed to pull back over into left hand lane.

*For reference I'm in a stock MX5 MK2 1.8 - by "gun it" I mean "putter along a bit faster"

 

[RoyMi6]

Sadly they don't do a camera that catches the ****s who put their foot down when someone tries to overtake them.....

Well, considering investing in a dash mounted camera after this. On the way back I had the excitement of having to go on the side of the road to avoid someone over taking on a blind corner! That's another story though and no repercussions for myself

 

[RoyMi6]

Out of interest do you get given the pictures when you get your fine?

Does it arrive in the post?

Just thinking if I'll be able to get the licence plate of the dosser driving like a numpty - he was right up my backside when it flashed.

 

[RoyMi6]

How accurate is your speedo and how honest are you being about the speeds involved? I'd be quite surprised if a camera flash at an indicated 67 or 68 resulted in a prosecution. I'm doing barely 61/62 at that kind of indicated speed. If it was more like indicated 77/78 however.....especially if you had to.accelerate more than anticipated

Anyway, wait 2 weeks for a letter and take it from there, nothing that can be done now

According to my TomTom it's pretty spot on.

I'm being as honest as possible about the speeds. Although when I said ~70 I do mean more than 70 but no more than 75.

As such when I lifted when I passed (just in front of the camera) I was below 70 but above 65 with engine breaking (MX5 MK2's don't want to go that fast )

The way I feel it played out is that the camera (on my side of the road) would have detected cars traveling above 68 but by the time I passed through I would be doing more like 65 or slightly less as I intentionally didn't break - just lifted my foot right off.

Ach, it's all pretty irrelevant anyway. As you say, wait it out and pay the consequences - just a crap Christmas present!

Was he in a better car than yours? Often it's hatchbacks and the like that try to overtake people when there is no need to! 40 in a 60 is hardly THAT slow.

Well, define better. Think it was a newer ford estate of some sort. Probably a more powerful engine than mine but I love my car to bits and is easily "better" than any other car on the road

I agree, 40 in a 60 isn't that slow at all - but 30 round EVERY windy section and speeding on the straights just made him to be a very unnerving person to be behind. I figured by passing it be able to maintain a higher average speed and thus make some distance.

The one time he was doing 40 on a straight rather than shooting off felt like a good time to just pass and be done with him - but obviously not.

But, lesson learned - hopefully I won't be coming back with the same story in the future!

 

[RoyMi6]

In some ways I think I'd prefer court, fine and a ban - would at least allow me to state my side of the story and as I don't drive much (~7,000 miles in 2 years) a ban would be fine.

For this reason though they'd probably not see fit to "just" ban me.

Getting points on my licence is going to jack up my insurance and mean I'll be paying for it for years to come

 

[RoyMi6]

Where is the road?

'twas this bad boy (going this direction): https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=55.70...=c6k7H2Wk7x_5_g6GpHH8HA&cbp=12,103.03,,0,8.24 (would have linked earlier but forgot the AA route planner lets you see where the speed cameras are!)

I feel somewhat sorry for you as it is incredibly infuriating when this happens, especially when you haven't got the power to get passed swiftly. The type of people who speed up when they've been doing circa 25% under the speed limit are a complete nuisance.

Agreed

However, the type of people trying to overtake me when I am doing national speed limit get the same treatment as you had.

Dangerous but to each their own. I have a motto myself that I treat every car like a undercover police car so when sitting behind someone that's keeping up with the speed limit I'll never pass them.

In the same regard I don't think I'd ever find myself speeding up to stop someone over take me if they felt the urge.

Besides, you appear somewhat hazy with the exact speeds you were completing. On one hand, you're certain you were travelling around 65mph when the camera flashed, however you were doing 75mph shortly before, and admitted you weren't looking at the speedo for some part of it, and never braked once.

My car doesn't like going at 70 on a motorway in 5th let alone 75mph in 4th. As such engine braking paid a big part in my reduction in speed. I completed the overtake with some room to spare before the camera but with someone right up my rear I chose not to break. As I've admitted - there's a couple of things I could have done differently. I'm not without fault here - and I'll happily admit one of them could be my exact recall of the speeds I was doing. I am however not purposely over or under exaggerating, it would serve no purpose here.

 

[RoyMi6]

Appreciate the apology earlier wingman, thanks.

It's a relevant point because if the type of people who are getting angry at my thoughts of this situation ARE the type of people to commit the situation I have highlighted, then their opinion is bias.

I have again to disagree with you on this point though.

I don't ever consider myself to be someone that would overtake someone that is doing the speed limit but I could easily be on the receiving end of your antics coming the other direction. Regardless of laws, someone could safely pass you going at 100mph but I don't think at any point would it be considered safe to stop someone over taking you...