FFS think I've been done for speeding AGAIN.. HELP!

matt100

matt100

matt100

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OK, I think I was zapped today and I think I was speeding, it was a stretch of the A31 in Dorset towards Poole just after the road goes down from a national speed limit to a 50 (although carries on being an unpopulated dual carriageway with no pedestrian crossing points but hey.. thats just detail.

I looked at my speedo when I saw the van and I think I was doing about 65mph, maybe a bit less, certainly not giving it the beans lets put it that way.

I have 6 points already, 1 sp30 in oct 2005 for 39 in a 30, 1 sp 30 in feb 2006 for 85 in a 70 (A417 in glos if anyone knows it, yet another arrow straight dual carriageway through the middle of nowhere).

So I'm facing 9 points and the brink of a ban until next October when 3 come off and obviously another 3 quickly after that.

Not interested in the insurance hike, I'm 30, have about 7 years ncb, driving a Focus ST and I was quoted £650 with 6 points or £715 with 9 so that makes almost no difference to my life whatsoever (and I think shows the insurance companies views of speeding tickets too tbh).

The problem is I do 30k a year and need my licence so I would like to drag things out as long as possible to get as close to next winter as I can to when 6 points drop off.

So what do I do, assuming I get a NIP next week.. what are the best stalling tactics? Is the PACE thing still a go-er? I'm happy to drag this right to the line then plead guilty if that buys me 4 or 5 or maybe more months.

Frankly I'm bloody angry that my livelihood could be at risk because of a civilian in a van with no discretion and no interest in whether what I was doing was safe (which I'm sure it was).. Which is why I want to be as arkward as possible, civil disobedience is at the heart of british democracy :)

It was clear, dry, broad daylight, 1pm so virtually no traffic, I wasn't overtaking, there are no side turnings and ironically I was watching the road rather than the laybyes, I honestly believe that I couldn't have been decribed as doing anything other than breaking the letter of the law.

Speaking to a copper friend and he confirmed with that sort of behaviour the police wouldn't have raised an eyebrow unless they wanted to check if the car was nicked.

It all seems so futile, the local paper was even carrying a headline of "50,000 motorists caught speeding in Dorset". I'll admit my first one a few years ago was naughty and I pay a lot of respect for 30mph limits (like the unpoliced road outside my daughters school that is literally deadly at rush hour).

The last 2 have been nothing other than money raisers, full stop in my opinion.

Can anyone offer any guidance?
 
Good Luck. I hope you don't get done.

Its a horrible feeling when you think youve been caught.


Isn't there a certain percentage allowed for speed inaccuracy ? :)
 
Feel for you mate, those commercialised scameras are the worst.

But still, if I had 6 points already I think I'd have learnt my lesson and be driving like a granny everywhere no matter what until the points expired... :/

The margin is 10% + 2mph. But the commercial scameras don't really take much notice of that.
 
yeah, 10% +2 is the normal calibration, speedo can often by out by up to 10% too but even so, 65mph less 10% would be 59mph, 50 limit +10% plus 2mph would be 57mph.

I'm pretty certain I'll have been done if he was pointing at me.

He could have been munching doughtnuts.. oh no hang on, thats coppers not civilians.. grr
 
I'm in the same position as you. I have 10 points, with none coming off until March '09.
I went through the angry stage, then the knee jerk reaction of buying a laser jammer, and finally sold the 1000cc bike, and 250bhp car in favour of a diesel mondeo.

Now I just don't speed, and it's some of the hardest driving I've ever done.
 
NathanE said:
Feel for you mate, those commercialised scameras are the worst.

But still, if I had 6 points already I think I'd have learnt my lesson and be driving like a granny everywhere no matter what until the points expired... :/

The margin is 10% + 2mph. But the commercial scameras don't really take much notice of that.
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I did for about 16 months and to be honest 65 along there is very cedate.. If I'd given it some grief along there I'd have been well into 3 figures ;) 225bhp remember :p
 
First off - you haven't been done yet, so don't worry unnecessarily.

If you do get done......

Pepipoo are the experts, but a warning....

I tried to fight 3 points, and ended up with 4 and a bigger fine, could have been worse too, but legally speaking I was right, but your license is in the lap of the magistrate on the day.

If you have deep pockets or know a lawyer you can probably get off, otherwise take the points and be carefull.

If your license is worth as much as you say, not speeding shouldn't be a problem, regardless of how safe or unsafe it is, money machines or not, none of this changes the fact that they can take your licence off you for doing nothing unsafe whatsoever.

I know a few people in the same situation as we are and they all now drive like saints! (until the points come off anyway).

I stopped riding my bike on the road to save my license and keep my job...
I purposely got a slow car (pugeot 106 1.5 diesel) it saves me a fortune and I can afford to race my motorbike, which is much more fun than speeding from a to b I can assure you.
 
I haven't seen civvys using vans? I thought you meant those on the news before, waving them around in the air which give a warning letter through the post?
 
Oakesy2001uk said:
Pepipoo are the experts, but a warning....

I tried to fight 3 points, and ended up with 4 and a bigger fine, could have been worse too, but legally speaking I was right, but you licence is in the lap of the magistrate on the day.
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I had exactly the same result heeding Pepipoo's advice. Instead of 3 points and £60, I ended up with 4 points and £250.
If the nip comes through, just accept it and tone your driving down.
 
Are you sure it wasn't a road tax check camera-van thingy.

I thought I got snapped on my way to work in Slough 1 morning, doing around 50 in a 40 zone, stupid thing is the van was parked on the central reservation right under the static road speed camera.
 
Usual story here,

1, Needs license for job, love of wife, house etc.

2, Has points already.

3, Drives without paying attention.

4, Whines when he might get done for it.

Its not hard you know, take the right foot and lighten a bit.
 
IAmATeaf said:
Are you sure it wasn't a road tax check camera-van thingy.

I thought I got snapped on my way to work in Slough 1 morning, doing around 50 in a 40 zone, stupid thing is the van was parked on the central reservation right under the static road speed camera.
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hmm, can't say it definitely wasn't, interesting..

And to all those telling me to slow down.. well yes obviously I will be slowing down and I wouldn't ever consider trying to actually get out of it, what I want to do is delay the opportunity to plead guilty and take the 3 points (even if I wind up with a bigger fine).

I understand I can please guilty before the court date?

I'm not looking for sympathy, or a get out I just want to hang it out a bit and push back against the system, like I said, a bit of civil disobedience.

The first couple of times I just took it sraight on the chin (when it was a company car and I could have pushed it for ages.

After the first 3 points I got the message and started treating 30 and 40 zones as gospel and I stick to the limit, dual carriageways and motorways etc I tend to spend my time assessing the road/conditions etc and drive at what I consider to be a safe speed which I guess in the ST is a bit above the limit. I'm prepared to stake my name on the fact I am a safe driver as I have been consistantly doing 30 to 40k a year for the last 7 years and haven't even come close to hitting anything/performing emergency stops.

The location and operation of these vans seems almost to target career drivers.

The worst bit is I could have been using my mobile, smoking crack and drunk whilst driving on no licence or insurance with a fake tax disc and what would the police have got?

Nothing.

But fully registered and paid up, taxed and insured me will be one step closer to no job.

And yes I guess with 9 points I would have to drive like an absolute saint (although I'm sure I would get away with 12) but literally 1 moment of not concentrating and BANG.. what am I going to be looking at for the next year? The road? or my speedo?
 
matt100 said:
it was a stretch of the A31 in Dorset towards Poole just after the road goes down from a national speed limit to a 50 (although carries on being an unpopulated dual carriageway with no pedestrian crossing points
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Clearly your observational skills are ok, just have to work on the law-abiding part :p Having had 5 points with a year left until the 2-year post-passing probation period I found that being 1 offence from bannage focuses the mind remarkably on the old not-speeding ;)

I would personally not waste police and court time contesting something where I knew I was in the wrong, all of which costs time and money, take the points and drive carefully for the next few months.

That said, if you decide to fight it good luck, and be aware that if it goes all the way to court you could get slapped with a higher penalty and fine, especially if the court decides you are being a vexacious litigant :)
 
Ok, it depends on the area you live in, it can be 10% plus 2mph but in other areas it is 10% plus 4 mph (saw it on Traffic Cops 3 or 4 days ago!). The guy was sitting there and was jus randomly checking car speeds and any over 49mph (in a 40) were flagged. If you do get off, just remember that you were very close to getting caught.

You have a very nice car, if you want to keep driving it, i suggest you slow down! :)
 
matt100 said:
but literally 1 moment of not concentrating and BANG.. what am I going to be looking at for the next year? The road? or my speedo?
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Thats the point, driving requires constant concentration so maybe its done you a favour and you'll pay more attention. Next time the 'Bang' might be literal. Still at least your still alive to argue about it :D
 
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: You could just not speed and reduce the risk of losing your licence to 0.
Yes I speed but i'm not stupid enough to do it where I know speed cameras can be lying around, mobile or not. The fact you didn't even see the van shows you wern't looking ahead reading the road.
I got caught speeding the same way but within 6 months of having my licence and obviously like yourself I thought I wasn't in the wrong, although I was only doing 34 in a 30. Just accept you got caught and just stop speeding if you need to licence that much.
 
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