Uhoh, pretty sure I've been done

Vertigo

Vertigo

Vertigo

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Joined
28 Dec 2003
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Coming back from Swindon yesterday, was coming down the A417 back towards the M5 (J11A). Those of you who've been to one of the RR meets will know it as it's the big hill leading up towards the Hungry Horse pub.

Came back down the hill stuck behind a truck that insisted on taking it at 25-30mph and hitting the brakes at regular intervals (it's a 40mph limit on that hill now). Got to the bottom where it opens out to a dual carriageway and obviously pulled out and put my foot down. Wasn't paying full attention and didn't spot the guys on one of the overhead bridges :(

Basically a white van on the bridge with two people beside it with some kind of camera equipment pointing down the road at me. I was doing around 80-85ish at the time I think.

There's little doubt they got me as I was the only thing on the road at the time (nothing at all in front and other cars a fair bit behind - probably spotted the van way before I did - oops).

So now the wait begins. Not just a couple of weeks either as they only have to inform the lease company by then, god knows how long it will take for the lease company to inform me. If I was indeed doing 80-85 then hopefully just looking at a fixed penalty but, perennial worrier that I am, I'm now starting to wonder if that stretch of road wasn't actually an NSL but rather a 60 or (god forbid) a 50 :eek: If it was then I'm in serious trouble. I'm pretty sure that section is an NSL as I seem to remember it went all the way up the hill as an NSL too before they introduced a 40 limit at the bottom of the hill a while back but I'm currently in "yeah but what if..." mode atm :(

This is the third time I've been caught during my 18 years of driving but the first time I've had to wait like this as the previous two I was pulled straight over at the scene and given a fixed penalty there and then. This waiting is the worst feeling in the world :(

Anyone live or work down that way who knows for sure whether that stretch is NSL? I'm fighting the urge to drive down there and check tbh, should have gone back and checked when it happened but was too busy shouting "**** **** ****" tbh.
 
Unlucky, but at the same time you were in the wrong, even at NSL speeds thats 10-15mph over, i usually stick to 75-77 whenever possible - which usually means im being passed by other cars... fine by me, any unmarked car will take them over me!

im the same way with cameras tho, if im unsure if its a 40 or a 30 and i see a camera i'll slow down to 30 :p

fRostiE
 
Oh don't get me wrong, I was totally in the wrong and shouldn't have been doing 80-85 even in an NSL and would happily take a fixed penalty for doing so. Annoyed at myself as much as anything.

My main worry now is that it wasn't actually an NSL at all but perhaps a 60 or 50 in which case I'm in rather more bother. If this were the case then I would be more aggrieved as there is no way on earth that stretch should be anything other than an NSL - two lane dual-carriageway with no roads merging onto it, only going off.

Doubt it was an ANPR van tbh as I think they're all totally enclosed and unmanned, basically park the van and open the portholes, no need for people to be outside. Also, the location was obviously a prime spot for catching speeders, being a nice big road at the bottom of a hill with a 40 limit.
 
If it is a ticket, they have to get the letter to you in 14 days, if you have waited for more than 14 days and no letter, your in the clear.

Even if the letter arrives you should be able to successfully dispute it as they have not got the notice to you in time.
 
They only have to notify the owner of the vehicle within 14 days, which is the lease company. There'll then be a further delay while it goes through the lease company and they notify the company requestion clarification of who was driving the vehicle at the time.

Been through this before with other company cars.
 
Even at 80-85mph on the speedo you might only be doing 73-78mph so I wouldn't worry too much.

Depends how tight they were being on the day... it's not massively over.
 
Virtually everyone speeds, its a fact of life. There for the grace of god goes 99% of this forum. Nothing more than luck keeps my licence clean, its not an exact science, it's simply a time and place thing. If you drive a car, and are like most people who drive a car, you will speed at sometime, and on occasion you might get caught.

Still an awful feeling though! :(
 
ethos said:
Even at 80-85mph on the speedo you might only be doing 73-78mph so I wouldn't worry too much.

Depends how tight they were being on the day... it's not massively over.
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Unfortunately my speedo only overreads by 2mph :(
 
I think it's up to 6months to find the driver :eek:. shouldn't be anywhere near that long anyway. Haven't seen people on top of bridges for years. Perhaps it was just the APNR?
 
I know that stretch well.

That is a common speed trap and my dad always warns me of that one in both directions.

I believe it is a NSL for dual carriageways as there isn't a sign dictating otherwise. Have a look on Google Maps.

Come November it will be 5 years since I've had my only speeding fine and then I don't have to tell the insurance anymore!

Unlucky though.
 
housemaster said:
Virtually everyone speeds, its a fact of life.
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That is a blatant lie. This is OCUK, where everyone obeys the law down to the T - until they get caught.

I wont lecture you about it vertigo1, just take the consequences, learn from it (this time :p ) and move on.

All the best old chap.
 
Vertigo1 said:
Came back down the hill stuck behind a truck that insisted on taking it at 25-30mph and hitting the brakes at regular intervals (it's a 40mph limit on that hill now).
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What an idiot this truck driver sounds. Doesn't he know that you can drive downhill at 40mph with 40 tonnes behind him and still stop on a sixpence?
 
The_Dark_Side said:
What an idiot this truck driver sounds. Doesn't he know that you can drive downhill at 40mph with 40 tonnes behind him and still stop on a sixpence?
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You evidently don't know the road. You'd have plenty of warning should you need to stop, like half a mile of warning.
 
paradigm said:
You evidently don't know the road. You'd have plenty of warning should you need to stop, like half a mile of warning.
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You eveidently have no experience of driving anything heavier than a car.
All the warnings in the world won't help you when you've set your brakes on fire.
 
I had a similar situation a few months back in bristol. 2 guys on a bridge with a van parked and a camera. I pulled off and took a slight detour over the bridge to get home and say two idiots photgraphing traffic. :rolleyes: set my mind at ease though.
 
The_Dark_Side said:
What an idiot this truck driver sounds. Doesn't he know that you can drive downhill at 40mph with 40 tonnes behind him and still stop on a sixpence?
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Actually, it wasn't so much the speed he was doing as the fact that he kept taking his foot off the brakes and speeding up then jumping back on them and slowing down again, rather than putting the damn thing in a low gear to control his descent.
 
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