36 in a 30 ?
08 May 2005, 10:01 AM
#1
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36 in a 30 ?
The Missus has just got an NIP for doing 36 in a 30. This was early on a Sunday on a quiet non residential road, mobile camera. It was sited at the base of a hill pointing at cars going downhill.
She saw the camera and is fairly convinced that she was within the limit. She never knowingly speeds and is by nature a timid and careful driver (won't drive the Scoob...too powerful). I have checked the speedo with a GPS device and it appears spot on at this sort of speed.
Half of me says pay the fine and take it on the chin and the other half is outraged that this "offence" carries the same tariff as say 50 mph. She is quite upset understandably....is it worth challenging?
She saw the camera and is fairly convinced that she was within the limit. She never knowingly speeds and is by nature a timid and careful driver (won't drive the Scoob...too powerful). I have checked the speedo with a GPS device and it appears spot on at this sort of speed.
Half of me says pay the fine and take it on the chin and the other half is outraged that this "offence" carries the same tariff as say 50 mph. She is quite upset understandably....is it worth challenging?
08 May 2005, 02:58 PM
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Send her to the electric chair!!
Seriously though mate how ever annoying it may be I’d just cough up, you’d be hard pushed to get the better of them. They are quite willing to waste a hell of a lot more in tax payer’s money pursuing your case than actual fine is worth, rather than let her off with what was probably only 3mph over the “tolerance” for that limit.
The sad truth is that police purposely target roads with ridiculously slow speed limits. I have a road near me which is reasonably wide, straight as a die, has no houses, schools, shops or actually anything for at least a mile around it, yet has a 30mph limit. And for at least 1 day a month you can guarantee it will be swarming with filth brandishing speed guns. In my 20 odd years of living in the area I can only recall maybe 2 crashes on this particular road and never any fatalities, they always seem to have plenty of people pulled over in dangerous positions though. I know a lot of people use the money making excuse when they’ve been pulled for speeding, but in this case there really can not be any other explanation.
Seriously though mate how ever annoying it may be I’d just cough up, you’d be hard pushed to get the better of them. They are quite willing to waste a hell of a lot more in tax payer’s money pursuing your case than actual fine is worth, rather than let her off with what was probably only 3mph over the “tolerance” for that limit.
The sad truth is that police purposely target roads with ridiculously slow speed limits. I have a road near me which is reasonably wide, straight as a die, has no houses, schools, shops or actually anything for at least a mile around it, yet has a 30mph limit. And for at least 1 day a month you can guarantee it will be swarming with filth brandishing speed guns. In my 20 odd years of living in the area I can only recall maybe 2 crashes on this particular road and never any fatalities, they always seem to have plenty of people pulled over in dangerous positions though. I know a lot of people use the money making excuse when they’ve been pulled for speeding, but in this case there really can not be any other explanation.
08 May 2005, 03:05 PM
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Sorry to say it mate but its probably just worth taking the fine and points whether right or wrong. Arguing the case would probably be useless, its plods evidence against your missus's and guess which one will win in a court of law. Unfair I know.
08 May 2005, 04:32 PM
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Tories were going to ban speed cameras - shame so many people voted labour back in 
Don't think there is much you can do in this situation - you can't really ring them up and say
"ohhh, go on, I was only breaking the law a bit" It's just plain bad luck.
Don't think there is much you can do in this situation - you can't really ring them up and say
"ohhh, go on, I was only breaking the law a bit" It's just plain bad luck.
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08 May 2005, 05:11 PM
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No, do NOT just pay up. Fight it, it does not matter if you loose. Just take up their time. The more people that do this, the less people they can persecute. Head over to Peppio and find out all of the questions you should ask them.
Take up their time, if you are too much hassle they may just drop it.
Take up their time, if you are too much hassle they may just drop it.
08 May 2005, 05:38 PM
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Originally Posted by joni
Half of me says pay the fine and take it on the chin and the other half is outraged that this "offence" carries the same tariff as say 50 mph. She is quite upset understandably....is it worth challenging?
*The driver of one of my cars* got off an exactly similar offence (36 in a 30) last year. We just couldn't remember who wa driving - even though we checked receipts etc. They could not produce evidence even though they sent *enhanced* photos.
At the very least ask for the photos Then go from there. After all, if they clearly show your missus driving then you're *bang to rights as they say*. But do visit the forums and do NOT just pay up. Never let the barstewards have an easy ride on this.
Let us know what happens!
Dave
Always contest, especially if they have annoyed you
08 May 2005, 05:59 PM
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I must be lucky, I was doing 44-45 in a 40 limit,2 weeks ago now, did'nt realise the little bugger was there until I spotted the van hiding UNDER a large overhanging hedge, and behind a 'for sale' board.
I have no offences on my licence,yet, and Ive had that for about 20 years now.
It just seems to me that the motorist has become a VERY easy target for filling the governments coffers.
I have no offences on my licence,yet, and Ive had that for about 20 years now.It just seems to me that the motorist has become a VERY easy target for filling the governments coffers.
08 May 2005, 06:17 PM
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We just need to look out for the future speed camera protests and make sure we attend. There are several more going to be organsised after the M4 one. The sooner we manage to make it a really big issue for Joe Bloggs the better.
08 May 2005, 06:20 PM
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Bad luck mate - my missus got done for something like that speed. She was on a wide main road leading to town which had been a 40 for years but recently changed to 30. She was just keeping up with traffic.
Driving through a sleepy town early in the morning in daylight should not attract the same penalties as doing the same thing in say school hours or rush hour. I also think the cops were acting maliciously in setting a trap for you at that time unless there were special circumstances. What about having a default limit of 40 or 50 on main urban roads but put schools etc into an ORANGE zone that is 20 mph during certain hours say 7.45 am to 6.00 pm? Such limits to be tuned to local conditions. Just my 2 Euros worth. DL
Driving through a sleepy town early in the morning in daylight should not attract the same penalties as doing the same thing in say school hours or rush hour. I also think the cops were acting maliciously in setting a trap for you at that time unless there were special circumstances. What about having a default limit of 40 or 50 on main urban roads but put schools etc into an ORANGE zone that is 20 mph during certain hours say 7.45 am to 6.00 pm? Such limits to be tuned to local conditions. Just my 2 Euros worth. DL
08 May 2005, 06:30 PM
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This is a tricky one, it would be easy just to take the points and run. On the other hand if she wasn't committing a crime it would be a shame to cave in so easily. It is very hard to call that one and in the end she has to do it herself.
She could always go not guilty and then demand to see the evidence against her etc. she can change her plea at any stage before walking into the court room so if she is worried about going to court, the principal upon which this scam depends, she can still avoid that at the last minute.
There have been a lot of people who have fought the cameras on their accuracy and won, most of these people have either been accused of silly speeds or are already on 9 points and so they must fight. The scam relies on people with a clean licence not bothering with court. Some time back I posted a link to a web site where you can see video, which was broadcast by the BBC, of a laser gun giving a reading in excess of 50mph for a static brick wall.
If she is sure she wasn't speeding then she should ask for the full disclosure of the evidence. She needs to get the whole video in her possession, not just a look at her bit or a quick peek at the local police station. Unfortunately the mobile cameras don't do the thing with two photos and white lines on the road. However if she can get the video she can see if it is possible to establish her speed from objects by the road (signs, lamp posts, changes in road surface etc.) and the distance/time sum. Many of these videos have time information accurate to 1/50 of a second on the display so this may work to give her some idea of her exact speed.
Last year the scamers had a target of 3 million tickets issued, as yet there has been no leak of the figure for this year. However, to keep meeting increasing targets they have to work harder and harder and, with so many people willing to just take the points and not defend their position, it is possible that some are being economical with the truth when it comes to the speed they are doing people for.
She could always go not guilty and then demand to see the evidence against her etc. she can change her plea at any stage before walking into the court room so if she is worried about going to court, the principal upon which this scam depends, she can still avoid that at the last minute.
There have been a lot of people who have fought the cameras on their accuracy and won, most of these people have either been accused of silly speeds or are already on 9 points and so they must fight. The scam relies on people with a clean licence not bothering with court. Some time back I posted a link to a web site where you can see video, which was broadcast by the BBC, of a laser gun giving a reading in excess of 50mph for a static brick wall.
If she is sure she wasn't speeding then she should ask for the full disclosure of the evidence. She needs to get the whole video in her possession, not just a look at her bit or a quick peek at the local police station. Unfortunately the mobile cameras don't do the thing with two photos and white lines on the road. However if she can get the video she can see if it is possible to establish her speed from objects by the road (signs, lamp posts, changes in road surface etc.) and the distance/time sum. Many of these videos have time information accurate to 1/50 of a second on the display so this may work to give her some idea of her exact speed.
Last year the scamers had a target of 3 million tickets issued, as yet there has been no leak of the figure for this year. However, to keep meeting increasing targets they have to work harder and harder and, with so many people willing to just take the points and not defend their position, it is possible that some are being economical with the truth when it comes to the speed they are doing people for.