Got a letter from the police last week saying I was doing 39 in a 30 zone, can't remember being flashed or going over the limit. I've read up on the road and it used to be 40 mph but has been changed to 30 mph now. I guess I'm looking at £60 and 3 points (first points for 15 years, not too bad I suppose).

 

Sometimes they let you do a driver awareness course, 100 quid and no points. Contact them and try for that option

 

Might get away with a drivers course, If not ask for evidence

 

Ask for a copy of the photo, then atleast you`ll be able to see if you did or not.

 

I was thinking of asking for proof but not sure if they'll try and fine me more for delaying it.

 

I just got done for 40 in a 30 and I got offered driver awareness course. Cost £83 an for that you get a 4 hour course but no £60 fine and no points. Got my course on the 21 this month. Had to wait 3 ish weeks for paper work and you should not pay fine till you get this to see if they offer it to you

 

Nope, can`t fine you for delaying it if you send it back in asking for proof.
As your showing you`ve received the NIP and are just asking for proof of the allegation.

You`d not accept a parking ticket if they didn`t put a ticket on your window, and a photo that you were parked where they said you were.

 

I'm a contractor so couldn't really afford to go on a course. I'll question it then probably just roll over and pay the fine, not sure if the first 3 points really make that much difference to the insurance cost.

 

I paid for my 3 points for 5 years mate, If offered the course take it

 

Can you choose what day to do the course ?

 

Yes you can. I rung them up when I got offered it and had my calendar ready and choose to do mine on the day I wanted, and it's at 5 pm to 9 pm. The day I think depends on the area you are in.

 

Don't forget points will increase your insurance for a few years, course if easily cheaper in the long run surely?

Quick question, if an officer is using a hand held radar in a village do they stop you there and then or has anyone ever got a ticket through the post? Wasn't going mega quick prob 35, no excuse I know and he didn't stop me or follow me.
Crafty sod and his car were behine a bush, you could only just see the top of his hat over the top of the bushes, I clocked him a fair way off 300m maybe, god knows how must have a built in detector in my head!

 

Apparently the speed awareness website states that you only get a choice to take the course if doing less than 38mph in a 30 zone.

 

Normally stop you there and then because there is normally 2 cops. One to clock you and one further down to stop you, so with a bit of luck you might have just got away with that one mate

 

Well that's not right, I was devo doing bang on 40, cop showed me the speed gun and 40 mph was on the paperwork

 

If its hand held then they need to pull you over, its only photo camera vans, and gasto`s that you get a NIP through. And then they need photographic evidence it is you.

 

Cheers fellas Im normally dead careful in a 30, never been on this road before and its 30 between 2 little groups of houses in the sticks, you kind of speed up without realising it! Wake up call to take a little more care in future methinks!

 

My friend got caught doing 55 in a 40 (tut tut) the cop told him he didn't qualify for the course because of his speed but decided to recommend him for it because his wife was pregnant ( and he didn't try to get clever with the copper ). I guess its still down to the copper discretion to a certain degree unless its a gatso/truvelo fine.

Reference to the handheld gun I had one pointed at me from behind a roadsign the cop had a plane white bike and plain black coat on - they must be clearly marked in hi viz gear and it must be v clear who they are and what they are doing. He stepped out in front of me and waved me over (I saw him run to his hideout so made sure I was not speeding, although he may have heard me sounding like I was speeding before I came around the corner ) I just waved back and carried on going. That was over 8 months ago so no need to worry about that. I did pass him a couple of hours later when he was riding his bike, he gave me a funny look but didn't try to chase.

 

Hi, as far as I'm aware they need two photos of you (hence why the gatso's flash twice) and below 38mph you can go on a young drivers scheme (if your over 24 iirc or over that speed you should get offered the drivers awareness scheme) I did one not so long ago, it consists of a day in a classroom then 5 modules online (they unlock each module every 4 days so you can't do it all at once so you have to keep going back to it) so it takes just under a month to complete
Thats from my experience, I'm sure someone will tell me if im wrong lol

Rob

 

Does it have street lighting? Or 30 repeater signs?

 

1. Speed awareness courses: If offered, take, you WILL pay for the points via higher insurance.

2. Cost of SAC varies from area to area, and also WHEN you can do it, some give you a day and there's no changes allowed, some allow weekends, some evenings, luck of the draw.

3. People I know who have done them say they are a waste of time, but the ones here are over on the day.

4. You can only do ONE in a three year period, so get done again and get hammered.

5. The people who run the courses are full of the usual lies, and get shirty if you ask too many, "Yes but.........." type questions. Someone I know put the guy, a police sergeant, on the spot about forward facing cameras and motorbikes, and was able to quote the statistics that motorbikes make up less than 4% of the UK traffic but are involved in over 40% of major accidents, yet forward facing cameras can't catch them speeding, "so how can it be about SAFETY if you aren't targeting the MAIN group at risk"?

The officer told lies saying the Scamera vans having two people in, one facing forwards etc, then got VERY shirty when put on the spot over that.

If you p*ss them off enough, you fail, and it's back to the £60 and 3 points, and NO refund of your course fees.

 

I'll probably take the course if I don't need to take the day off otherwise it'll cheaper getting the points and I won't have to sit through a boring 4 hour telling off and putting down session. My old man was offered the course a couple of years ago but had to travel away for it so told them to stuff it, hopefully they'll be one local to me now.

 

Not necessarily the case with all insurers..

 

Where you can it's always worth challenging the Police, just like the guy at the following link did, the equipment they use can be wrong.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...de/3605446.stm

 

These three points might not hurt, but what about the next three ?

dunx


P.S. We all make small misjudgements every day...

P.P.S. Old story but when I did my course the "sarge" pulled up in a people carrier and gave me that look. During the lecture he spouted "We don't need a rally car on the road", and I replied "We aren't all busy producing five kids". I then ripped into him comparing the reaction times and braking performance of an old dear in a rusty Metro, to "rep" in a Mondeo. After he thanked me for breaking up the boredom !

 

I remember being pulled in my cavalier.. The copper asked if I was speeding or was it just noise ( no silencers ) I said officer it's a cavalier and not capable at going fast. He agreed and say just be causious at night n the noise... I drove my 285bhp cavalier turbo away n made a nice dumb valve sound as I drove past

 

i allways thought this as when filling out questions on insurance it used to say . have you been convicted of any motoring offence .and in order to be convicted you have to go to court , so therfore why should you declare a fixed penalty as its not a conviction just a fine

 

If only it was that black & white...

con·vict [v., adj. kuhn-vikt; n. kon-vikt]

verb (used with object)
1. to prove or declare guilty of an offense, especially after a legal trial: to convict a prisoner of a felony.
2. to impress with a sense of guilt.

noun
3. a person proved or declared guilty of an offense.
4. a person serving a prison sentence.

 

I've just read the letter and it allows you to log on to their site and view calibration certificates, photo etc. Basically I'm busted so I've signed the form and sending it off later, hopefully getting a chance to go on the speeding course and save myself getting 3 points. Would it still be the same fine and points if I was going say 54 in a 30 zone ?

 

In Cumbria courses are held in Whitehaven ,carlisle ,Penrith and Barrow I think
Relative of mine went and it was £75 and enjoyed it and made her think a lot ,there was 20 on the course and was 10-3 pm including lunch
Worth it rather then 3points even if you had to take a sickie from work !!