Bloody hell, got nicked by a speed camera on Christmas Day - 36 in a 30 limit. How petty, especially on such a quiet day traffic-wise! What's this going to cost me? I hope you can pay in installments ...

You may get offered a speed awareness course, as long as you haven’t attended one in the last three years

yep or it’s 3 points and £100 fine I think.

People massively underestimate what a few extra mph does to stopping distances so whilst it may seem petty, it is important.

Just to add been caught myself and done a speed awareness. It was scary how may attending could it even get the speed limits for various roads right.

That's pretty unlucky. The margin of error (to take account of car speedo variations) used to be 10% plus 2mph over. No consolation, but 1 mph less and you might have been ok. Merry Xmas eh?

When I did one none of them could identify a dual carriageway!

No one likes getting fined or receiving points which may affect future insurance quotes, but speed kills - I do not think any of us can argue about that.
Being caught by a camera also infers you were in an accident hotspot - which may have meant that there was an increased propensity for hazards for you as a driver or worse as a pedestrian from vehicles.
Still crap and sorry to hear Anne

It’s scary how little some know/care about driving isn’t it. It really brought it home to me. Especially those who drove for a living.

Hi Annie,

My understanding of the likelihood of process here is that you might not get a speed awareness course and it will be £100 fine and 3 points.

This is because the NPCC guidance (formerly ACPO) says that in a 30mph limit speed awareness course is offered up to 35mph (10% above + 2mph as some have already pointed out).

It is summons for 50mph and above, so the middle ground is FPN-fine and points.

Different areas might interpret the guidance differently in line with the local road safety partnership view, so it's a case of wait and see.

If the comments from the other forum members are a measure of thumb for the general motorist then the understanding and attitudes towards speeding have definitely changed for the better


I find that peoples views in general are based on their life experiences. For example many years ago as a young in service cop I also personally thought that some road traffic law/speeding enforcement was a bit petty due to having been caught out a few times myself before I joined. This view changed forever the first time I had to deliver a death message to a mum and tell her that her husband and 3yr old son would not be coming home due to a speeding driver.

I was caught last May and the offence read "you were caught doing 36mph in a 30mph zone or you went through red traffic lights at 0 seconds."

36 mph around a 90 degree bend is something eh?

Anyway, I was given the option of 3 points and a £100 fine or a speed awareness course so I took the course. To note, you have to pay for the course (£97 for me) so in effect, you're still paying a fine.

I was offered a speed awareness course after being caught at 79mph on dual carriageway. £100 for me too.

I can also say it didn't 'open my eyes' in the slighest. Quite the opposite in fact... Funnily enough, they weren't interested in my braking distance spreadsheet along with quoted evidence in the form of mgazine road test logging data...

The argument for reversing into parking spaces was also batted away. What a load of crap that it

The threshold changes depending on the particular speed limit when the offence takes place...

I used to work next door (in the same office block) as the Cambridgeshire speed awareness courses; we'd see people lined up waiting to go in of a morning.

My favourite people waiting? A covey of three nuns, just beaten into first place by the chap who rocked up with a guide dog...

I must be a bit weird, but I kinda enjoyed my speed awareness course (in as much as I had to do it, so might as well get something from it), and did learn a few tips. The dual carriageway one was interesting - in that it has nothing to do with the number of lanes, just a central reservation. The others about how to tell different speed limits without needing signs was also helpful.

Just a good refresher after many years of not reading the highway code.

I've also done advanced motorbike riding with the police and RoSPA, and again, some good tips, including when speed limits written on the tarmac are legally enforceable and not.....

Unfortunately I can. My view is that sometimes it's safe to go over the limit and sometimes it's not. It's inappropriate speed that kills. Sometimes going 30mph in a 30mph zone is completely inappropriate and unsafe, but that doesn't stop some people doing it anyway on the basis that they're within the limit. I was nicked 30 years ago (having just left the m25 down onto the m20 junction) at just over 100. I'm not defending such behaviour and rightly got the book thrown at me (young and stupid and all that), but given it was perfect weather, dry road, daylight, with visibility of well over a mile ahead, no-one around*, then I don't see that as less 'safe' as speeding in a 30mph zone that comes with all the hazards of a built up area.

Unfortunately there is no room for the 'reasonable person' view (common sense) with speeding- as it is what is an 'Absolute' offence so there is no mens rea (mental element) required alongside the actus reus (the act itself). The prosecution only have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that you were driving a motor vehicle on a road or other public place in excess of the speed limit. So no matter how reasonable an individual thinks it is the law doesn't...

Annie,

Sorry to hear you have received this.

They may well offer the speed awareness course-and I hope they do- its cheaper in long run for you.

Their interest in this is solely your money.


Regards

MM

The threshold changes depending on police force too. The tolerances given are only guidelines and many police forces have or are considering dropping them and prosecuting for 1mph over the limit. A load of bollocks I say but would be an expensive exercise defending it in court

Oh, I will take the course if it's offered.

Sorry, I don't believe this, if it was there would be no speed awareness course, they would just make you pony up the money.
Having done a speed awareness course not so long ago, it did give me real pause for thought. The one guy was an ex cop who did his time on as a road traffic cop.

I think with anything you get out what you are prepared to put in, if you go in which a crap attitude you will get nothing from the day. I found the day very useful as a refresher to everything we should already know about recognising speed limits, observations, impact of speeding and it was amazing how many different replies were given to simple whats the speed on this road questions. Im not trying to say its the most fun I could have had for half a day and about £100 quid. But it was a eye opener and I have slowed down

This was my experience. I found it very interesting and it significantly altered my approach to speed and speeding.

People who attend these courses with a closed-minded, know-it-all attitude and attempt to justify why it is OK to speed are, paradoxically, the ones who gain least yet need educating the most.

Being caught for speeding is crap, especially if it was not by much. However, it is an indication that we are less aware of what we are doing or intentionally taking a higher risk.

I was on a safety training course a couple of years ago and one of the things we we tried out was stopping from different speeds. The reference was set with a 50 km/h stop. The speed was then raised to 70 km/h. The car went through the 50 km/h stop point at 20 km/h.

When you physically see how far you still have to go before you actually stop it really does make you drive more carefully wherever there is a higher concentration of risks such as in town. Defensive driving and a bit less speed does improve safety by a very noticable and critical margin.

A nice knock on effect is that others think you drive better as you seem to have time to deal with everything which is because you actually do. I'm trying to get that across to my son but that is proving hard

Wether you believe it or not- its true. If its not about the money and was about the education they could make the course mandatory and lower the costs. They do neither. Pure, profit. Seem to recall last time I looked they made about 54 million a year from it- and they keep every single penny.

Speeding kills. so does gardening. Its just Gardeners Question Time haven't found a way to issue tickets yet and make money.

If even a traffic cop is being processed for funds- the average punter has little chance to escape the fee's.

Safe driving all,

MM

There is more than one way to skin a cat... Education is one, however most of us also recognise there are pretty serious financial consequences to being caught speeding. If there was no deterrent financially then people would continue to do it. Continue to speed? well we will give you points, fine you, your insurance goes up and ultimately if you carry on, we will take your ability to drive away. I hate getting done speeding as much as the next person but I see no other reasonable way for a deterrent to be made.

You made an argument about some speed limits not being appropriate, The limit is NOT a target, its a max tolerance of the speed you have been advised is safe in this area to cover all hours of the day/time/weather variables. If you however decide to do 30mph in a 30mph where the conditions are inappropriate, you could be done under a number of motoring offences

CD20 Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users 3 to 9
CD30 Driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users

as to where the money goes:
The money is divided up into:

Paying for the cost of the course to the course provider.
Restoring the costs of processing the offender from detection to disposal of the case to the police force.
A contribution towards the national database.
A contribution towards the administrative and business support arrangements for the national regime.
A contribution towards course development, evaluation, monitoring, and research.
Any additional funds are given to the Road Safety Trust.

I know I wont change your mind, I can at least offer some points you may want to consider.

Sometime, speed can work in your favour. Yesterday morning, I was hit by a 44-tonne truck as the Polish driver decided to move across a lane on the M42. We were both doing about 5mph. If I'd been doing more, he would have missed me.....

Hey Samsite,

Lol thanks for your words. What caused me to change my mind about speeding courses and the police was the way they treated me.

They from start to finish- felt it was more then fine to demonise and berate. Policed designed and overseen course. lesson learnt by me yes sir! I won't ever forget that they did that.

Don't recall asking for speed limits not being appropriate (all though most other parts of the world have higher limits then uk) Just meant mentioned that when they caught me-it was an obscured sign saying the road had been lowered from 70 to 50 for a break in the speed barrier. I was under 70. And its a 70 section again now.

The main thing from me apart from the money is that everyone speeds. Everyone. So whatever they decide a speed limit is-its being broken every single day.
Re the money...that is the sole thing for them.

Courses- police designed so police.
Restoring costs -so police again
National database-that's the police database.
Admin costs and business support-from the police.
contribution to development- that's to look at more speed awareness "areas" and speeding enforcement policy
Road Safety Trust chaired by and formed by- the police!!

No-you won't change my mind. but I do appreciate and in an open and friendly way hear your comments. Its good that the forum allows us to have different views on things without needing to descend in to fire and brimstone.

And I appreciate your point of view on this too. lets leave it with me hoping no-one gets a ticket for speeding and we are all safe and within the law out there.

p.s. worst driving I have seen recently...the police officer txting at circa 80 as he went past..

Just a rogue cop maybe...but lets leave that for another discussion some time.

regards all

MM

In this case we are not talking about motorway speeds or even A roads - we are talking about 36 in a 30 limit.

That 36 miles and hour (if accurately measured) could quite easily have been approaching 40mph on the speedometer in the car.

The Speed kills campaign stated, in the voice of the depicted victim (a child)

“If you hit me at 40 miles an hour, there’s around an 80% chance I’ll die. Hit me at 30 and there’s around an 80% chance I’ll live.”

I know which end of the scale I would rather be on when I notice I am exceeding the speed limit in built up areas, even if I do try hard not to, as I am often ferrying around constant reminders of such a child with mine in the back of my car.

Thanks, that's why I like this place, I also respect your opinion based on experience.
Agreed with the no more tickets please!

This - not a lot of sympathy I'm afraid.

You're approaching a speed camera. According to your speedometer, you're driving at the speed limit. The driver behind you is driving really close to you, flashing their lights, jumping up and down in their seat, making aggressive expressions, wanting you to speed up. Is it because...

A) Your speedometer is vastly overstating your speed. In which case why don't they just overtake your car?

B) Their speedometer is vastly understating their speed. In which case why don't they just overtake your car?

C) Both speedometers are stating that both drivers are going at the speed limit. So that must mean the other driver knows if they overtook you they will get flashed by the speed camera, so they want you to speed up and get flashed just so that they can get to their destination a few seconds quicker.


This happened to me once and option C seems the most likely explanation. Can anyone think of any other explanations?

I think it is option D) that in life wherever you are and whatever you doing there will always be a few ar**holes