caught speeding

[Tootles]

Pity you don't have a LHD. The photo of the driver could have been the dog in the right hand seat. I have been stopped by a police officer, who came up to the offside, and asked the dog to turn of the engine.........

 

[Ockerron]

I did a speed awareness course last year, after being clocked at 46 in a 30 by a camera van. Was just leaving a 30 zone going into national speed limit area (60) on my way home from work...same journey I do every day. The course was £73, and I really enjoyed it, certainly has made me much more aware. If you can do the course, do it. Much better than points IMHO.

 

[Techno]

That just highlights a typical camera van position and I'm sure most of your fellow course attendees related being caught in dodgy locations
For myself I was in a 40 zone entering a 30 zone and the commencement sign is either missing or there never was one and they damn well know it!! If they really genuinely wanted to improve safety they would improve the signage.
I was clocked at 38 and did not slow down because I genuinely thought it was a 40 zone. The photograph showed a stream of tailgaters hiding behind me.
I agree the course was entertaining at least and I do have a better means of sticking to the limit through better knowledge

 

[Bobby22]

That just highlights a typical camera van position and I'm sure most of your fellow course attendees related being caught in dodgy locations
For myself I was in a 40 zone entering a 30 zone and the commencement sign is either missing or there never was one and they damn well know it!! If they really genuinely wanted to improve safety they would improve the signage.
I was clocked at 38 and did not slow down because I genuinely thought it was a 40 zone. The photograph showed a stream of tailgaters hiding behind me.
I agree the course was entertaining at least and I do have a better means of sticking to the limit through better knowledge

Apparently in England they don't need to have signs up to say the limit is 30 they can cite that the lamp posts on the street....so many yards apart mean it's a 30 zone.
Somewhere in mind this is the highway code of yesteryear.

http://www.confused.com/car-insurance/blogs/blog-watch-out-for-lamposts-to-avoid-a-speeding-fine

Something along these lines

 

[Tootles]

I did a speed awareness course last year, after being clocked at 46 in a 30 by a camera van.

Get a bike Gerri.....No front number plates.

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[Techno]

I don't think anyone has touched on braking distances in this topic? As we all know vehicles can stop very very much faster than cars could in the early days when they were established. Any course attendee knows that the reason they have not been altered to reflect better brakes is because the thinking time has drastically INCREASED whilst the stopping time has decreased thus cancelling out any benefit. This is caused by all the modern day distractions within a vehicle.
The 30 limit really is crucial in the difference between brain injury/death and complete recovery.
30 is a difficult speed to maintain in modern cars given driving style for fuel economy and the BEST rule to maintain the speed limit is 3rd gear for 30 4th gear for 40
Anywhere you have a shadow of doubt about what the speed limit is? just do 30 and sod those behind until you know for sure.

EDIT road traffic accident statistics in terms of survival have only improved due to medical response times and on the scene treatment (paramedics) and speed of arriving at emergency

 

[Techno]

Apparently in England they don't need to have signs up to say the limit is 30 they can cite that the lamp posts on the street....so many yards apart mean it's a 30 zone.
Somewhere in mind this is the highway code of yesteryear.

http://www.confused.com/car-insurance/blogs/blog-watch-out-for-lamposts-to-avoid-a-speeding-fine

Something along these lines

So why bother with any 30 speed limit signs AT ALL? lets have one or the other please

 

[Gizmouk]

At your insurance renewal is it OK not to mention it at all?

I just renewed my car insurance - they asked the usual questions, plus, whether I'd been on (or had pending) a speed awareness course.
I would imagine that withholding / lying could have a detrimental effect in the case of a claim.

 

[Techno]

I just renewed my car insurance - they asked the usual questions, plus, whether I'd been on (or had pending) a speed awareness course.
I would imagine that withholding / lying could have a detrimental effect in the case of a claim.

Only if they had a private eye following you.
As I said the course tutors tell you there is no way an insurance company can find out unless YOU tell them

 

[Yorick]

Get a bike Gerri.....No front number plates.

Yup. I always wheelie past them

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[Tootles]

Yup. I always wheelie past them

YOU are THE MAN!!........................RESPECT!!.

 

[PAGR]

I got caught by a fixed camera at 36 in a 30 a couple of years ago. I sent photos in showing that the 30 signs were obscured by vegetation. They then claimed that as the lamp posts were less than 200yds apart I should have known it was a 30. I went and did a survey and found that the lamp posts were less than that for several miles before the 30 through varying speed limits. Went to court and had it thrown out. Several weeks later I went past the same camera and stopped to take a photo of a copper trimming the trees from in front of the sign.

 

[Gizmouk]

Only if they had a private eye following you.
As I said the course tutors tell you there is no way an insurance company can find out unless YOU tell them

Your dealing with the Police and insurance companies - I wouldn't trust either !

 

[Old Soldier]

Only if they had a private eye following you.
As I said the course tutors tell you there is no way an insurance company can find out unless YOU tell them

Unless that is you have an accident, claim and they find out because of other pending procedures. Then I guess you could find your insurance null and void......

 

[Techno]

I have no intention in my current circumstances of revealing I did a course last year. I have a clean licence and I drive in a more well advised and safer manner for having done the course.
I feel I was a good driver before and a better driver since.
You make your own decisions I have made mine.
The DVLA are not involved and the insurance have no access to DA courses

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[pappajohn]

My understanding is that if you do the course you have not commited an offence and only tell insurers if they ask. Apparently only admiral ask this question and the advice is to go elsewhere . No one asks this question on renewal they only ask if you have had any convictions which is NO

I have said it before....and I'll say it again.

The only people who can access the database are the police, and only if they are considering issueing an invite for a course...only one course per 3 year periodperiod so they need to check beforehand.

Insurers CANNOT access the database in any way shape or form so why tell them even if they ask.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

only one course per 3 year periodperiod so they need to check beforehand.

One course per force area. They don't cross check with each other.

 

[Yorick]

The only people who can access the database are the police

When I worked as DBA for Bedfordshire police, I used to look for any dodgy stuff on the database for all the folk I knew

 

[Abacist]

I would not trust the police not to disclose the fact that you have done a speed awareness course. In my experience I have known them to take great delight in "dropping people in it" when they had no right or reason to do so and I doubt that they pay a lot of attention to the Data Protection Act unless it suits them. How will you prove that they disclosed something that they should not have and by then its too late anyway.

Also consider if you got caught up in a court case over a traffic accident and the police were called to give evidence could a barrister require the police to disclose your driving record?

Legally an insurance contract is one of "Uberrimae Fidei" latin for utmost good faith. You are therefore honour bound to declare anything relevant - therefore the fact that they don't ask a question is not relevant - in your heart you know its relevant and should disclose it. By all means take a chance if that's how you feel about it but it could come back to bite you in your pocket and hard!

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Also consider if you got caught up in a court case over a traffic accident and the police were called to give evidence could a barrister require the police to disclose your driving record

As I understand it the whole point of a speed awareness course is that it doesn't form part of your driving record.

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[sdc77]

As I understand it the whole point of a speed awareness course is that it doesn't form part of your driving record.

It was.. Until insurance companies realised it was another easy way to increase premiums..

 

[sdc77]

You are lucky you have been given the choice of the awareness course. I have been caught on several occasions over the years and not been given the choice.
I would opt for the awareness course over the points any day.

They don't.. Or didn't.. Offer speed awareness courses in Scotland

 

[sally47]

I was in the same position took the awareness course three months after the offence just told them when I was available cost eighty pounds for course which actually was quite interesting but no points on licence

 

[gus-lopez]

As I understand it the whole point of a speed awareness course is that it doesn't form part of your driving record.

& the whole point of introducing points instead of 3 endorsements was sold as
" 3 points per speeding conviction " = 4 offences before licence suspended in place of 3 with endorsements. Just all lying barstewards.

At the end of the day the EU has a policy in place for ZERO road deaths by 2050. I think it is the stuff of dreams.

 

[tonyidle]

So why bother with any 30 speed limit signs AT ALL? lets have one or the other please

Lamp posts 100 yards or less apart indicate a 30mph limit. A lot of places don't have lamp posts that comply where the limit starts/ends. Where the limit does NOT apply (even though the lamp posts suggest it should) you will find repeater signs with the limit posted.

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[tonyidle]

Stand corrected! Had just woken up, still in bed, eyes not open yet!! As you say, good thing I don't operate detector in same situation. Having said all that, speedo would probably still be showing 54 - 55 and in a 40 limit. No excuses..

A little trite? I might agree if all posted speed limits were based on evidence that they represent a safe speed for the road. But they don't. Until recently most limits were simply set by (intelligent?) guesswork. Suggesting that penalties for inadvertently exceeding some limits are fair (or too low) simply because an accident at a higher speed will be more serious is nonsense. If that was not the case a permanent (scientifically determined) safe speed everywhere and for all traffic would be 20mph.

 

[Old Soldier]

A little trite?

Not sure why? I thought this thread was about getting cought speeding and the concequence, not whether speed limits were right or wrong in specific places. Most limited areas have good signage as you enter them and if you are observant and concentrating on your driving you should be obeying those signs and slowing down accordingly. If you are speeding and get caught it is your fault. Nothing to do with the right or wrong of the speed limit. We run the risk every time we pull out of or turning into our small side road onto the main road (A39) through the village as idiots thunder past ignoring the 30mph signs.

 

[peterpan44]

...........

 

[tonyidle]

Not sure why? I thought this thread was about getting cought speeding and the concequence, not whether speed limits were right or wrong in specific places. Most limited areas have good signage as you enter them and if you are observant and concentrating on your driving you should be obeying those signs and slowing down accordingly. If you are speeding and get caught it is your fault. Nothing to do with the right or wrong of the speed limit. We run the risk every time we pull out of or turning into our small side road onto the main road (A39) through the village as idiots thunder past ignoring the 30mph signs.

Sorry - you're right. I misunderstood your post. I also agree that 30mph limits are rarely in the wrong place.