my first speeding ticket

midlifecrisis

been driving for over 30 years, got flashed on camera doing 52 in a 40 area of the A127.    Have recieved a notice saying i may be prosecuted and to sign and return the form. I have no intention of contesting it, im banged to rights. If im lucky i might get offered a speed awarenes course.  Just wondered is there any point in sending in with the form an apology letter pointing out it was 1:50 in the morning, no traffic around, accept i shouldnt have done it anyway but....., or should i not bother. It has worked for me in the past when i went in a bus lane in london, got let off.
anyone had any experience with this?

Fatfingers

I think you may be too far beyond the limit to get a speed awareness course but that's based on the rules on my area - different police forces have different criteria for offering them. 

I wouldn't bother apologising and trying to point out it was 1.50am - that could well make your situation worse.

TheBigDipper

midlifecrisis said:

been driving for over 30 years, got flashed on camera doing 52 in a 40 area of the A127.    Have recieved a notice saying i may be prosecuted and to sign and return the form. I have no intention of contesting it, im banged to rights. If im lucky i might get offered a speed awarenes course.  Just wondered is there any point in sending in with the form an apology letter pointing out it was 1:50 in the morning, no traffic around, accept i shouldnt have done it anyway but....., or should i not bother. It has worked for me in the past when i went in a bus lane in london, got let off.
anyone had any experience with this?

That's a bummer. 

A few years ago, I was caught by a camera just outside Basildon on the A127 doing 49 in a 40. It was a short stretch between two 50 limits and I just didn't notice the change - too busy chatting to my mate. They let me do the speed awareness course rather than give me the points. The Essex one was interesting. My Dorset friends down here say the Dorset one is pants. 

Nothing you might say will stop the process, sorry. 

MrBump

A127?  Are you an Essex fella?

midlifecrisis

MrBump said:

A127?  Are you an Essex fella?

im a hertfordshire fella, was doing a gig in southend,   expensive gig for me lol

EricTheWeary

The offer of the speed awareness came in the envelope with the penalty notice in my case so I suspect that ship has sailed. I quite enjoyed the course and found it useful although I had no memory of breaking the speed limit. 
I can't imagine a letter of apology will get you far. Arguably speeding at 1:50am is an aggravating feature as it was dark and visibility restricted. 

midlifecrisis

EricTheWeary said:

The offer of the speed awareness came in the envelope with the penalty notice in my case so I suspect that ship has sailed. I quite enjoyed the course and found it useful although I had no memory of breaking the speed limit. 
I can't imagine a letter of apology will get you far. Arguably speeding at 1:50am is an aggravating feature as it was dark and visibility restricted. 

its not a penalty notice, its a notice saying i may get a fine or speed course, i will have to see. TBH i may be better off taking the points and fine and maybe higher insurance as my time at the moment is more valuable than a 4 hour course.
all this in a 16 year old skoda.....i should be rewarded

octatonic

Fatfingers said:

I think you may be too far beyond the limit to get a speed awareness course but that's based on the rules on my area - different police forces have different criteria for offering them. 

I wouldn't bother apologising and trying to point out it was 1.50am - that could well make your situation worse.

He just sneaks in.
10% plus 9 is the upper limit for speed awareness, which would be 53 in a 40.

TheBigDipper

midlifecrisis said:

EricTheWeary said:

The offer of the speed awareness came in the envelope with the penalty notice in my case so I suspect that ship has sailed. I quite enjoyed the course and found it useful although I had no memory of breaking the speed limit. 
I can't imagine a letter of apology will get you far. Arguably speeding at 1:50am is an aggravating feature as it was dark and visibility restricted. 

its not a penalty notice, its a notice saying i may get a fine or speed course, i will have to see. TBH i may be better off taking the points and fine and maybe higher insurance as my time at the moment is more valuable than a 4 hour course.
all this in a 16 year old skoda.....i should be rewarded

Hmmm. You may not be very receptive to this, so please don't take offence, as none is meant. If you have never taken any further road-based driver training other than what you needed to do to get a licence, you may find it's 4 hours well spent. Everyone who attended mine genuinely felt they'd benefitted - and not just because they'd avoided getting the points. 

JohnnyPlectrum

I did a SAC a few year's ago and felt it was actually time well spent. I entered treating it as an imposition and left feeling I'd learnt some valuable things. 

midlifecrisis

TheBigDipper said:

midlifecrisis said:

EricTheWeary said:

The offer of the speed awareness came in the envelope with the penalty notice in my case so I suspect that ship has sailed. I quite enjoyed the course and found it useful although I had no memory of breaking the speed limit. 
I can't imagine a letter of apology will get you far. Arguably speeding at 1:50am is an aggravating feature as it was dark and visibility restricted. 

its not a penalty notice, its a notice saying i may get a fine or speed course, i will have to see. TBH i may be better off taking the points and fine and maybe higher insurance as my time at the moment is more valuable than a 4 hour course.
all this in a 16 year old skoda.....i should be rewarded

Hmmm. You may not be very receptive to this, so please don't take offence, as none is meant. If you have never taken any further road-based driver training other than what you needed to do to get a licence, you may find it's 4 hours well spent. Everyone who attended mine genuinely felt they'd benefitted - and not just because they'd avoided getting the points. 

No offence taken. Seems a lot of people including my wife have very positive comments on thSAC, maybe if I'm offered I will take it.

rsvmark

+1 for the SAC. I have moderated my driving afterwards and frankly am less stressed too. 

Emp_Fab

Believe it or not, me too.  A six month period of sitting at nine points also helped my motivation.  When you know the next zap of a camera will probably cost you your job, you tend to pay attention.

I almost never speed anymore.

ICBM

midlifecrisis said:

all this in a 16 year old skoda.....i should be rewarded

I got my one and only speeding ticket in a 2CV .

To be fair it was for doing 45 in the 30 - also late at night, coming downhill into the 30 and I didn't bother to slow down quickly enough… conserving momentum is important in a 2CV .

I just paid up and took the points. No point in arguing about it.

SimonC

The SAC is not an option in Scotland, I believe.

ICBM

I certainly wasn't given it as an option, but it was about twenty years ago anyway so I don't know if it was even in England.

exocet

I was caught earlier this year. I had a similar document to the OP stating that I had to admit my liability first before any options were given. Once I admitted it, I received the options e.g. Fine & Points v SAC. I took the course, TBH I thought that the course was pretty good.

DrJazzTap

They could argue that if you didn't realise it was 52, they then could book you for driving without due care and attention.

Gassage

If you've an NIP, that means you're getting a ticket, no court - shut up, pay it, get it out of your life.

midlifecrisis

Gassage said:

If you've an NIP, that means you're getting a ticket, no court - shut up, pay it, get it out of your life.

I'm going to

kossofffan

Last time I got caught was when I was pulled for doing 89 in a 60 on a Triumph Bonnie. The cop who pulled me with blues and twos walked up and when he realised what bike it was said, 'you where doing 89 on that old thing!' to which I replied, 'before you stopped me I was doing a ton!'

I attended court and was fined £35 & 3 points


It was a long time ago