my first speeding ticket

littlegreenman

I once got a verbal warning for doing 42 mph in a 30 mph zone.

Quite embarrassing when the policeman asked if I knew how fast I was going and I proudly stated 42, before realising that the speed limit applies to bicycles as well as cars! In my defence it was a very steep hill

cruxiform

I got nicked in May on my way to the Eurotunnel on my motorbike, 89mph on the M20. Didn't get offered a SAC, fined £100 and 3 points came my way. The annoying thing was I was riding at the same speed as the rest of the traffic but plod decided to pull me instead of anybody else. No arguments, just took it on the chin from the officer (who looked like he was about 18).

JohnnyPlectrum

littlegreenman said:

I once got a verbal warning for doing 42 mph in a 30 mph zone.

Quite embarrassing when the policeman asked if I knew how fast I was going and I proudly stated 42, before realising that the speed limit applies to bicycles as well as cars! In my defence it was a very steep hill

Speed limits don't apply to bicycles - entirely different offence I believe?

Guitar_Slinger

Last March I got done for 36 in a 30 zone, in my wife's car. First ticket after 22 years of driving and riding motorbikes since 1987.  The irony was I've spent years riding the same route on my motorbike, much faster.

After reading the letter and wondering how I could wriggle out of it, I took the SAC.  Time well spent IMHO (after years as a driving instructor and a driver in the forces). Took the course a month after passing my latest driving test and still learned a few things. Despite us all being stand-offish for the first 10 mins or so, it was well worth it and the instructors weren't patronising.

Suck it up, go with an open mind and do the course - I found it educational and preferred it to the alternative @cruxiform got (£100 fine and 3 points).

exocet

JohnnyPlectrum said:

littlegreenman said:

I once got a verbal warning for doing 42 mph in a 30 mph zone.

Quite embarrassing when the policeman asked if I knew how fast I was going and I proudly stated 42, before realising that the speed limit applies to bicycles as well as cars! In my defence it was a very steep hill

Speed limits don't apply to bicycles - entirely different offence I believe?

Yes, I believe that the applicable charge is one of "furious peddling" or something similar?

Bidley

I got my first ticket last week too, doing 59 in a 50. I sent the form back, hopefully they'll offer me the course.

CHRISB50

I got my first ticket this year as well. Annoying as I caught on a speed camera I know is there and have driven past once a week for the last ten years or so. I just wasn't concentrating. 

I think I got clocked at 39 mph. I got the course and did it. It's really dull, but better than 3 points. It really depends on who presents the material. We had 2 guys. One ok, the other was a twat.

The bit on stopping distances is quite eye opening, the rest, not so. 

midlifecrisis

update. I got clocked doing 52 in a 40mph  and have just recieved the option of doing th SAC or the fine and points. Obviously i will take the course (£100 either way but no points)   Sounds from others that its worth doing.

Jalapeno

Just to add I enjoyed my SAC as well, time well spent.

PolarityMan

I had to take a speed awareness course on new years day a couple of years ago. Was for 34 in a 30 and this particular stretch is a short stretch between 2 national speed limit zones past a golf club and a hotel. the road is about 400 miles wide t that point and in the 10 years Ive driven that road ive seen maybe a dozen pedestrians.

The speed awareness instructor spent along time saying that a lot of 30 limits in the country are the result local people whingeing rather than safety issues so you ahve to watch out for them...obviously that was somewhat galling.

There was one thing where they flashed up a screen  for like 3 secs with a bunch of road signs on them and asked how many warning signs there were. Even hung over I could spot the right number whereas most of the class came up with really low answers (on account of trying to understand the signs individually rather than look for the shapes).

At least didnt have to take points i suppose.

holnrew

I got done twice in the same weekend. I wasn't able to send the licence to both authorities within the time limit so they said to ask to be let off from one of them. I can't remember what I said in the letter, but it worked.

Bidley

I got offered the course too.

People saying they enjoyed the course; was your 4 hours long as well? Because I'm struggling to muster any positivity about it.

EricTheWeary

About 4 hours although decent coffee break in the middle.Quite nice venue, biscuits, etc. Some of my time was spent scribing for the Korean chap next to me but the materials were well put together and I definitely learned stuff. Not a laugh a minute but could have been worse.

Bidley said:

I got offered the course too.

People saying they enjoyed the course; was your 4 hours long as well? Because I'm struggling to muster any positivity about it.

blobb

I've picked up three over the years:

1. Dual carriageway, no one on it (so 70mph usually). Restricted to 60mph so I complied. One shallow bend, down to 50 then straight away back up to 60. I get flashed for doing 60 in a 50.

2. Overtook a volvo in a controlled manner, he was doing 50ish. I accelerated to 60 and passed, all signals and everything. Pulled back in, the guy behind rides on my bumper full of aggression all over me at close quarters. Started to feel a little intimidated so accelerated to open a safety gap. Hassled without a break for a good 10 miles until I reached next town en route. Immediately on entering the 40 limit, slowed to 39 to try and abate the maniac on my tail. At which point the blue lights come on. 70 in a 60.

3. Dual carriageway, approaching a roundabout minor roadworks (the sort with some cones on the side of the road but no actual work happening). Two juggernauts start overtaking each other on the approach without spotting me in their danger zone, I needed to accelerate away from them before they crushed me. Pulled back in, camera van picks me up before I can get back down to 50. 58 in a temporary 50 zone.

none of these were in any way dangerous, the first was a deliberate cash generator (ok I was naive). second was blatant intimidation by plod, third was safer to go slight over the temp limit (which was not in place for any other reason than to save them moving cones later on) than to risk being smashed up by sloppy lorry drivers.

I concluded from these experiences that speed tickets are not reflective of the actual situation and do not contribute to road safety. I would struggle to find anything of interest on a speed course. 

All expired now anyway.

...and if you get one you have to tell insurance. They will charge an additional premium but if you phone them to say one has expired they don't take anything off. It's a one way river.

Bygone_Tones

2. Overtook a volvo in a controlled manner, he was doing 50ish. I accelerated to 60 and passed, all signals and everything. Pulled back in, the guy behind rides on my bumper full of aggression all over me at close quarters. Started to feel a little intimidated so accelerated to open a safety gap. Hassled without a break for a good 10 miles until I reached next town en route. Immediately on entering the 40 limit, slowed to 39 to try and abate the maniac on my tail. At which point the blue lights come on. 70 in a 60.

Never let a driver bully you into speeding like this. The car in front (you) is always in control in that situation, not the guy behind you. Hold your nerve and dont be intimidated. Basically ignore him . He can only drive at the speed you go. If he doesnt like it, that's his problem.

If you are driving on the speed limit (or lets be honest, normally a few mph more than the speed limit) and he wants to go a lot faster than that, then he is clearly the one breaking the law and very much in the wrong. Tailgating is also breaking the law. If he hits you from behind, then he is automatically to blame in any insurance claim - driving without due care and attention.

The only way you can be in the wrong is if you are not over-taking anything and the lane to your left is free, then you should move over. If it's not free, ignore the idiot.

blobb

^
Yeah, agree. Trouble is, I made a decision on safety grounds. Keeping a safety gap was less dangerous than potentially holding up an obviously aggressive driver, who could then have cut me up stopped in front and engaged in confrontation.I held them back as soon as i reached civilisation. I'm the driver, I made the decision considering the facts as they appeared at the time - but the law says I'm wrong for breaching some arbitrary number. Plod should not be pushing drivers into confrontation situations like this. Nothing to do with speed related safety. In reality I fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book, lured into it by a WPC looking to put her ego before considering the situation. She was grinning from ear to ear when we stopped. I've done advanced driver courses with a close protection driver (who teaches police amongst others), he would have done the same. I would rather a speeding ticket than end up lying in a verge in the middle of nowhere.

Bygone_Tones

It's all becoming clearer now. You caught a glimpse of her in your rear view mirror, saw she was hot, and decided to do something a bit naughty so she would give you a good frisking. 

blobb

My plan went awry, she did NOT look like that. ;-)

strtdv

littlegreenman said:

I once got a verbal warning for doing 42 mph in a 30 mph zone.

Quite embarrassing when the policeman asked if I knew how fast I was going and I proudly stated 42, before realising that the speed limit applies to bicycles as well as cars! In my defence it was a very steep hill

Actually speed limits aren't enforceable for bicycles, and you can't be prosecuted for speeding on one as speed legislation covers "motor vehicles" only. You can however be prosecuted for careless or dangerous cycling. 
That's probably why you got a verbal warning.


My only penalty points came from overtaking an unmarked police car on the M1 at 92mph at 1am.
They've now expired, and I've gone considerably faster since. They're a money making scheme more than anything else. I've obviously not changed my behaviour and neither has anyone else I know.

TBH the speed limits and quoted braking distances etc all need updated for modern cars. In good motorway conditions most cars less than about 10 years old can quite safely do 90mph.

Fatfingers

Speeding tickets are a cash generator, not an attempt to improve road safety. I got done recently for doing 82mph on a motorway - sunny, clear day, light traffic. A van on a bridge flashed me. I accept I broke the law and got caught, I don't accept I was doing anything dangerous. I regularly see people drive at 40mph through 30 zones (I never speed in 30 zones) and they rarely get caught or, more importantly, understand why this is so dangerous to pedestrians. 

If the Govt was serious about improving road safety it would fund more cops in cars. They could pull over all the idiots sitting in the middle lane, all the tailgaters (about 80% of drivers drive too close to the car in front) and all the people that think indicators are to confirm that you've just changed lane, rather than to warn people you're about to.

Speed cameras catch people driving beyond a prescribed limit. They do nothing to stop bad driving.

The biggest thing I learnt from a speed awareness course was how ignorant most drivers are.