Careful about boasting online.....

[scotth_uk]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1689428,00.html

 

[GrahamC230K]

Wowsers!

Quickly does search on username for *mph for any evidence!

 

[pammy]

yeah - I read this in the Times yesterday on the train and thought I must post that - but forgot , so thanks Scott

Just shows, you never know who's watching

 

[KillerHERTZ]

The Police must have so much free time on their hands and so many resorces if they can follow up every Speeding claim online.

 

[glojo]

How dare the Police prosecute a defendant for telling lies. This is what our whole judicial system is based on. The defendant lies through their teeth and the prosectution witnesses all face humiliation. What a cheek, how dare they. Clearly the Police have nothing better to do.

I just hope this couple now sue the Police for all the stress this case has caused. Post Traumatic Stress, loss of sleep etc etc

John

 

[fuzzer]

The Police must have so much free time on their hands and so many resorces if they can follow up every Speeding claim online.

I quite agree

 

[Swiss Toni]

How dare the Police prosecute a defendant for telling lies. This is what our whole judicial system is based on. The defendant lies through their teeth and the prosectution witnesses all face humiliation. What a cheek, how dare they. Clearly the Police have nothing better to do.

I just hope this couple now sue the Police for all the stress this case has caused. Post Traumatic Stress, loss of sleep etc etc

John

LOL

Gotta larf.

:bannana:

 

[Apial]

Serves him right. No doubt he lied to avoid a ban. When people like this plough into you and you discover they avoided being banned by getting a friend to take the points, then you will wish the police did more about taking idiots off the road.

 

[Alfie]

Everything I have ever said on-line that might or might not contravene any law or regulation of any sort whatsoever was a complete fabrication of the truth. Except this posting which of course is true

Those with signatures/photos showing speeds in excess of 70mph obviously took those on a private circuit or an autobahn didnt they

 

[Flyer]

Serves him right. No doubt he lied to avoid a ban. When people like this plough into you and you discover they avoided being banned by getting a friend to take the points, then you will wish the police did more about taking idiots off the road.

Are you serious?

He was doing 88mph on the M6. 88mph! As I trundle along at a perfectly safe 70mph , I see plenty of cars driving much faster than me and, do you know what, I don't recall ever seeing one "plough into" another.

He had probably, like a lot of people, done that journey, and that speed, on a countless number of other occasions, without incident.

The Speed <sic> Camera Partnerships aren't concerned about who was actually driving; so long as they get their £60 and another conviction, they're satisfied. This chap made the mistake by boasting about it and being unlucky enough that some lazy SCP employee happened to browse the website that he had posted on. He isn't the first and won't be the last.

I'm a bit confused as to why his "confession" on a website was taken seriously though; people make up all sorts of things and post them up, don't they? It's also pretty sad, and a perfect embodiment of what the SCPs are upto, that they have to trawl websites looking for punters to punish. Scum.

Mark Twain might have had this to say about Steve Callaghan: He is useless on top of the ground; he aught to be under it, inspiring the cabbages.

Keep it to yourself, but I drove at 72mph on the M6 yesterday!

 

[Plodd]

Keep it to yourself, but I drove at 72mph on the M6 yesterday!

Your comments have been logged.

 

[Flyer]

Your comments have been logged.

I can hear the sirens ....

 

[glojo]

Are you serious?

He was doing 88mph on the M6. 88mph! As I trundle along at a perfectly safe 70mph , I see plenty of cars driving much faster than me and, do you know what, I don't recall ever seeing one "plough into" another.

Hi Flyer,
As you rightly point out 88mph on a de-restricted motorway is nothing, but never let the truth get in the way of a good story!

Was it really 88mph on a 70mph motorway, or were there roadworks with a restricted speed limit?

Was the photograph clearly of a male driver and this character insisted it was a woman? I personally believe there are always two sides to every story, but we only ever hear one side.

88 mph would see a continual flashing light from the camera's on the M5 in Devon.

John

 

[shrekky]

Everything I have ever said on-line that might or might not contravene any law or regulation of any sort whatsoever was a complete fabrication of the truth. Except this posting which of course is true

I second that Alfie hehehehehehehe

 

[Apial]

Are you serious?

QUOTE]

Funny to you as it seems, yes.

The speeding ticket was no big deal in itself, a couple of points and a little fine. But, and a big but, the guy had to pervert the course of justice by getting his companion to take the points. If he had not done so all his other points from bad driving would be totted up and he would be given a ban to teach him to be a better, safer, driver, and remove him from the roads for a good while so he could reflect on it.

My brother in law was killed by one such driver who did exactly that. Had he not given his speeding points to another person he would have received an automatic ban. Instead he continued to drive as if speed limits were non existent until he drove one morning late for work head on into my Brother in Law doing 85mph in his Vito van. My brother in laws Fiesta was unrecognisable. Such was the force of the impact that even his wrist watch was torn off. I won't go into any more graphic detail as I don't want to ruin anyones day, but it was extremely tragic for all of his family.

Vito man was sent to prison for 18 months for causing death by dangerous driving. "plough" is in no way an exageration, but rather an understatement.

 

[glojo]

[ My brother in law was killed by one such driver who did exactly that. Had he not given his speeding points to another person he would have received an automatic ban. .

Good evening Apial,
First off I am very sorry to hear about your Brother-in-Law. What happened was criminal, pure and simple, but do you honestly believe this person would have complied with any ban that he might have received had he been rightfully convicted? Personally I think not.

Folks that can see someone else get convicted for something they have done are clearly not the nicest of characters and they are simply giving the 'Finger' to authority.

Sorry if I might have caused any upset,

Take care,
John

 

[Dieselman]

I agree with you Apial.

Drivers who collect enough points to be banned by "totting up", deserve a ban.
The points system is meant to educate people to behave better, thats why they recieve a second chance.

I know of poeple who have deferred points and they definately needed to recieve them as education.

I'm no angel and have recieved points in the past, one set after a minor accident that was nearly a very nasty head on. It's unnerving to be staring another driver in the face from about 20-30 feet at speed. Fortunately (although I didn't think so at the time) the fine was more than the damage.

I now drive much more sensibly and mostly within the speed limit (boring I know).

 

[Flyer]

My brother in law was killed by one such driver who did exactly that.

That's clearly awful. I am sorry that this discussion has brought that incident to the fore again, if it ever even goes away

There are a great many drivers who have been disqualified, who continue to drive. Would a ban have made a difference in your BIL's case? The driver was convicted of DD; would previous points for speeding have made a difference? Who knows and I would rather not discuss that particular incident as it is obviously painful for you and your family. (I take your point that theoretically he would have been removed from the road).

The speeding ticket was no big deal in itself, a couple of points and a little fine. But, and a big but, the guy had to pervert the course of justice by getting his companion to take the points. If he had not done so all his other points from bad driving would be totted up and he would be given a ban to teach him to be a better, safer, driver, and remove him from the roads for a good while so he could reflect on it.

Put yourself in this driver's shoes. It is a real driver:

... after receiving 2 nips from the worthy individuals in South Wales ‘Safety’ Camera Partnership. They were over the weekend on 2nd and 3rd of July both for 62 in a 50 on the M4 near Port Talbot. ...

So, all of a sudden, the driver has 6 points for exceeding the speed limit by 12mph on a motorway. The M4 does have dual-carriageway sections where the limit is a preposterous 50mph.

If the driver had a further 3 points from 2 years ago for exceeding the 30mph speed limit by, say 3mph (yes, it has and does happen), they would now be on 9 points, and in real danger of losing their licence. All for minor transgressions that a few years ago, before the money-grabbing SCPs came into being, would have, at worst, resulted in a talking to from an officer, but in reality, nothing would happen.

Would you say that those three incidents were the result of "bad driving" or sheer bad luck? I would say the latter. Therefore, the idea that someone else would, willingly, take the points and give your licence some breathing room, I don't particulary find abhorrent, despite the illegality of it.

My licence is clean; my one and only set of points date back to 1989, so I am clearly not a driving lunatic. However, the way that traffic enforcement is being offloaded to, for all intents and purposes, private enterprise, scares the hell out of me! They are in it to make money, that is all.

Dieselman, you make a very valid point ...

Drivers who collect enough points to be banned by "totting up", deserve a ban.

... but it is 10 years too late. Before SCPs, you did deserve a ban, but not necessarily with lower speed limits, lower thresholds and automatic detection. The fact is that you could be exceeding the speed limit on, say 4 seperate occasions, but not know anything about it until 14 days later when the NIPs drop through the letterbox.

How many roads have had the speed limit dropped? How many drivers have been caught out by that? It is too easy these days to get caught for a minor transgression, and so whilst we don't know all the facts about the chap in the OP, I certainly would not say that he deserves all he gets.

Respectfully,
Andrew

 

[prprandall51]

Hello Andrew, going to disgree with you here (apologies):

How many roads have had the speed limit dropped? How many drivers have been caught out by that?

Many, but none that have my sympathy. I have never seen a road whose speed has been dropped where there have not been an abundance of new speed limit signs - usually an excessive number - advertising the reduced speed (they never put it up ). If a driver gets caught when they know they are exceeding the speed limit, then that's fair enough. If they get caught because they were unaware of the speed limit then this indicates someone who clearly pays very little attention to what is going on around them. If you can't see a large number of 9 foot poles with big reflective disks on them how can you spot a child playing behind a parked car?

It is too easy these days to get caught for a minor transgression, and so whilst we don't know all the facts about the chap in the OP, I certainly would not say that he deserves all he gets.

Respectfully,
Andrew

When it comes to speeding, I think we have all exceeded the limits from time to time. I have had my share of points. But for someone to pass through four separate speed traps and trigger them all within a period of fourteen days indicates that that person is an habitual speeder on a grand scale. Therfore, I think such a person would deserve what they get and if that's a ban then they should be able to live with it or slow down.

Philip

 

[Flyer]

Hello Andrew, going to disgree with you here (apologies):

Hey, no problem. I seem to be in the minority on this topic anyway

If you can't see a large number of 9 foot poles with big reflective disks on them how can you spot a child playing behind a parked car?

I drive in North Wales a fair bit as I keep a boat at Bala and ride at Coed-y-Brenin. North Wales police, as you may be aware, are under the control of a Martian who has taken the Earth name, Brunstrom. He seriously believes that drivers who speed are more of a menace to the good people of Wales than burglars, thieves, scum, etc, etc. He therefore strategically places "Arrive Alive" camera vans on straight bits of road. Of course, you can only see them once you have gone around the bend. The road to Bala from Chester is great; twisty, dips and rises, marvellous. Perfectly safe to exceed the 60mph speed limit in sections. There's a section that opens out onto a very long straight road with visibilty for miles. Where is the camera van placed? Let's just say that you would have absolutely no chance of seeing it until you were practically on top of it. I've also travelled on the M4 in South Wales and seen the camera vans, hidden at the bottom of a hill. Shooting fish in a barrel ...

But it's not just roads where you might want to "make progress". Cumbria SCP, as mentioned in the OP, made a bizarre statement on their website forum, before they shut it down. Their "professional" opinion is that when overtaking, you should ensure that you do not exceed the speed limit. Think about that for a second. Imagine you're on an A road. You've been following Mr Numpty at 45mph for the last couple of miles. He's at the head of a queue of 3 cars, none of which show any indication of overtaking. The road opens out, great visibility. You indicate, put your foot down and accelerate. What Cumbria SCP would like you to do is to glance down at your speedometer, as you are overtaking, and make sure that you don't exceed 60mph, even for the brief few seconds that you will be overtaking! If you have exceeded it, you need to reduce your speed back to 60mph. If you don't, expect to find a camera van hidden in the bushes and a NIP on your doormat a couple of days later! Hmm, comply with the letter of the law, or protect my own safety; what should I choose?

When it comes to speeding, I think we have all exceeded the limits from time to time.

I think you might be correct I do not accept that there is somebody who never speeds. I followed an oldish chap the other day in a Fiesta; dead-on 40 in a 40; slowed to 30 when we entered the 30 ... and then the gap between us markedly grew as I kept to 30 (cruise, see ) and his speed increased. Yet, I'm fairly certain if you had a conversation with him, he'd state that he never speeds

I think such a person would deserve what they get and if that's a ban then they should be able to live with it or slow down.

I know what you're saying, and from this ivory tower with nil poi, it would be easy to agree with you. But I'm fearful that drivers with clean licenses will be very much the exception. In fact, I seem to recall a report where a researcher had calculated that in a few years time, due to the proliferation of automatic speed enforcement, every driver should, at some point in their driving "career", expect a driving ban under the totting-up procedure (can't remember, but I may have even posted about it here ). Would more drivers then be tempted to "share" their points with others?

Andrew