So another camera got me

[vibesg]

Methinks ***'s E220 cdi is just too fast. Its now official ..anyone piloting anything more powerful is a speed freak. You don't relly need it. I had one as a courtesy car last December. My initial disappointment at being palmed off with an E220 cdi turned to surprise on the motorway.

 

[st4]

Methinks ***'s E220 cdi is just too fast. Its now official ..anyone piloting anything more powerful is a speed freak. You don't relly need it. I had one as a courtesy car last December. My initial disappointment at being palmed off with an E220 cdi turned to surprise on the motorway.

Its not the fastest car in the world but enough for most situations....and then some

 

[GT3]

I have a porsche GT3 also and was caught doing 37 in a 30 zone but its a very long road and it branches of a major 70mph road I assumed it was 40 so I thought I was safe at 37 guess not.
Anyway it went to court and I got a £100 fine and 6 points, but in court they showed the video and I smiled as the car looked sweet coming towards the camera, the judge went mental started shouting and explaining and his last words were treat my accelerator like an eggshell, I asked for copy of the video and he blanked me

 

[SAFC]

No points if you do the course (you only get one stab at the course - can't do it again) and no need to tell the insurers.

 

[Druk]

A heads-up for the Glesga boys.

This pinched from the Porker forum. South L-n-rkshire plod have an unmarked blue Montune Focus ST and are out to taunt motorists with it.

Not so much enforcement as entrapment

 

[st4]

Done the speed awareness course...

My experience was a postitive one, unlike some other peoples. I guess its who you get on the day...

The basic gist of the course was that "if your observation was better, you'd have seen the camera, and/or if your observation was better you'd have known the speed limit".

Fair enough. We were not made to feel like criminals and the fella even said, we were not criminals, but infractors of the law...

I found it a useful refresher on observation, what to look out for, how to keep my concentration up and a worth while exercise, even if I hadn't been caught speeding.

Its an excellent thing Cumbria police are doing and I hope more constabularies offer it.

 

[India]

As a Police Officer (dodging fruit being thrown), I have to say, there is no excuse for speeding. Certainly not on a restricted road at least. The restriction is there for a reason. I don't necessarily agree with cameras as unfortunately it's only the insured, registered, licenced drivers that get caught. It's all the uninsured drivers I'm more concerned about, and it's only by having more officers on the road that this particular issue can be addressed. That said, the law is the law, and by exceeding the limit, you break the law. Everyone knows the consequences, so you can't really complain when you get caught.

 

[India]

That said. I was caught recently. (We all make mistakes right). I got clocked at 37 in a 30. I had just come off Motorway, onto a road which did in fact used to be a 40. It had changed. It is the responsibility of the driver to be aware of the limit, so I swallowed it. Speed awareness course. Ironic as I'm a Police trained advanced driver. Doesn't need to be declared for insurance purposes.

 

[India]

Oh, one last thing, I ride an 800cc motorcycle, and I've got from the South West to Oldham in two hours before. There's a time and a place for speed, and if you're observation is up, and you're alert, you're unlikely to end up with points. That's the only time I've been caught in 15 years. My golden rule, never speed on a restricted road.

 

[st13phil]

As a Police Officer (dodging fruit being thrown)

No fruit thowing from this corner and I'm in full agreement about needing real live officers on the road rather than cameras.

That said. I was caught recently... ...Ironic as I'm a Police trained advanced driver.

I'm not arguing for exemptions for Police Advanced Drivers (other than those which are already prescribed in law) but one has to question the benefit to be derived by you attending a Speed Awareness Course. While by your own admission you were guilty of exceeding the posted limit, I'm assuming you used your training, skill and judgement to make the assessment that your speed was not inappropriate for the conditions, so it does raise a question mark over how appropriate the (new) restriction is.

Oh, one last thing, I ride an 800cc motorcycle, and I've got from the South West to Oldham in two hours before.

Careful what you admit to on a public forum, eh?

 

[st4]

@ India:

Can you define a restricted road? I assume you mean any road not carrying the NSL.

I was done @ 71 in a 60, I was overtaking a queue of cars. To get past safely (I wanted past all IIRC 5) a high speed needed to be used, I was probably nearer 3 digits at peak speed.

Of course you'll say I should have overtaken 1 or 2 and got back in to ensure I didnt break the limit, but it was a safe course of action. Illegal yes, but safe.

 

[India]

Phil,

I didn't make any 'admissable' confessions! Regarding my transgression though...you're right, I was taking into account the prevailing conditions, and it was safe, but I certainly wasn't intentionally speeding because of that. I was just not paying attention, or I'd have realised that it was a 30.

I had a very heated argument the other day with another officer because he was saying we shouldn't have speed limits. He said that in an idela world, everyone would drive to a speed that was safe. Of course, if everybody was sensible enough to consider everything, and was alert enough, we wouldn't need speed limits as people would asses the conditions and drive accordingly. I.e. passing a school in the wet on a school day at 1510 hours might necessitate 15 or 20 mph, while passing the same school at 0200 hours at the weekend might be perfectly safe at 45 or 50.

 

[India]

@ India:

Can you define a restricted road? I assume you mean any road not carrying the NSL.

I was done @ 71 in a 60, I was overtaking a queue of cars. To get past safely (I wanted past all IIRC 5) a high speed needed to be used, I was probably nearer 3 digits at peak speed.

Of course you'll say I should have overtaken 1 or 2 and got back in to ensure I didnt break the limit, but it was a safe course of action. Illegal yes, but safe.

That's the problem with the law. No discretion, while it may be perfectly sage, it's still illegal. That's where a human officer is more effective than a camera, as they have discretion after taking into account all the prevailing circumstances. I've stopped people for doing 50 in a 30 in the early hours of the morning, stone cold sober, on the way home from work, and given them a warning. I also stopped people at 28 in a 30 for being over the white line, who have turned out to be three times the limit. They get treated to an en suite room at the nick.

Unrestricted roads are national speed limit roads, yes. It's not that often you get cameras on them. Not fixed anyway. I ntice Beds are keen on them. Overtaking a long queue of cars is perfectly safe. Where most people go wrong is treating it as one long line rather than several individual overtakes. You always have to be aware of another driver going for an overtake who hasn't seen you. So long as you're planning and know where you're going to go if something goes wrong, you're good. Always have an option.

 

[davidjpowell]

A small number of us attended an evening hosted by South Yorkshire Traffic Police, organised by Flania (who has been absent for ages?).

One of the overriding 'themes' was that the traffic cops were as unhappy with the move to camera's as anyone else.

I am still smarting over being 'uneducateable' after being nabbed by a camera on the motorway. I think as a driver if you are stopped and have a discussion where you are told why your driving is dangerous (or not) it's easier to take the points, than an aribtary photo. One's an education, the other a punishment. IT would be interesting to know which is the more effective.

Having said all of that, on my recent trip to Glasgow, and after recent postings on the M74, I kept to 70. Perhaps camera's do work. Damn.

 

[st4]

Having said all of that, on my recent trip to Glasgow, and after recent postings on the M74, I kept to 70. Perhaps camera's do work. Damn.

So many unmarked cars and marked cars as well as mobile vans on Mways. Don't risk going above 70mph (apart from the long slip road onto the M40 just north of Oxford )

In all seriousness, trying sticking to 70 and most things pass you. Most speed, but I no longer. Saves fuel and don't lose that much time.

 

[G-Force]

^^^Steve^^^
I just heard a loud CLUNK...was that the penny i heard dropping........:bannana::bannana::bannana:

The youngster has been brain-washed!!!! lol

Im glad you had the mind set to use the course as a positive, a refresher would do most of us the world of good im sure. I am no prood but feel the only place for a blast nowadays is on a track....even if you do press on a bit on a M-way you have to be so alert to your surroundings it just isn't worth it mate
I still regard certain speeding circumstances as nanny state cash cows but it is good that this course is offered as an alternative.

The way the price of fuels going, we'll soon all be driving like Miss daisy just to be able to afford to go to work!!!!!