Done For Speeding :(

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Got home today to find a notice of prosecution waiting for me.

I was caught doing 75mph on a 50mph dual carriageway by a mobile detection unit. £60 and 3 points. Goodbye 14 years of having a clean licence :(

At first my reaction was anger but am now feeling very very lucky. Why?

Well I found out that if I was doing 1mph more I would have lost my licence as 76mph in a 50 zone is a driving ban and fine of upwards £200!!

Thing is I don't see why the speed limit on a straight dual carriageway with no pedestrian hazards or anything like that is 50mph? Surely it should be 70? The road even narrows into single carriagway and that is then signposted as national speed limit which is 60mph! So the road narrows to 1 lane and the speed limit increases!! Doesn't seem right to me.

I know I would still have been speeding but only by 5mph. I honestly did not know I was speeding, sat at around 70mph all the way. I even went past the camera van happily. I saw it but didn't think I was speeding. I even went back to the road tonight as I couldn't remember seeing any 50mph speed limit signs but fair enough they are there!

Guess they wouldn't catch as many speeders if it was a 70 limit tho and make loads of money!

[lincsnick]

Get yourself a RoadAngel Connected. I'm careful anyway but it's so easy to drift over the limit sometimes and the speed limits can change several times in a short distance. There's a road near me where there are three changes of speed limit within a mile.

[BenIS]

Theres a stretch near me that has a 40 limit, 50 limit and 70 limit. Its all dual carrigeway with no islands or junctions or anything. Most people do 50 in the 40, 60 in the 50 etc. Ridiculous

[matt-c]

The ones that annoy me are the ones that do 50 through the 40, then continue to do 50 through the 60/70 section too

[wicked677]

The speed limit become a hot topic of debate on this forum recently. I'd like to just say that the majority of drivers on my way to and from work drive at the speed that they feel is right for the road without the need of road signs. I think sometimes we live in a society where the speed limit is reduced so that an excuse and blame of excessive speed can be seen as the sole reason for an incident. Also think about the american style lawsuits that happen a lot more now, I think all of these fators contribute so much. My drive home consists of people doing 50 in a 40, slowing where needed around corners and even 40 in a 60 limit on a stretch of a single road national limit. Of course there will be the odd one that drives like a complete mad man i.e 70 in a 30, they will never reduce their speed. Too much attention is based on people breaking the limit by a couple of miles over, when in reality I don't care what roadsafety campaginers say as it's different for each type of road, that it isn't really that much of a crime compared to excessive speeding.

Although in the case of the op I can't say if it was justified if you got a ticket or not, only you will know if your speed for comfortable for the type of road.

I think more education is needed for example improvements on the hazard perception test so that drivers are more aware of pedestrians and the unexpected. Rather than slam a camera on the road to generate money and feel that is enough to save somebodies life.

Just my two cents from a different perspective.

[Rich OB]

Totally agree with Wicked. It's all about education and awareness. We all speed, fact! But it's knowing where it's safe to and what roads are appropriate to creep over the limit on, also knowing when to give up! I mean if you're a total twit and drive everywhere at high speeds, it's inevertable that you will cause an accident, be the accident or get caught!

Most drivers I believe have a very poor hazard perception, why is this only done once in your driving life. That's if you passed your test after the compulsory test was brought in. It should be compulsory at different stages depending on your result on the previous test along with an accessment of your driving ability. But even then, most people learn to pass the test, not really how to drive, they just learn a criteria. Afterwards they drive how they like and think they're the best driver on the road and their rules are best. I guess you could never change that.

Going back to the speeding subject, I always make a point of knowing what the speed limit is on the road im driving on by remembering the last sign I saw. If I don't know or aren't sure I will drive at a lower speed until I see a repeater sign. I would never sit at 70MPH (the maximum for any UK road) if I wasn't sure of the speed limit as there is a much higher chance it isn't, then you're definitely fooked!

I agree most speed limits need reviewing, I can understand the 20's in towns, but some of the 40's and even 30's on dual carriageways is just pathetic! And as you say, then 60mph on a single carriageway or country lane, where's the logic? What makes it worse is the 70mph limit on empty motorways, which can also be monitored by average speed cameras, hate those things. They can manage variable lower speed limits why not raise it when appropriate too. And why not advertise the guideline difference between 3 points and a ban. AND why should I receive the same penalty for doing 32 in a 30 zone as someone doing 50 in the same zone for example?

[Ozzie B]

Feel for you my friend, I am not going to say much on this as the speeding limits and laws will set me off waffling!

I will say this, you can drive quickly and safely, you can drive slowly and dangerously. I spend a lot of my working week on the roads city driving,coutry roads and motorways and I am extremely passionate about driving. Basically you have to drive for everyone else on the roads these days! Be aware and drive to your capabilities regardless of speed or speed limits.

:) much love.

[Rich OB]

Here Here Ozzie.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Seem to have started something with this....

Well I got caught at 8.22pm on bank holiday Sunday. I was honestly the only other car on the road at that time. I was on a straight dual carriageway with no hazards, no pedestrians, no roundabouts coming up. It's just 2.7 miles of straight dual carriageway. I was driving safe and steady in my opinion, 6th gear 70mph. I must have crept up to 75 obviously but it wasn't on purpose and I'm sure we've all crept over without noticing. You cant even get off or on in that stretch of road, Then it narrows to a windey single carriageway where the speed limit increases. I can't get my head around it!

Anyway I'll take my punishment and fork out the £60 fine. I will be much more careful when on a dual carriageway from now on and if I don't know the speed limit I will sit at 50mph!!

[matt-c]

IS speed's over read by about 5mph at those sorts of speeds (80 on the clock will be 75, 70 on the clock is about 65ish), so to be doing 75 you're speedo must have been reading 80. Trouble is, the car is so quiet even at those speeds, it is so easy to creep over! I just got back from an airport run up the M11 - half of it spent doing 60-65 and then when it finally declogged and I was able to pull out and overtake I accelerated upto an indicated 80. Next thing I know, I look at the speedo and it's reading 95! 95 in my Rover felt like I was trying to take off; 95 in this feels like 60! Oops...

[lincsnick]

Up until a year or so ago insurance companies didn't mind one SP30 but apparently recently they've started whacking up premiums so be afraid at renewal time!

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

So who here drives purely on the speedo? I know I don't. That in my opinion would make you a worse driver. I drive to what I find acceptable for the road conditions etc. and yeah your right the lex is so quiet I wouldn't have noticed me creeping up to 80 on the speedo. I gaurantee that most people on this forum if put on that road at that time with no traffic would have planted their foot and maybe gone to a ton+. I have done in the middle of the night myself. It's very tempting, just 2 miles of straight, perfectly tarmacked road.

All I can say is I do not remember the speedo reading 80 on that night. I remember seeing the camera van quite late, looked at my speedo and it was just over 70, prob 72 but they get you from quite a way back im told so was obviously going faster just before. If we were all looking at our speedos every 30 seconds then surely there would be more accidents as your taking your concentration away from the road itself and concentrating on your dash more!

As for my insurance it's for renewal in 2 weeks. I haven't told them yet I was going to do it on Monday. I only pay £44 a month fully comp at the moment and that includes AA breakdown cover. Hope it doesnt go up too much.

[matt-c]

I agree that driving on the speedo isn't ideal - I often do less than the limit, when the conditions deem it so, and on roads I don't think it's safe to drive the limit on (for example, little windy, almost single width country lanes might be national speed limit, 60, but I think 30 is a more appropriate speed), and more on roads I know well and know can handle it. Fact of the matter is though, most of the time the speedo is the only indication of what speed you're doing (unless you run a sat nav all the time - I do in the van, but not often in the car) - and yes, people should spend more time looking at the road than checking the speedo, which is why I disagree with average speed camera's; because people spend more time constantly checking they are doing 50 on the nose and not watching what the traffic is doing.

Wish I was paying £44 a month FC - mines £88 a month TPF&T!

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Yeah I had a bump on the M4 last year. Guy behind me was watching his speedo in the average speed check roadworks and didn't notice me braking and went into the back of me! I'm glad I was in my old Honda and not the Lexus.

How come you pay so much for car insurance? Your roughly the same age as me. I have 11 years no claims and I did have a clean licence held for 14 years. I'm with esure, the old mans company!! Lol....

[matt-c]

30 years old, only 2years NCB (lost previous NCB due to not insuring a vehicle in my name for over two years) (license held for 12 years - clean for the majority of that time, lol. No bans, just a couple speeding tickets). I'm guessing postcode also plays a part in it, and I'm guessing since your dad owns esure, that plays a part in it too!

[dave1]

Wish I was paying £44 a month FC - mines £88 a month TPF&T!

I thought I was getting ripped off at about £385 FC last October for my GS430!!! Should be around £310 this year (Churchill)

[dave1]

I agree that driving on the speedo isn't ideal - Fact of the matter is though, most of the time the speedo is the only indication of what speed you're doing (unless you run a sat nav all the time - I do in the van, but not often in the car) - and yes, people should spend more time looking at the road than checking the speedo,

Doesn't really matter if you use speedo or satnav......you are still looking at a device. If you are not using speedo/satnav/rev counter how on earth would you know your speed? Realistically, the time taken to glance at your speedo from time to time is NOT going to affect your driving, if it does then you really should not be driving. If you can't watch the road and also check speedo does it not suggest possibility of "tunnel vision"?

[matt-c]

No Dave, you've missed the point. Of course you have to look at a sat nav or speedo to know what speed you're doing - that's a given. My point was 1) you need to look at a speedo (or sat nav) to know you're speed - which was in answer to Chris saying about driving purely on speedo makes you a worse driver, and 2) the idiots that do drive with their eyes glued to the speedo (ie, in an average speed camera section, like on a motorway where there are lane roadworks etc) are in fact more dangerous as they spend more time looking at the speed reading than the road.

Glancing down to the speed reading from time to time isn't a problem - just as glancing to a clock, or the stereo, or iPod, etc. But fixating on it, for example to make sure you are doing bang on 50 all the time in an average speed camera section, is more dangerous. When will people learn that if you travel a couple mile below the speed limit, you will only arrive 3 or 4 mins later than you would if you traveled bang on the speed limit. Is 3 or 4 mins worth the extra risk of staring out the speedo to make sure you aren't "loosing time by going slow" ???

[bluenose1940]

No Dave, you've missed the point. Of course you have to look at a sat nav or speedo to know what speed you're doing - that's a given. My point was 1) you need to look at a speedo (or sat nav) to know you're speed - which was in answer to Chris saying about driving purely on speedo makes you a worse driver, and 2) the idiots that do drive with their eyes glued to the speedo (ie, in an average speed camera section, like on a motorway where there are lane roadworks etc) are in fact more dangerous as they spend more time looking at the speed reading than the road.

Glancing down to the speed reading from time to time isn't a problem - just as glancing to a clock, or the stereo, or iPod, etc. But fixating on it, for example to make sure you are doing bang on 50 all the time in an average speed camera section, is more dangerous. When will people learn that if you travel a couple mile below the speed limit, you will only arrive 3 or 4 mins later than you would if you traveled bang on the speed limit. Is 3 or 4 mins worth the extra risk of staring out the speedo to make sure you aren't "loosing time by going slow" ???

Hi matt-c, how very valid your last couple of sentences are. Oh the times that I have spent stressing those very points to my son!!

It doesn't matter how old they are, and my youngest is mid-thirties, as a parent you still have concerns when they go hurtling up the motorway and, it is your points that get stated every time.

[dave1]

No Dave, you've missed the point. Of course you have to look at a sat nav or speedo to know what speed you're doing - that's a given. My point was 1) you need to look at a speedo (or sat nav) to know you're speed - which was in answer to Chris saying about driving purely on speedo makes you a worse driver, and 2) the idiots that do drive with their eyes glued to the speedo (ie, in an average speed camera section, like on a motorway where there are lane roadworks etc) are in fact more dangerous as they spend more time looking at the speed reading than the road.

Glancing down to the speed reading from time to time isn't a problem - just as glancing to a clock, or the stereo, or iPod, etc. But fixating on it, for example to make sure you are doing bang on 50 all the time in an average speed camera section, is more dangerous. When will people learn that if you travel a couple mile below the speed limit, you will only arrive 3 or 4 mins later than you would if you traveled bang on the speed limit. Is 3 or 4 mins worth the extra risk of staring out the speedo to make sure you aren't "loosing time by going slow" ???

Yes, I misunderstood what you were getting at. Do these drivers do the same in 30/40/70 limits I wonder. These are the morons who shouldn't be driving but it is nothing to do with speed......more their inability to comprehend one of the basics of driving which is to watch where you are going and what is going on around you.

[Jaminglish]

Where you guys get your insurance? 44, 88, I'm 50 with 7 years NCB and pay £92.odd a month

[steve2006]

Where you guys get your insurance? 44, 88, I'm 50 with 7 years NCB and pay £92.odd a month

Obviously I don't know your driving history but that seems excessive, I'm 53 with 10 years NCB, clean licence and pay just over £300.00 a year. I am limited to 5000 miles a year and no commuting to work.

Mine is also a grey import model.

Insured via Adrian Flux this year.

Try one of the price comparison sites for quotes.

[matt-c]

I'm 30, 2years NCB, and pay £88 a month (TPF&T) - and I thought that was bad!

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

I'm with esure. I'm 33, been driving since I was 17. I've never claimed on a policy ever and have been with esure since I was 30. I also live in rural Wiltshire where the crime rate is so low if somebody stole a pen it would make the news! Lol...

I pay £44 a month fully comp with breakdown and glass cover. I'm very happy with my policy! :)

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Oh yeah and my car is parked on a driveway 1 mile down a private road. I think all this together helps :)