Speeding Fine

papertigers87

Hi guys,

I'm just looking for some advice. I got home from work today to find a "Notice of Intended Prosecution" from the police. The letter stated that I was doing 37mph in a 30mph zone.

My issue with this is that I was entering the 30mph zone from a 60mph zone and the camera (a police speed camera van) clocked me doing 37mph just passed the start of the 30mph zone. I'm just wondering if this would be valid to contest the fine as I was braking to reach the 30mph limit (it's not as if I was cruising through the town at 37mph, I was doing 30mph within another 2 seconds).

At the end of the day I was speeding as far as the camera is concerned and I understand that, but it seems a bit unfair as I wasn't actually speeding. My driving licence is clean and I've had no previous convictions, as I don't break the speed limits.

I'm guessing there's not a lot I can do about it and I will most likely get a £60 fine and 3 points on my licence. I'm just gutted because I am a safe driver.

Thanks,

Luke

CyCo_2

You are supposed to slow down to 30mph BEFORE the 30mph zone starts. So no, it isn't a valid reason to contest.

Lum

Legally no, the limit starts at the sign and contesting it will just waste your time and increase the penalty.

This particular setup annoys me greatly though, as prior to the proliferation of speed cameras, common practice was to put the 30 signs e.g. 400 yards outside of the village to provide a "buffer zone" that ensures all traffic has reduced their speed before they reach the village limits. Common sense would therefore suggest that you either enforce where it's actually dangerous and/or move the 30 signs to the village limits, possibly putting up 100 yard countdowns beforehand.

NeverAgain_2

Frustrating, I'm sure many of us have driven in a similar way.

But there's nothing to do other than admit it.

Contesting it on those grounds would only irritate the magistrates and possibly lead to a higher penalty.

The other piece of bad news is you don't qualify for a speed awareness course, because the limit for that is no more than 36mph in a 30mph zone.

On t'other hand, the 36mph is only a guideline, and as this is the law, nothing is set in stone.

Send off the notice, and if you are by chance offered a speed awareness course, snatch their hands off and say nowt.

Lum

Depends which police force the OP was done by. Each have their own limits (which have been rising of late, since the council make a profit off speed awareness courses)

OP: Which police force was it?

fitshase

It's one of those situations where I don't think you'll get anywhere by challenging it. I am in agreement about buffer zones though. There is a spot near my parents' house where you take a sliproad off a dual carriageway (national speed limit so 70mph) and they have put 30mph signs about 200 yards from the beginning of the slip road and not the end where the roundabout it. Therefore, to totally adhere to the law, you need to take the slip road then slam on your brakes to stand a chance of getting to 30mph before the signs. There is no warning of this so anyone unfamiliar with the road beware. It's not like there are any footpaths or properties on the slip road either to justify a 30mph. Why they couldn't put the signs at the end of the slip I don't know!

iamana1ias

papertigers87 wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'm just looking for some advice. I got home from work today to find a "Notice of Intended Prosecution" from the police. The letter stated that I was doing 37mph in a 30mph zone.

My issue with this is that I was entering the 30mph zone from a 60mph zone and the camera (a police speed camera van) clocked me doing 37mph just passed the start of the 30mph zone.

:doh:

papertigers87 wrote: »

I'm just wondering if this would be valid to contest the fine as I was braking to reach the 30mph limit (it's not as if I was cruising through the town at 37mph, I was doing 30mph within another 2 seconds).

You should have been doing 30 about 10 seconds earlier.

papertigers87 wrote: »

At the end of the day I was speeding as far as the camera is concerned and I understand that, but it seems a bit unfair as I wasn't actually speeding.

You were speeding though. Above 30 in a 30mph zone = speeding. The fact that the camera caught you just confirms that! :rotfl:

papertigers87 wrote: »

My driving licence is clean and I've had no previous convictions, as I don't break the speed limits.

If this is the way you drive normally then you most certainly do break speed limits.

papertigers87 wrote: »

I'm guessing there's not a lot I can do about it and I will most likely get a £60 fine and 3 points on my licence. I'm just gutted because I am a safe driver.

A safe driver who doesn't know/ignores key rules in the Highway Code? :think:

Lum

Chances are when those signs were put up, they expected drivers to see the 30 signs and begin slowing, meaning that by the time they reach the end of the sliproad they are going suitably slow, rather than still doing 70 and barreling into the unexpected roundabout.

Do they enforce that limit at all?

Perhaps you should write to your local council. The purpose of a sliproad is to allow drivers to leave the DC at full speed, thus avoiding congesting the DC, and decelerate in a safe and controlled manner before joining the local road network. The situation you describe is clearly unsafe should someone paranoid about cameras come along.

pmm1981

NeverAgain wrote: »

The other piece of bad news is you don't qualify for a speed awareness course, because the limit for that is no more than 36mph in a 30mph zone.

This can't be correct as in S.Yorks the mobile cameras are set to 'catch' motorists doing speed limit +10%+4mph, there for in a 30 mph zone the slowest you will get ticketed for is 37 mph, and yes S.Yorks do participate in the speed awareness course.

I got caught doing 37 mph by Humberside police and got 3 points and £60, someone else i know was doing over 40 in a 30 and got a speed awareness course for £80 and no points.

There are too many roads where speed limits go from national speed limit to 40 or 30 without any warning prior to the commencement signs, there should be a minimum of 100 metres notice per 10 mph drop so 70mph to 30 mph would give you 400 metres notice to slow down.

Lum

iamana1ias wrote: »

A safe driver who doesn't know/ignores key rules in the Highway Code? :think:

Safety and legality are two different things, sometimes they go hand in hand, sometimes they are unrelated and sometimes they are contradictory.

warehouse

Think yourslef lucky OP, I was convicted for doing 34mph at about 5 yards past the 30mph sign, (on a national speed limit road). I always thought a 10% plus 3mph rule applied, it doesn't.