Caught speeding

HO87

At the speed alleged provided your friend is not likely to be totting (i.e. has 8 points or more) then at worst she will be made a conditional offer of fixed penalty (3pts and £60). There is a reasonable likelihood that she will be offered a speed awareness course as she falls within the standard criteria (posted limited + 10% + 9mph). Some forces use slightly lower criteria (such as Cheshire) and none of the Scottish forces currently offer SA courses at all.

Only a limited number of forces make the offer of courses/fixed penalty as part of the NIP document (such as Cumbria) the vast majority will not make those offers until such time as the driver has been identified by signing the return section of the NIP. Make sure your friend understands that she must make that reply within the 28 days limit of receiving the NIP otherwise she may find herself being pursued for the offence of failing to provide driver details. That would guarantee a court appearance which I'm sure she would prefer to avoid.

Tell her to stop panicking. There really is nothing to panic over.

As for the link above delete one set of the http:// bit and then paste the remainder into your browser bar.

Aretnap

What HO87 said. All forces outside Scotland now offer speed awareness courses in one form or another. The large majority of them are in the national scheme and use 10%+9 as the cut-off point (which also means that they don't consider existing points or previous convictions, provided you haven't done a course in the last 3 years), though a few forces remain outside the national scheme and apply their own criteria. 81 in a 70 will qualify for a course anywhere which offers one. A few forces include the offer of a SAC with the NIP, but most will send it after they receive her reply where she names herself as the driver.

Even if she doesn't get offered a course the worst case she is looking at is 3 points and £60, whcih hardly marks her out as public enemy number one. She'd have to tell her insurer about the points, but for an experienced driver with an otherwise good driving record most insurers won't raise the premium much, if at all, for a single speeding conviction.

give_them_FA

It is odd that police forces don't offer a SAC to people who exceeded the limit by more than a certain amount.

You would think they would be the ones who most needed it.........

Aretnap

AIUI the thinking is that speed awareness courses are aimed mainly at people who don't pay enough attention to their speed or the limit, but that people who are a long way over the speed limit are likely deliberately flouting it, so they need to be prosecuted/banned/strung up as it's the only language they'll understand.

I have it vaguely in my head that one force (Thames Valley?) did briefly experiment with offering people who were caught at the sort of speeds which would normally result in a summons the option of taking a course AND a fiixed penalty instead, but it never caught on, perhaps a they didn't want to be seen as being too soft.

give_them_FA

In my experience the great majority of speed cameras are not positioned in places where it would be dangerous to exceed the speed limit, but in places where it is quite safe to do so. What does that convey about their objectives?

AltheHibby

GTFA,

It just proves what most of us think. Take the A9 between Perth and Inverness for example. Not many good passing places on the single carriageway stretches, but where do Highland put the vans? Yes, you're right.

Anyway, to address OPs point, it really is nothing to worry about, whether points or course. I have a good friend who was offered the course and said that had he known how good it was he would have got himself caught earlier!

Aretnap

give_them_FA wrote: »

In my experience the great majority of speed cameras are not positioned in places where it would be dangerous to exceed the speed limit, but in places where it is quite safe to do so. What does that convey about their objectives?

Now I just feel like being argumentative for the sake of it but...

By and large they're put in places where people think it's OK to break the speed limit. After all, there would be no point in putting them where people didn't speed anyway.

Aretnap

AltheHibby wrote: »

It just proves what most of us think. Take the A9 between Perth and Inverness for example. Not many good passing places on the single carriageway stretches, but where do Highland put the vans? Yes, you're right.

I have fond memories of doing that section last month. I'm very grateful that Scotland has so many responsible drivers who flash their headlights to warn other motorists of hazards up ahead.

AltheHibby

Aretnap,

we're just friendly people. Honest!!

lovinituk

clivejohnson wrote: »

Your friend will be fine. If she was in a 70 zone, you,have to be doing 96mph+.

Where did that figure come from? Its a lot higher than the 10% +9mph that others have quoted here (which would actually be 86mph).

I'm fairly sure you wouldn't be offered a SAC for driving 25mph over a 70 limit (excessive by 34%!) but I could be wrong?!