Will I get a speeding ticket?

mrs_sparrow

I wondered how those handheld cameras work?

This morning on school run there was one of those little road sweeping things, doing about 20, I was overtaking him and he put his indicator on and pulled towards where I was on the road so I accelerated and pulled in intending to slow down and there was the officer with the camera. I supposed I was doing about 37 when I saw him. I was accelerating for 3-5 seconds.

Grrrrr. I am so annoyed.

Appealing costs more as well. I am so cross and I know at that moment I was speeding but he indicated and was going to drive into me so I did what I needed to do to avoid a potential accident.

BeenThroughItAll

You might well get away with it, your car speedo will be over reading anyway so you probably weren't going as quick as you think.

On thing though, you should perhaps think back to the incident and try to understand why you were in a position where a vehicle you were overtaking to the right indicated right with the intention to turn towards you. Was there a right turn which the driver might have wanted to take, or a car park, driveway, etc?

If there was, it might be worth you thinking about how you can avoid putting yourself in those sorts of situations in the future - you should really be looking ahead and anticipating potential moves like that and overtaking in those circumstances isn't very sensible.

After all, even if you'd been stuck behind the sweeper for an unlikely 5 miles, that'd take you 15 minutes. If it'd been doing 30, you'd have been there for 10 minutes. Since you were on the school run presumably you had your child(ren) in the car, and is getting there a few minutes earlier really work risking an accident for?

OddballJamie

Am I correct in thinking, you started to overtake, the road sweeper still in front indicated and rather than easing back you continued anyway?

mrs_sparrow

OK, I was overtaking slowly and he was tucked into the left of the road, as I was overtaking I saw the indicator come on, looked up, noticed a turning (it was not a road and he has sweepers on, it looked like a car park, but there was nothing at the time to make me think he would turn into it when I started overtaking and, at 30 I would have ordinarily have enough time to have overtaken safely.

But when he indicated and started to move over I took the action I did. I was probably in his blind spot had he of not looked. I guess there was 50 yards to the turning, i'd have not made it at 30mph, other alternative was to stop dead in the carriageway but there was a white car behind me also waiting to overtake it when I was gone so he was slightly sticking out from behind the sweeper, I could not safely get back behind the sweeper without hitting him either.

Then when I got in front of him, saw the policeman standing there with a hairdryer gun, car hidden round the corner. As usual, I know they are round here so I specifically don't speed anywhere. I was only just in 3rd gear after accelerating.

I've only ever had 3 points about 20 years ago. It's so naff I know to be upset over it, I know, but I drive so carefully and this was just a split second decision I made to avoid either of 2 vehicles hitting me.

I suppose I am just going to have to sit and wait and see if the PN turns up.

mrs_sparrow

OddballJamie wrote: »

Am I correct in thinking, you started to overtake, the road sweeper still in front indicated and rather than easing back you continued anyway?

I could not ease back, there was a white car right behind the sweeper, slightly edging out and waiting to overtake behind me. If I had slowed down I would have hit the white car as there was not a massive difference in speed, causing a further accident. I have overtaking him there numerous times. He goes real slow (going to get the exact speed next week, it might not even be 20mph as you have to be in first gear to drive behind him)

mrs_sparrow

I also have to add that I see him often, it is perfectly safe to overtake there, it is not a 5 mile road and it is a tiny little thing smaller than a car, not a big highways one. I did consider the road adequately before overtaking. The place he was indicating to turn into was clearly some sort of parking place with a drop down curb but, likewise, he knew there were cars overtaking so he did not give enough notice to turn. He also was not 'sweeping' as the brushes were in the up position. It did not look like somewhere that had a road that needed sweeping.

I am not a manic driving yummy mummy, I am well aware of the dangers speeding around children does, I just accelerated to take avoiding action with either the sweeper or the car behind, I did not have anywhere left to go other than forwards.

I assume those guns do not take photos but just register my number plate?

macman

No, the gun measures your speed.
If the officer considered that you broke the speed limit momentarily to avoid a collision then that should be taken into consideration.
Bear in mind that road sweepers are often left hand drive, and so his visibility to the right is less than on an RHD vehicle.
No one can tell you if you'll be ticketed or not. you'll have to wait and see.

mrs_sparrow

Thanks, not this is definitely a left hand drive one, you can see the driver, it's like a little trolley thing with a roof on and glass windows all around. I can appreciate I was probably in his blind spot.

At least I have it all down here so I can refer back to the event while it was fresh in my head if need be. Thanks for taking the time to reply everyone.

Maybe the officer will realise what position I was in, maybe he will just think I was driving too fast as I could not be bothered to wait. Who knows. I guess only time will tell.

Quentin

If your last offence was 20 years ago then the worst you can expect is an option to do a safe driving type course (no points, usually costs as much or more than a fine and takes time - but they won't be happy if you continue to be in denial) or the ticket, fine and points.

mrs_sparrow

What denial, the one that said I was speeding?

I asked how the guns worked? I asked the process, I asked if I would get more of a fine if I appealed for the reasons I have stated.

I have no idea how it works as i've never been done for it!!

However, people asked could I not do this or that and I answered as such. At no time have I ever stated I was not speeding. I might not have been in rnage of the camera byt the time I reached 37mph. How long does it take to register the speed (as I was only going over 30 for 2 maybe 3 seconds to avoid being hit.

So yes, I am annoyed at myself and I had questions.

Quentin

Denial as in it wasn't my fault.

The gun registers the speed whilst its pointed at you.