Any advice for a speeding ticket?

mchale

Deastons wrote: »

Personally, yes I do. The law says the maximum speed for the road is 30/40/60/70 etc., and by going faster, you're saying you know better than the experts who have done the research and deemed that the safest speed for the road.

Don't forget the limits were introduced when cars had drum brakes all round, no abs/traction control etc, also the number of accidents caused by speeding alone is very small.

Deastons

uknick wrote: »

I agree with you about non motorway speed limits, but I'm not sure the motorway speed limit makes sense these days. It was originally introduced as a 4 month trial in 1965 due to a spate of crashes in fog or because of high speed testing by car manufacturers. And the limit has yet to be lifted.

But, many other countries have higher speed limits on their motorways. So, why are UK drivers considered so unsafe they can only drive at 70 mph whilst other countries have higher limits; 80 in France, 85 in Poland or even unrestricted on certain autobahns in Germany? Also, if the limit is safety based, why can cars do 70 mph on many dual carriage ways that have T junctions, roundabouts etc to negotiate.

Finally, can we take it from your comments you've never exceeded a speed limit, either deliberately or by accident?

I've never knowingly broken the limit, but it's also very rare I drive at the limit.

I actually agree - 70mph seems a little slow, especially in modern cars with ABS etc etc and, in my opinion, 20mph seems too slow and causes my attention to wander (although it is great fun watching incredibly angry drivers flashing me and driving inches from my rear bumper because I dare to actually drive at 20mph).

But if you disagree with the limits, you lobby to change them. You join groups who favour higher speeds, you petition your MP. You don't just ignore the law, assume you know better, break the limit and then complain when you get caught.

The sad thing is, for most people, it's only once the effects of speeding/using a mobile phone/drink driving/illegal parking etc. negatively affects them that they actually agree with and obey the law.

DaftyDuck

An earlier thread started by the OP....

Nathaniel_Essex wrote: »

Alright people, there must be a lot of you who have drove on the M25, or even drive on it regularly. You might have noticed a lot of speed cameras almost every half-mile in certain regions and the new camera part of this smart motorway.

Now here's the thing: I drive quite often on the M25 and I do go over 79 mph a lot, but I have never seen a speed camera flashing, nor have I gotten a speeding ticket so far. Three of my friends also drive regularly on the M25 and have never been caught speeding neither; but none of us goes over 95 mph.

I have seen, and you have probably also seen a lot of people driving way over 95 mph on the M25, and I don't think that all those people would be doing it if they all knew that they would certainly get caught.

So what's the deal here about those speed cameras and when will you actually get a ticket?

If anyone knows anything please share, event if it's not for the M25. I'm mainly talking about when the variable speed limit is not enforced though I regularly see people speeding when it is.

facade

You should always be careful what you wish for......

AnotherJoe

OP, to answer your question "pay it"

Robisere

I am not so concerned about speeds on Motorways and Dual Carriageways, as I am about the distances between vehicles on those roads. Because such roads have higher legal limits, (which some exceed) there should be a corresponding increase in that distance, to allow for increased braking distances. However, there are always those who drive so close to the vehicle in front, that they would not have a hope in hell of avoiding a rear end shunt, should the vehicle in front have to brake suddenly. These are the same drivers who hog the outer lane(s) when they have overtaken a slower vehicle, but refuse to return to an empty inner lane. Lane discipline is routinely ignored on UK roads.

almillar

(although it is great fun watching incredibly angry drivers flashing me and driving inches from my rear bumper because I dare to actually drive at 20mph)

You'd fail your test for doing 20mph in a 30 without good reason. 'I like going slowly' or 'I like annoying other drivers' is not a good reason.

Nick_C

Deastons wrote: »

There's a stretch of the M1 that drops to 50. There's no obvious roadworks and it's only for a short stretch (I suspect there's a problem with the central reservation). Every day I must be the only person who actually slows to 50 - I'm overtaken by lorries, cars and busses that make no effort to slow.

If you are the only driver doing 50 you are the one likely to cause an accident as other drivers change lanes to overtake you, or tailgate you.

Deastons wrote: »

... it's also very rare I drive at the limit.

If the weather is good and there are no other hazards, then if other people are behind you you should be driving at the limit if it is safe to do so.

People who drive at 45 when the limit is 60 cause other drivers to overtake unnecessarily, driving on the wrong carriageway and increasing the likelihood of an accident.

Deastons

almillar wrote: »

You'd fail your test for doing 20mph in a 30 without good reason. 'I like going slowly' or 'I like annoying other drivers' is not a good reason.

But I think "The speed limit is 20mph" would be considered a good reason for going 20mph. Which is the reason I do 20mph.

Deastons

Nick_C wrote: »

If you are the only driver doing 50 you are the one likely to cause an accident as other drivers change lanes to overtake you, or tailgate you.

I see. So you think that if there were an accident it would me my fault for doing the legal speed limit rather than the other drivers for doing 20-30mph over the limit? Interesting.

Nick_C wrote: »

If the weather is good and there are no other hazards, then if other people are behind you you should be driving at the limit if it is safe to do so.

People who drive at 45 when the limit is 60 cause other drivers to overtake unnecessarily, driving on the wrong carriageway and increasing the likelihood of an accident.

Then it's lucky that I generally drive between 55 and 58 in a 60 zone.