Speeding ticket - didn't have time to slow down

[Deleted User]

Hi all

I've got a letter today saying there is an intention to prosecute. I was doing 64 on the M25 when the variable speed limit was 50. Entering the M25, there was no speed notice. When I saw the 50mph limit I, admittedly, took my foot off the accelerator and didn't break hard. Main reason, there was a car behind me and I just casually slowed down as I usually do.

Is it worth appealing? 

Lomast

There is no appeal for a fixed penalty. You either accept it or refuse and argue your case in court where they will almost certainly have evidence that the correct signage was displayed.
If you go to court and lose which you almost certainly will, then the costs and fine will be much more than the fixed penalty

Belenus

Deleted_User said:

Hi all

I've got a letter today saying there is an intention to prosecute. I was doing 64 on the M25 when the variable speed limit was 50. Entering the M25, there was no speed notice. When I saw the 50mph limit I, admittedly, took my foot off the accelerator and didn't break hard. Main reason, there was a car behind me and I just casually slowed down as I usually do.

Is it worth appealing? 

I intend no slight nor offence but it is far more likely that there were speed notices or signs and you didn't see them.

Unless you can produce rock solid evidence that there were no signs you should accept any penalty.

Have you been offered a speed awareness course?

You could check on other forums or google to see if you can find others also posting about that stretch of motorway at the same time with the same story about a lack of signs..

Ebe_Scrooge

As above, you have 2 options.  Accept the FPN and move on - assuming you have no existing points on your licence, it won't be the end of the world.  Or you reject the FPN and argue your case in court - if you take this option, you want to be sure you have rock-solid proof that the signage was incorrect.  If you go to court and lose, the fine and costs will dwarf the FPN fine.

[Deleted User]

Belenus said:

Deleted_User said:

Hi all

I've got a letter today saying there is an intention to prosecute. I was doing 64 on the M25 when the variable speed limit was 50. Entering the M25, there was no speed notice. When I saw the 50mph limit I, admittedly, took my foot off the accelerator and didn't break hard. Main reason, there was a car behind me and I just casually slowed down as I usually do.

Is it worth appealing? 

I intend no slight nor offence but it is far more likely that there were speed notices or signs and you didn't see them.

Unless you can produce rock solid evidence that there were no signs you should accept any penalty.

Have you been offered a speed awareness course?

You could check on other forums or google to see if you can find others also posting about that stretch of motorway at the same time with the same story about a lack of signs..

Genuinely, there was no speed sign entering the motorway. The sign basically showed something alongside you were entering a slip road. Got up to 70, then saw the speed limit on the first gantry and let my foot off the accelerator. Then got flashed. 

lisyloo

Deleted_User said:

Belenus said:

Deleted_User said:

Hi all

I've got a letter today saying there is an intention to prosecute. I was doing 64 on the M25 when the variable speed limit was 50. Entering the M25, there was no speed notice. When I saw the 50mph limit I, admittedly, took my foot off the accelerator and didn't break hard. Main reason, there was a car behind me and I just casually slowed down as I usually do.

Is it worth appealing? 

I intend no slight nor offence but it is far more likely that there were speed notices or signs and you didn't see them.

Unless you can produce rock solid evidence that there were no signs you should accept any penalty.

Have you been offered a speed awareness course?

You could check on other forums or google to see if you can find others also posting about that stretch of motorway at the same time with the same story about a lack of signs..

Genuinely, there was no speed sign entering the motorway. The sign basically showed something alongside you were entering a slip road. Got up to 70, then saw the speed limit on the first gantry and let my foot off the accelerator. Then got flashed. 

You would be expected to look ahead.
was there a reason the sign couldn’t be seen ahead of time e.g. bush, being too close to  slip road?
apologoes if I’ve missed something.

elsien

I feel your pain.
Just been caught on the M42 where I thought the speed had gone back up to 70 but it hadn’t. 

 Since then I have been very carefully watching the signs and there has been more than one occasion where there has been 60…..60……60 then nothing for miles.
Leaving me carrying on at 60 with other cars right up my arris while I decide when to take the chance on 70 again. 

Didn’t challenge it, because it’s not something I can evidence but I don’t believe that all the signs are always there. 

Ebe_Scrooge

Deleted_User said:

Got up to 70, then saw the speed limit on the first gantry and let my foot off the accelerator. Then got flashed. 

If you feel you have a genuine case to argue, you can opt to go to court instead of accepting the FPN.  But I suspect the counter-argument would be that a gantry sign is easily visible from 1/4 of a mile away, giving you ample time to safely slow from 70 down to 50.

If this was not the case, due to the road layout, weather conditions, whatever, then you may wish to contest it.  But as has already been mentioned, the fines that a court are able to issue are much larger than the FPN, and costs can be added.  It's not worth it unless you genuinely feel you have a cast-iron case.

jon81uk

Deleted_User said:

Belenus said:

Deleted_User said:

Hi all

I've got a letter today saying there is an intention to prosecute. I was doing 64 on the M25 when the variable speed limit was 50. Entering the M25, there was no speed notice. When I saw the 50mph limit I, admittedly, took my foot off the accelerator and didn't break hard. Main reason, there was a car behind me and I just casually slowed down as I usually do.

Is it worth appealing? 

I intend no slight nor offence but it is far more likely that there were speed notices or signs and you didn't see them.

Unless you can produce rock solid evidence that there were no signs you should accept any penalty.

Have you been offered a speed awareness course?

You could check on other forums or google to see if you can find others also posting about that stretch of motorway at the same time with the same story about a lack of signs..

Genuinely, there was no speed sign entering the motorway. The sign basically showed something alongside you were entering a slip road. Got up to 70, then saw the speed limit on the first gantry and let my foot off the accelerator. Then got flashed. 

Its possoble to see those signs reasonably far away, so you should have stopped accelorating and been prepared to brake as soon as you saw a red circle on the gantry. If there is a circle it will mean the limit is now 60 or lower so you could have braked to 60 as soon as you saw it and then braked again to 50 once you could clearly see the limit. You needed to be doing 50 once you were under the sign so as soon as you saw it you should have begun slowing down and then once closer apply the brakes.

Yes the variable speed can change at every gantry, thats the point of it being variable so there is no excuse not to have been doing it.

lemondrops69

elsien said:

I feel your pain.
Just been caught on the M42 where I thought the speed had gone back up to 70 but it hadn’t. 

 Since then I have been very carefully watching the signs and there has been more than one occasion where there has been 60…..60……60 then nothing for miles.
Leaving me carrying on at 60 with other cars right up my arris while I decide when to take the chance on 70 again. 

Didn’t challenge it, because it’s not something I can evidence but I don’t believe that all the signs are always there. 

Where on the M42? I dont think there are miles and miles between overhead signs? 

Car_54

Deleted_User said:

Belenus said:

Deleted_User said:

Hi all

I've got a letter today saying there is an intention to prosecute. I was doing 64 on the M25 when the variable speed limit was 50. Entering the M25, there was no speed notice. When I saw the 50mph limit I, admittedly, took my foot off the accelerator and didn't break hard. Main reason, there was a car behind me and I just casually slowed down as I usually do.

Is it worth appealing? 

I intend no slight nor offence but it is far more likely that there were speed notices or signs and you didn't see them.

Unless you can produce rock solid evidence that there were no signs you should accept any penalty.

Have you been offered a speed awareness course?

You could check on other forums or google to see if you can find others also posting about that stretch of motorway at the same time with the same story about a lack of signs..

Genuinely, there was no speed sign entering the motorway. The sign basically showed something alongside you were entering a slip road. Got up to 70, then saw the speed limit on the first gantry and let my foot off the accelerator. Then got flashed. 

There is no need for a speed limit sign on entering the motorway, unless a lower limit is in force. In your case it seems the lower limit started at the gantry.