Speeding ticket - didn't have time to slow down

lisyloo

The Highway Code says you should be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear (not slow down to 50).
im trying desperately not to be judgemental but failing to see how the sign suddenly “jumped out”.

[Deleted User]

lisyloo said:

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.

I did see ahead and I immediately stopped accelerating. The road was clear and I didn't break to slow down mainly because there was a car directly behind me.Car_54 said:

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.

There is. This is where I entered and highlighted is what I usually see if there is an issue. On this occasion, there was a sign but it just looked like a slip-road symbol (won't let me paste the picture. Happy for someone to tell me how or post the Google map location).

[Deleted User]

Where I entered - https://www.google.com/maps/@51.6863912,-0.2269368,3a,75y,160.79h,82.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPZfK1A5ZJudaYRCs64-hQQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Where I got flashed - https://www.google.com/maps/@51.6847587,-0.2128891,3a,75y,109.85h,97.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sC_3WsL_dDCTSFQ3ivCuL0w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

lisyloo

Sounds really fishy to me that you followed the Highway Code but could only decelerate from 70 to 64 recorded (speedos usually overhead)
i would suggest you try a more specialist forum

i think you have a mountain to climb without evidence 

Car_54

Deleted_User said:

There is. This is where I entered and highlighted is what I usually see if there is an issue. On this occasion, there was a sign but it just looked like a slip-road symbol (won't let me paste the picture. Happy for someone to tell me how or post the Google map location).

There is not normally a speed limit sign on entry to a motorway, simply the white-on-blue "M25" sign which indicates "Start of Motorway Regulations". Those include the default 70 mph speed limit for cars.

From what you've described, the 50 limit almost certainly started at the gantry where you were caught. Do you believe otherwise, and if so do you have anything to support that view?

jimjames

Car_54 said:

Deleted_User said:

There is. This is where I entered and highlighted is what I usually see if there is an issue. On this occasion, there was a sign but it just looked like a slip-road symbol (won't let me paste the picture. Happy for someone to tell me how or post the Google map location).

From what you've described, the 50 limit almost certainly started at the gantry where you were caught. Do you believe otherwise, and if so do you have anything to support that view?

It's a good point but on that section is it possible that there are gantries that straddle the junction so if joining you would only see the next sign although the limit would have been in force from the previous gantry. Not sure it would make a difference though if the camera is on/after the gantry.

NBLondon

Car_54 said:

There is not normally a speed limit sign on entry to a motorway, simply the white-on-blue "M25" sign which indicates "Start of Motorway Regulations". Those include the default 70 mph speed limit for cars.

From what you've described, the 50 limit almost certainly started at the gantry where you were caught. Do you believe otherwise, and if so do you have anything to support that view?

True...  but here's a thought...   If the 50 limit started before the junction and continues beyond it what tells the driver that they are joining under a variable limit as opposed to the appropriate NSL?  If there's a lot of traffic doing 50 that would be a clue - but if the motorway is empty a driver could join at 70 and be unaware of the limit until the next gantry sign is visible.  At which point they should decelerate so they pass that sign at the appropriate speed.

Thrugelmir

Deleted_User said:

 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.

How fast had you been travelling at to only deaccelerate to 64 mph. 

Bonniepurple

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. 

I’m always worried that this will happen to me joining the M5 at J16/15.  It’s a smart motorway.  The junction layout means that you are effectively on the M5/M4 at Almondsbury.  At the slip road there’s the speed limit sign.  The motorway then splits into M4 (left hand lanes) and M5 (right hand lanes).  There is no indication as to what the speed limit is from that split until much further along.  Traffic is invariably going much faster on the M5 bit than the M4 bit.

venomx

Variable speed limits are a nuisance sometimes, especially on fast A roads/Dual carriageways

I was on one where it kept changing from 50 to 60 to national then 50 to 60 then national etc.
So just played it safe and stayed at 50.
Best thing to do is slow down until you see the next speed sign then act accordingly.

Another one near me. Is 30 the whole way, then 20 for about 2 minutes then goes back to 30 again. Very easy to be caught out  unintentionally