OT: I think I just got caught!!!

[ariston]

The not admitting you were driving loophole has been closed. They can now give the points to the registered owner if you will not admit who was driving. As someone who has lost his license twice down to speeding (younger and more foolish days) I can tell you not to try this trick. However if you "forget" to sign the summonse when it arrives I believe ahem there is sod all they can do to you- also you are not yet legally obliged to sign a caution that arrives through the post (this loophole will be closed soon no doubt)

[dan]

my father in law is an ex copper    and he said 10%+2 is spot on and also like ariston said if you are the registerted owner of the car, if somebody else doesnt own up to driving you are ultimately responsible. an example of this was when 1 of our work vans was caught by a speed camara nobody owned up to driving it and the office manager had to take the points.( that was his face)

[Nem]

Thanks for letting me know!

[Trace]

Thanks for this guys, all I can say is it was the start of what has turned out to be a VERY bad day.  (Including being hauled up in front of Line Manager on Monday for reducing the "boss" to tears!!!  All I can say is she musta mended and turned on her tap at just the right time!)


I'll take the points and the fine, serves me right for not concentrating, and getting pigged off with the idiot in front.  At least I wasn't doing 70 down there which is what I used to do before they installed cameras and mobile units....   Incidentally there were two Gatso's on this stretch of road, facing in either direction, someone chopped the head off one and the other had recently been set alight.  lmao

For those of you that travel to Preston from the Blackpool/Lytham direction, please be warned that the mobile unit sits on the opposite side of the road facing the Blackpool direction just outside the first set of traffic lights adjacent to all the car salesrooms.  Perfectly placed for catching idiots like me that should know better.

I'll let you know if I get done or not.

T

[mex]

Hope you werent in Wales they will do you for 55

[Trace]

Where's Wales?

[JustJo]

I heard a corker on the radio this morning (anyone in Manchester buy the MEN, it's on the front page apparently).  A couple were done twice by the same camera and instead of paying the £120 fine and getting 3 points each, they made up a bulgarian guy and said he was driving.  They then took this one step further by the Mrs of the couple going to Bulgaria to send a postcard from said made up guy!!  She apparently made the mistake of writing the card as if it was from her......they got a £4000 fine and a nice criminal record to boot.   >:?  >:?  >:?


Jo xx

[Dewi_cool]

Where's Wales?

I am sooooo dissapointed 

[tikay]

When I was working (proper working) I drove 80,000 to 100,000 miles a year. A few speeding convictions are inevitable at that mileage, even if you are "steady". So I always seemed to have 6 points on my licence.

I came out of Gala Notts one day in April 2004, it was 4.35am, on a deserted A610, & got caught by one of those cameras that time you between two specific points (not one that flashes).

The very next day - the "saturday morning after Giood Friday" - I apparently repeated the trick.

Two weeks later, two letters in the same post. 38 in a 30 at 04.35, & 37 in a 30 at 04.55.

Went to court, this should be easy-peasy, pleaded guilty, but used the time of day the offence was committed as mitigation. 7 days, 21 days, maybe a month at worst was my expectation. I never engaged a slocitor, I had nothing to hide, the facts spioke for themselves.

"Tell us why we should not ban you for 6 months" boomed the magistrate. Bla bla bla.

Pleae exuse us while we discuss this, they said.

I returned 20 minutes later - banned for 6 months.

It seems it's 6 months or nothing. If I could have proven "exceptional hardship - such as loss of my job - they would have banned me for a lesser period. I did try that tack, but they said I could afford to hire a cheuffeur.

Two morals to that story.

Don't speed at ANY time. The law does not differentiate between 0430 am (when it's, arguably, safe) & 4.30pm - when it's patently NOT.

Engage a solicitor - a solicitor WOULD have got me off, for sure. Maybe 14 or 21 days, but better thsn 6 months. 6 months was, I warn you, sheer hell.

[Nem]

I heard a corker on the radio this morning (anyone in Manchester buy the MEN, it's on the front page apparently).  A couple were done twice by the same camera and instead of paying the £120 fine and getting 3 points each, they made up a bulgarian guy and said he was driving.  They then took this one step further by the Mrs of the couple going to Bulgaria to send a postcard from said made up guy!!  She apparently made the mistake of writing the card as if it was from her......they got a £4000 fine and a nice criminal record to boot.   >:?  >:?  >:?


Jo xx

Hilarious, some people are just too stupid!

[Robert HM]

Engage a solicitor - a solicitor WOULD have got me off, for sure. Maybe 14 or 21 days, but better thsn 6 months. 6 months was, I warn you, sheer hell.

Thank you, cheque's in the post 

[ariston]

I have lost my license twice. When I was 22 and a bit of a boy racer type I managed to get to 22 points before I ran out of excuses/loopholes and I got 28 days and a £300 fine. I was then squeeky clean for a good few years when I got stopped by an unmarked car in the back of beyond (highlands and islands of scotland) on a completely clear road. They had followed me for miles and I wrongly assumed it was another rep on his way home because it was a nice bmw 8 series. I was clocked at 100.2 mph and I again got 28 days and a £300 fine. How you got 6 months gawd only knows Tikay (and I didn't use a brief I just blagged it).

[Nem]

I have lost my license twice. When I was 22 and a bit of a boy racer type I managed to get to 22 points before I ran out of excuses/loopholes and I got 28 days and a £300 fine.

This must have been a very long time ago, cos now this is a very very very very long driving ban.

I was clocked at 100.2 mph and I again got 28 days and a £300 fine. How you got 6 months gawd only knows Tikay (and I didn't use a brief I just blagged it).

I am very suprised that they only gave you a 28 day ban going on your previous, maybe because it was in scotland!
 

[tikay]

Ariston. How did I end up with 6 months?

1) Because that's the law these days, except in the case of exceptional hardship.

2) Because I never engaged a solicitor.

Robert - am I correct on BOTH points? I know you'll agree on the 2nd point.......

[Robert HM]

I have to admit that my days of mitigating speeding convictions are a little way behind me, but when I have to go back to traffic courts I use the trusty Wilkinson's on Road Traffic Law to update myself. 6 months is not unheard of at all.

I had the "joy" of representing a famous comedian once who had been charged with Driving without Due Care and Attention on the M4 and speeding to boot, it was a Bentley and I am not sure he knew how to drive at the correct speed. He walked from the Due Care charge but got 28 day disqualification for the speeding. He could afford a chauffer.... and a helicoptor

As for having a solicitor, there is usually a Duty Solicitor at Court each morning (beware if it's a pm court as he may have been long gone) but it is no longer in remit of a Duty sol to look after non-imprisonable matters but he may be amenable to a quick private matter. If you want to save your licence or keep a ban down, it would be a good idea to use a solicitor local to the court, travel times increase costs. If you are just worried about the amount of the fine, using a solicitor maybe a false economy.