[Closed] 35 in a 30 zone

you can't request it, but they'll probably offer it unless you've already been on one recently.

Yes, and yes only if you are given the choice.

Won't it say on the notice of intended prosecution what your options are?

I got caught doing 38 in a 30 and didn't get an option of a course - just the fine and 3 pts.

Yes it is based on ACPO guidance and it depends upon the region as some areas will have a policy of speed awareness course up to a certain level and then prosecution, others will just give you points and fine.

I got a speed awareness course for doing 34 in a 30. Mate of mine got one for doing 33.

On my course there was a woman doing 38 who got an awareness course & the bloke running the course was very surprised at that.

You can't request a speed awareness course. They can offer you one.

Were you definitely done? 35 on your speedo, or actual? I reckon 35 indicated on a speedo might just be under the threshold, depending on how lucky you are.

i got offered the course for 42 in a 30. i very gratefully took it.

Was it a camera or a car? Unlikey to have been a patrol car as there aren't any nowadays apart from the one going up and down the M6 writing tweets that they've caught lots of naughty motorists.

Has anyone been caught speeding in a 20 zone yet? I try not too speed, but sometimes miss where it switches from a 30 to a 20.

Camera van in a quiet layby in Wales:(

Were you definitely done? 35 on your speedo, or actual? I reckon 35 indicated on a speedo might just be under the threshold, depending on how lucky you are.

Most will read over. By law they cannot read under and usually manufacturers will set tolerance above.

My Civic is pretty much 5mph over actual.

By law they cannot read under

i've heard this a few times but surely if so then it would be an MOT check point.

I had a car with a non-working speedo for at least a couple of MOT's and never got more than an advisory.

Every car speedo I have known reads over, normally about 10%.

You can easily check against GPS on your phone or if your satnav can display speed.

Yes it is based on ACPO guidance

Which is 10%+2 I believe, so at 35 you're right on the edge. You'll probably get the offer of either a course or a Fixed Penalty of a fine (£90?) and three points.

Every car speedo I have known reads over, normally about 10%.

Yup. So your speedo would've been reading around 40 or a shade under in all likelyhood. Consider yourself lucky.

Someone will be riding in shortly on a long-legged equine to tell you that you're no better than a child molester and you deserve what you get. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, or something equally tedious.

Did you see the camera flash? Or did you just see the van and then have a panicky glance at your speedometer?

The vans don't need a flash, that's just the static ones.

I did an awareness course for 40 in a 30.. as others have indicated you won't know until they either offer it or not.

I have heard that 20 limits are legally unenforceable - and no I can't say why, just something my Dad learned from local police (he's Parish Council and the village he lives in have recently had a 20 zone installed)

J

Cougar - Moderator

Every car speedo I have known reads over, normally about 10%.

Yup. So your speedo would've been reading around 40 or a shade under in all likelyhood. Consider yourself lucky.

This is why I asked if it was actual or value on the speedo. If the OP glanced down at his speedo when he saw the camera van & thought "35 - oh, bugger" then he might just get away with it.
Depends if is what actually happened & whether the needle was just above the 35 or just below the 35.... 🙂

OP - you mention it was in Wales - funnily enough, so was mine; in Bala. And so was my mate's who got done for 33 in a 30.

By law they cannot read under
i've heard this a few times but surely if so then it would be an MOT check point.
I had a car with a non-working speedo for at least a couple of MOT's and never got more than an advisory

The reason they don't read under is that that makers don't want to be sued when you get done for speeding.

You don't have to have a speedo, but you might find yourself having your collar felt a lot if you don't have one...

am bo - Member

By law they cannot read under

i've heard this a few times but surely if so then it would be an MOT check point.

I had a car with a non-working speedo for at least a couple of MOT's and never got more than an advisory.

I'm not sure if it's a legal thing, but most manufactures will air on the side of caution with them through fear of being sued if it's shown people are speeding because their car under-reads.

I'm told when they're designing a new car the get the various suppliers in and they might say "okay, you can have this one, it's accurate +/- 2% and costs £30 per car, or you can have this one that's accurate +/- 10% and costs £5 per car".

They'll usually choose the cheaper one - then they'll instruct the makers to ensure that they are set to over-read by 10% so at best they're completely accurate and at worst they over-read by 10%.

There really is no downside for the manufacturer - an over-reading speedo makes their car seem faster than it is, makes it seem more efficient than it is for a given (false) speed and it means services come around sooner (and the mileage is recorded at a faster pace).

They can't be "got" for it, because they will always claim that it's only prudent to make them over-read by 10% based on a device that's accurate +/- 10% to ensure none of their customers are speeding when they don't think they are.

80's Fords were renowned for their ability to travel at fantastic speeds, far in excess of what they were claimed to be able to do - claims of 140mph XR2s weren't uncommon 😉

Every car speedo I have known reads over, normally about 10%.

You can easily check against GPS on your phone or if your satnav can display speed.

Yeah because there is never any error associated with GPS readings...

Whilst a speedometer may not read less and can read more than your actual speed it does not follow that it [I]will[/I] read more than your actual speed.

Purely hypothetically speaking, how long do the letters take to come through the post these days?

[quote=jam bo ]i've heard this a few times but surely if so then it would be an MOT check point.
I had a car with a non-working speedo for at least a couple of MOT's and never got more than an advisory.

All sorts of stuff which are legal requirements which aren't tested at the MOT. It's a legal requirement to have a working speedo (if one was originally fitted) even though it's not an MOT test point, so you were breaking the law - here you go:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/part/II/chapter/F/made

The idea that it will over-read by 10% is also spurious - mine barely over-reads at 30mph, an indicated 35 would be a real (GPS measured) ~34 (also confirmed by roadside speed indicators, where they show 30 at an indicated ~31), and my previous car was similar, so it's a dangerous assumption that an indicated 35 is legal.

[quote=tomhoward ]You don't have to have a speedo

Only if your car was first used before 1937 - or 1984 for some other types of vehicle - see link above.

@ oldnpastit

AIUI a letter has to be served on the registered keeper of the vehicle within 14 days of he alleged offence.

Purely hypothetically speaking, how long do the letters take to come through the post these days?

34 in a 30 here.
Took the course.
Course was actually not too bad.
Plenty of tea & biscuits.
I tried but couldn't quite eat/drink £90's worth.

[img] [/img]

How do you sleep at night 🙁

Bunch of blooming dog lovers

Has anyone been caught speeding in a 20 zone yet? I try not too speed, but sometimes miss where it switches from a 30 to a 20.

Yes. 36 in a 20, papped by a chap with a laser gun, got a talking to for a first offence. Learnt my lesson, don't do it anymore.

Tell`em to shove it ! ...........they should be out battering peedos and thieves

apart from the one going up and down the M6 writing tweets that they've caught lots of naughty motorists.

Who the hell actually gets enough of a break on the M6 to get their speed up high enough to break the law?!?

I don't think I have ever travelled more than a kilometre of the M6 at something approximating 62 (my vehicle's governed speed limit) before finding myself in another flipping tailback. 😡

Sorry. Carry on.

Has anyone been caught speeding in a 20 zone yet?

Yes rich. Not me! But my good mate has (so this isn't a guy in the pub told me his mate...) - specifically on Ladies Mile going across the downs. And he was a couple of miles under 30!

The 20's in Bristol make little sense, so I was wondering if anyone had been caught out yet.

The 20's in Bristol make little sense

They make lots of sense to me. 🙂

I hope they bloody catch you if you go flying through. 😛

They make lots of sense to me.

I hope they bloody catch you if you go flying through.

+1.

Speedo inaccurate, GPS inaccurate. What you need to is check your Strava results, which are by far the most accurate - I'm hoping you were recording? 🙂

 have heard that 20 limits are legally unenforceable - and no I can't say why, just something my Dad learned from local police (he's Parish Council and the village he lives in have recently had a 20 zone installed)

I'd suggest trying it in a few areas over a couple of weeks. Post your findings on here so we can see how you got on 😀 if the sign has a red ring around it then it's enforceable as per the highway code. Black or green rings are advisory I believe but if you hit a child doing over 20 you will be guilty of excessive speed anyway so you may as well obey them i suppose.

Last I heard our advice to the public in Lancs was that we were going through an intitial testing and consultation phase with local authorities before we start to prosecute in a 20.

Yeah because there is never any error associated with GPS readings...

Do you even understand how a GPS works?

Once it has a good signal it will give a very good indication of speed, especially if it's WAAS enabled. Claimed at a 3m positional error 95% of the time.

The FAQ sheet I got with the NIP from Lancashire Constabulary in December states that their prosecution threshold is 10% plus 3mph for all speed limits. So the lowest speed they prosecute for in a 30mph zone is 36mph.

I was stopped in a 20mph zone in Garstang about 2 years ago for doing 26mph. They just "had a word" as they were only just starting to implement it.

OP, I have been told that the speed limit is the limit ... no more extra 5 mph leniency etc ...

You might be lucky to get away if the cops are having a good mood on the day.

OP, I have been told

STOP PRESS!

I got caught doing 35 in a 30 on my way home from work a year or 2 back and managed to talk my way out of it scot free, a colleague got caught doing 36 and was put on the course.

This was a policeman with a radar / laser gun.

bearnecessities - Member

OP, I have been told

STOP PRESS!

...

Do you even understand how a GPS works?
Once it has a good signal it will give a very good indication of speed, especially if it's WAAS enabled. Claimed at a 3m positional error 95% of the time.