Speeding Specialist Solicitor Wanted... looking for recommendations

[peterws1957]

So from what we can deduce so far, the village he drove through now has blanket ANPR enforced average speed cameras, with several cameras dotted around the village to supposedly catch you driving through the village overspeed, with road types/furniture which wouldn't immediately be clear to be a 30 by deduction. (previously being a 40).

No speed school possible, he did one last year. Our concern is, points wise, if he tries to defend himself, and he gets a difficult magistrate, they could give him maximum 4? points for each offence, leaving him with little leeway on his license. Thank you all for your input so far... i will keep you posted, and will most likely take a look at those suggested above. Thanks!

Ah yes the average speed cameras- getting more common in my neck of the woods. Having said this, drivers got a lot of warnings on the nearest stretch to mine with massive (and I do mean gigantic) warning signs everywhere. Perhaps you dad drove through 3 average cameras speeding, hence the 2 offences? Annoying but personally I don't see him succeeding in appealing, but you never know. The 2 "tickets" do need clarifying though.

 

[Alfie]

So from what we can deduce so far, the village he drove through now has blanket ANPR enforced average speed cameras, with several cameras dotted around the village to supposedly catch you driving through the village overspeed, with road types/furniture which wouldn't immediately be clear to be a 30 by deduction. (previously being a 40).

No speed school possible, he did one last year. Our concern is, points wise, if he tries to defend himself, and he gets a difficult magistrate, they could give him maximum 4? points for each offence, leaving him with little leeway on his license. Thank you all for your input so far... i will keep you posted, and will most likely take a look at those suggested above. Thanks!

More incorrect info sadly.

The maximum penalty for 37 in a 30 is three points not four. Look up the sentencing guidelines on the sentencing council website.

When a driver goes through more than one camera in a relatively short space of time, it is deemed to be one journey. Plus at the time of the alledged ‘second’ offence he is innocent of the first. Therefore ‘totting’ wouldnt apply.

Speed limit (mph) Recorded speed (mph)
20 41 and above 31 – 40 21 - 30
30 51 and above 41 – 50 31 - 40
40 66 and above 56 – 65 41 - 55
50 76 and above 66 – 75 51 - 65
60 91 and above 81 – 90 61 - 80
70 101 and above 91 – 100 71 - 90
Sentencing range Band C fine Band B fine Band A fine
Points/disqualification Disqualify 7 – 56 days Disqualify 7 - 28 days. 3 points
OR 6 points Or 4 - 6 points

Band A fine is 50% of weekly pay, B is full weeks pay and C is 150% of weekly pay. Less 33% for early guilt plea. Add costs of £90 and victim surchage of 10% of fine or £34 whichever is greater up to maximum of £181. Maximum fine for non motorway speeding is £1000, £2,000 on a motorway.

The average cameras measure the average speed between two cameras. They do not measure speed at one single point. A single charge arises from an offence through average cameras.

 

[Alfie]

Also if there are no signs or warnings that the limit has been changed, how are road users supposed to know.

By the spacing of lamp posts. Sadly ignorance is no defence.

 

[peterws1957]

By the spacing of lamp posts. Sadly ignorance is no defence.

If you could rely on the spacing of lamp posts that would be great, but where I live this isn't definitive.

 

[bembo449]

there is also no requirement for any driver holding a full UK license to refresh the highway code once they gain their license which I'm sure would help / prevent a good number of offences

 

[davemercedes]

Nothing is infallible of course, but I wouldn't dream of going outside my home town area without my TomTom satnav - simply because it gives camera warnings (including average speed). If in doubt, when the satnav says that magic word "average" you can always pull over for a couple of minutes if you think it's worth stretching out your time.

I do think there's a real problem because with modern machinery it's so easy for "normal" well behaved drivers (like me ) to unintentionally stray over the limit without even hurrying. The way the number of cameras grew like weeds over the years also encourages the view that the cameras are predominantly money making machines that actually do very little to encourage speed awareness etc

 

[bembo449]

vehicles get faster the roads get slower

 

[LostKiwi]

vehicles get faster the roads get slower

Tell me about it.
In 1989 I could drive from Sheffield to Brent Cross on a Monday morning (arriving 12 noon) in 2 hours. Not a hope in hell of doing that now.

 

[Frontstep]

Nothing is infallible of course, but I wouldn't dream of going outside my home town area without my TomTom satnav - simply because it gives camera warnings (including average speed). If in doubt, when the satnav says that magic word "average" you can always pull over for a couple of minutes if you think it's worth stretching out your time.

I do think there's a real problem because with modern machinery it's so easy for "normal" well behaved drivers (like me ) to unintentionally stray over the limit without even hurrying. The way the number of cameras grew like weeds over the years also encourages the view that the cameras are predominantly money making machines that actually do very little to encourage speed awareness etc

They are all about making money if they were just about safety they would just dish out points.

 

[A.J.]

Tell me about it.
In 1989 I could drive from Sheffield to Brent Cross on a Monday morning (arriving 12 noon) in 2 hours. Not a hope in hell of doing that now.

When I lived in Biggleswade years ago in my early 20's we used to have a bit of a competition between us lads. We used to compete for the fastest time between Biggleswade and Apex Corner in north London, a distance of 35 miles. The fastest time was held by my mate Ian in his 1071cc Mini Cooper 'S' in just under 30 minutes, I think he may have just had the biggest balls because that was not the most powerful cars we had amongst us !!. You couldn't do it these days, it would take you at least an hour

 

[bembo449]

i knew a guy who did amateur rallying with a lada riva of all things but he could get from Scunthorpe steel works to the Stags head at Knaith park and be sat with a pint in his hand , a journey of 20 miles of twisty A and B roads in just 12 minutes , that was in a 1.6 mk3 escort 5 door that was totally standard , that would take 35 mins of normal driving back then , now a days id say a lot more , theres just so much more restriction out there on the roads , more traffic , speed restrictions , camera's etc I find driving a ball ache these days

 

[LostKiwi]

My personal best was Glossop to Crosspool in Sheffield in 18 minutes (for those that know the Snake Pass they will know what that's like).
22 miles at an average of 73mph. It was great fun but at near midnight in February a little scary at times. The car was a MK1 Audi S3.

 

[sonic]

I think you will find he has received two NIP's (notice of intended prosecution). They are required in law to be sent out within 14 days. One he has responded to those accepting he is the driver in both cases a decision will be made.
This is known as a continuing offence & normally is treated as one offence, but depending how far apart the devices are.
Under national policy he should be offered a speed awareness course, assuming he has not already had one.

 

[bembo449]

My personal best was Glossop to Crosspool in Sheffield in 18 minutes (for those that know the Snake Pass they will know what that's like).
22 miles at an average of 73mph. It was great fun but at near midnight in February a little scary at times. The car was a MK1 Audi S3.

that's good going LK , its a cracking road when its quite enough to have some fun

 

[John Laidlaw]

According to a time sensitive postal item I received Saturday I was alleged to have been doing 82 in a 70 between Jct 19 & 20 of the M4 westbound on 31/10/20 in a certain Duracell car....which I traded/sold 21/9/20 and have the DVLA acknowledgement.
Sytner Solihull must have sold it on around that time, so I suspect the new owner started his i8 life a little too enthusiastically
Went on line of course and nominated Sytner so that should be that but what the heck! Don't Avon & Somerset Police have access to the DVLA data base then?

 

[Frontstep]

Puters are great but the human interface often fails.

Hope it goes well for you, sometimes the puter says no repetitively and then you have to beat your way to a human interface device and they are of varying quality.

 

[sl500amgsport]

The guilty party is going to have a lucky break, by the time the "puter" catches up with him it will probably be time barred....

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[A.J.]

According to a time sensitive postal item I received Saturday I was alleged to have been doing 82 in a 70 between Jct 19 & 20 of the M4 westbound on 31/10/20 in a certain Duracell car....which I traded/sold 21/9/20 and have the DVLA acknowledgement.
Sytner Solihull must have sold it on around that time, so I suspect the new owner started his i8 life a little too enthusiastically
Went on line of course and nominated Sytner so that should be that but what the heck! Don't Avon & Somerset Police have access to the DVLA data base then?

I had a similar experience some years ago. A car I had traded in was seen by CCTV travelling in the Bus Lanes in North London. I informed the Police that I had sold the car to Arlington in Bedford and I was not the offender.

Included in my statement was the invoice from Arlington. But that was not the end of it, they would still not have it that I was not the driver and pursued their course of action. I had spoken to Arlington who assured me that they would sort it out.

After about a month of letter writing eventually the letters from the Finchley police stopped. We then received an apology from Arlington accompanied by a Bouquet of flowers and a book of postage stamps !! At least that was something rather than nothing I suppose.

 

[Blobcat]

The guilty party is going to have a lucky break, by the time the "puter" catches up with him it will probably be time barred....

Mercedes SL500 R231

No, as John received the notice on the 7th - 7 days since the alleged offence so within the 14 days.

 

[davemercedes]

I think the driver is legally bound to update his details within X days so he might get a second ticket when it catches up with him. And I'll bet he knew he'd been flashed and was hoping to get away with it...