Safe Speed Forums

I've been done twice in 5 days by a mobile van parked outside the George Hotel in Kilsby, Northants.

I was aware that the van was there and looked at my speedometer to check I was doing 30. The NIP states that I was doing 37 and 39 which I am absolutely adamant must be false. I know many others that are in a similar situation.

Is it possible that there was a problem with the police equipment? or is there anything else I can do. I'm in danger of getting 12 points which will be catastrophic.

I live in the village and am fed up with the fact that there is no control on people speeding through the actual village where kids are about and yet this camera is placed on a site where no-one ever crosses the road just before a roundabout. The NIP states that this is not about revenue generation. I'm so frustrated and wish the police had better things to do than hide in vans.

That’s the problem with enforcement by post. Police have a habit of tugging/reprimanding and if in a good mood, letting you off thus greatly reducing the chance of being done a second time.


It’s not impossible that your speedo has developed a fault, you should get it checked; however, I doubt you could use it as a defence.


Assuming you were done by an LTI (laser): this would beg the question: is the unit out of calibration? (and I don’t mean the self-calibration). Calibration is checked yearly.


Slip and misalignment are the classic flaws. I’ve given some useful links here:
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/forum/viewt ... light=slip


You won’t get 12 points (unless you already have 6 valid points)


You may also want to speak with the guys at PePiPoo

Thanks for taking the time to reply and attaching the links re slippage.

I suppose it might be worth getting someone in a different car with a video recorder aimed on their speedo to drive backwards and forwards past the cowards in the van at 28 MPH all day to see how many tickets they can get.

I really feel like emmigrating!

I'd guess that you could tell if you were doing 39 rather than 29, it's quite a noticeable difference. Having said that, if the equipment is out, most drivers on the road would be caught, it used to be pretty fast, though it has slowed down a bit recently.

Were you going down the hill towards the Kilsby Tunnel or up to the roundabout?

It is an interesting piece of road if you have come from Long Buckby on the A5 (being but half a mile of 30), but from Kilsby itself you've either come out of the village, or from Daventry which goes past (the site of) a flashing warning sign. If you come from the A5 North, then you are going uphill and it is quite easy to scrub off speed.

I am aware of a case where someone got a certicate to say his company van had a low reading speedometer and the magistrate let him off.

feel like emigrating, good bye!! try Kenya no limits you can drive like a rally driver all day, but please get some-one to drive you to the airport its safer all round.

Ps 6 more points and you need a bus pass

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Why not put on speed limiters we have the technology only idiots break the speed limit

I wrote it out in BIG letters so you can understand.
Don't you read posts before replying to them with your drivel?

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

I was caught by the same van on April 1st. I'm fairly adamant though that the time they put on the photo was wrong because it said 12.59 and I know I heard the 1 oc clock news on radio 2 whilst still on the the M1. The earliest I could have been at the spot was about 1.20. Do you think your timing was accurate?

I WAS DOING 30 , yes all right tell it to the magestrate.

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Why not put on speed limiters we have the technology only idiots break the speed limit

Is that what you said, tsm, when:

No I used my membership of the Freemasons.

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Why not put on speed limiters we have the technology only idiots break the speed limit

Are you on this site solely to be offensive? Far be it from me to define what these forums are here for, but I'm pretty sure this one is for people to post asking advice, not to have some petty-minded holier-than-thou little kno-nuthin sniping at them from the sidelines.

I am presuming this is an LTI 20.20, which they use in their mobile vans. Ask the Northants police for copies of the videos under the data protection act, see my posting at

http://www.safespeed.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7244

If you accept you were the driver then they are now required to provide this without you having to take the matter to court.

If they refuse, claim exemption and you don't get that then please let me know, as the ICO would like to hear about that.

If you believe you were not speeding and you get the video then let me know to see if it is possible to determine what your speed actually was from the video. With luck it may be possible to prove the LTI 20 wasn't working correctly.

Understand it will take a lot of resolve, time and effort to fight the case through the courts and even then you may still lose, but then how much is it worth to try to keep your license.

Ignore (TSM) the stupid minority, who is talking through his @rse.

I just received a NIP letter today after being caught by an LT 20:20 at Kilsby opposite the George Hotel. Apparently I was doing 36 mph in a 30 zone. Sounds like the same swines in a van on a hot dry and sunny Sunday afternoon.

I'm a careful driver and have never been done for speeding before. I'm interested to know if Alex managed to overturn his tickets and what advice this group might give me to challenge this NIP. I'm obviously keen to keep my licence clean.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Cheesy

First ask for photos of the event so you can check if it is your vehicle and is not a case of mistaken identity. You need them to send you copies so you can get advice from your solicitor.

If you then accept you were the driver then before deciding whether to go to court ask for a copy of the video under the Data Protection Act. If they refuse, or claim exemption then refer back, since the police are required to provide the video in such circumstances.

Also visit www.pepipoo.com for advice on how to fight you case.

Cheesy - were they on the grass --and which way were you going - interested as i use that road on occasions - sometimes going from Rugby via A5, other times via Barby and Kilsby -

Anone else using A5 north of there - a van ( could be Northants or Warks ) likes to sit in the laybyes on the straight near the Truckstop ---usually not far from the BT entrances to the radio station.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

For Botach - I was heading north from Milton Keynes avoiding some nasty congestion around Northampton on the M1.

Accepting that it was my car I am now sending a PACE witness statement right at the end of their 28 day limit. If they send me a summons I will then ask for a copy of the video/evidence.

Some people have told me that it might be easier just to take the 3 points and £60 hit as I dont have any endorsements on my license. However I'm going to stand up to them and see what happens, worst case is I end up paying £120 (I think). Thanks for your replies so far - sorry it took so long to reply back. Heavily pregnant wife is taking my priority currently.

Thanks

Cheesy

Ok, after sending in my PACE witness statement I have now received a conditional offer of a fixed penalty. That being £60 and 3 points of course.

My question is 'what now?' The letter says that there is photographic evidence (LTI 20:20), and that I have 28 days to reply. Do I ask for the evidence? Do I leave it? Do I ask for a court appearance? OR (shock horror) do I accept the small fine and the 3 points on my otherwise clean license. The latter option is not ideal but it might be the course of least resistance, which is of course why they offer it.

Any advice on this second stage is appreciated.

Regards - Cheesy

Update: Having not responded to the COFP I was sent another letter on the 8th Sept (68 days after the alleged offence) offering me another 7 days to pay up. They are certainly being prompt, but is this another bluff? It doesnt look like it will time out at this stage, so a summons seems likely.

Any thoughts?

You must ask for a copy of each video.

You can do this before you go to court under the Data Protection Act and I got a ruling against the Northants police from the Information Commissioner's Office that they must provide the video when asked for them. See my other postings in this section about this matter.

If you get the videos it could be possible to check the validity of the speed allegation, or it could show the equipment was not being used properly.

Otherwise you can ask for the videos under the disclosure rule once you go to court. See Pepipoo.