Safe Speed Forums

I am going to court as I was driving along dual carriageway and supposedly doing 35 in a 30 zone. The camera van was in the central reservation is this legal ? It's usual place was either on one side of carriageway or other ?

Doesn't matter if it is legally parked or not I'm afraid. That one has been tried.

Thanks my speedo read 33 how can I prove that I was doing 33 the van was parked not far inside the 40 sign grateful for any help

33 in a 30 - it's ANYTHING over 30 ,so prove you were doing 33- you've admitted guilt .

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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

Actually a lecturer from safe speed told me the cameras only take anything reading 35 and the limit is 30 but you can get to 34 so 33 is within the limit thanks for the no help

Was only pointing out that the limit is 30 - admit anything more and it's admission of guilt. Locally ,I know of cases where blokes have been done at 35 in a 30 .
I'm not unsympathetic, as you seem to think, but only pointing out the potential problems. But the photo will be your best friend. Even so ,anything over 30 as calculated from the timing marks and it's game over . You will have to prove you were doing less than 30 .At 30.1, you're technically breaking the law . Vans often park in varying places - i've seen a few locally parked using trees as camoflage . Ive seen vans on bridges on sweeping bends .WWW.speedcam.co.uk has a lot of photos of vans parked in dangerous places on DC central reservations etc. The theme seems to be "do not as I do ,but as I tell you",till some HGV takes out one of these vans ,pulling off of a central reservation .

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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

Not sure Botach. But from experience and accounts from people I know and trust, It's unusual/rare for drivers to be done for being just 'a few' mph over and more commonly for experienced drivers to go on a course if It's more + a bit.

I was just trying to allay any fear Insight may or may not have about this situation.

I've even been through fixed speed cameras in a 30 limit at 34mph, (SatNav reading), which haven't triggered; not me at the wheel I hasten to add...

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

33 is 3mph over the limit, I don't know who this lecturer is but he is giving you bad information.

Normally they don't prosecute for less than 10%+2mph over the limit, which is 35, perhaps that is where you are confused.

The speed reading on your speedo is irrelevant, it may be malfunctioning or could be giving an incorrect reading due to the wrong size tyres.

You will need to prove you were doing less than 30 anyway. Or you will have to prove you were outside the 30 zone. Turning up in court and saying you were doing 33 will only make you look like a pr1ck.

Pepipoo is a much better site for you to go if you want advice on fighting this. So far though you are making a very poor case for yourself. And if you can't take a bit of criticism from people on an internet forum I don't hold up much hope for you when you start being questioned under oath.

Getting the photos would be a start, that should show if you were inside the 30 limit. Just inside doesn't count for anything, you are supposed to slow down before you get to the signs, not after.

Don't get us wrong, we are on your side but you have to be realistic.

From what you've wrote it sounds like you already had a speed awareness course so this time it's 3 points and £60 or a difficult fight, and a bigger fine plus court costs if you lose. It's your decision.

You are confusing prosecution guidelines and the word of the law.

The word of the law is that 30.00001 is speeding, getting prosecuted for less than 35 is almost non existent, so much so that I would say it never happens. Going to court and saying I was only speeding a little bit cuts as much ice as saying you only robbed a little bit.

It was at safe speed when the guy running a class told me . He said I could quote him.He should know. I told him of my predicament he sai cameras register only on 35 he said if I was doing 33 on my speedo then the camera wouldn't have registered it. So maybe my speedo is wrong 2 yr old car never had prob anywhere else only on this dual carriageway. I came on here to learn so I have.constructive critisism is always welcome thanks for the pointers.

By law, speedos must ALWAYS over-read (i.e. they must always indicate a speed that is higher than the actual speed you're doing). If you've got the correct wheels and tyres on your car, and it's a mass-produced car (rather than a kit car or an import), it can over-read by up to 10%+2.5MPH. IF you have a sat-nav, you can always check it against that. Their GPS-based speed indications are nearly always more accurate than a car speedo.

Thanks for that info. Will test it .

I wasn't passing judgement ,just trying to point out the problem .I know it's rare ( if not unknown ) for a prosecution at say up to 33 ,but even at that the law has been brokemn .

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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

The law (I thought it was by 10%+6.25mph) only applies to the design, not to being on the road. AFAIK, for cars the speedometer only has to be "functioning" to be legal once the car has left the factory there is no set rule for how accurate it has to be.

Top and bottom of it is that your say so that you were driving at 33mph is no use in your defence. And quoting this safe speed lecturer (not connected with this site I'm guessing) won't help either.

Having a dodgy speedo isn't going to get you off either. What matters is your actual speed, not what your speedo says. Although the court might take it into account when it comes to how big the fine is going to be.

Are you actually going to court? Because it would be unusual for 35 in a 30, unless you already have 9 or more points.

Ah, from what you say in the other thread you chose to go to court.

The 6.25MPH is only applied in the Single Vehicle Approval (now "Individual" Vehicle Approval) test - usually for kit cars and imports. Mass-produced cars with "EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval" only get 2.5MPH offset. It's true that the type approval requirements cease to apply at the point of registration, but I think (would have to look it up) that the Construction and Use Regs say something like the speedo having to be maintained in "efficient" working order. I've no idea what a court would take that to mean, but I don't think it would be reasonable to expect a degree of accuracy? So, assuming no deliberate modification, the car manufacturer still has something of a problem. All that would happen is that the type approval authority would (if made aware of the problem) probably decide to do a "Conformity of Production" spot check on a vehicle coming off the line (unregistered) - whereupon, the game would be up! I've certainly know that happen once.

insight
Ask for the film of the entire session. They will likely buck at that, but insist and they ought to at least provide you with your session. From that we can estimate the speed you were doing. It is possible to then work out what speed you were doing with a fair accuracy.
If a speed camera is not set up (aligned with the laser) properly, or if it has not been rigorously checked and certified then errors can happen. You have a right to see the certificates too. The one prior to the alleged speed offence and the one after it.

If you have the exact (Google street) locations links, and can post them here or to me by Private Message, or by email then we can see where the signs and other road furnishings are ... as they might get a laser reflecting off these BUT it is hard to prove in Court and can take £1000's to do so...
Camera Slip can happen too but seeing the video of the session can help show this - and hence too why they are reluctant to allow you to see it.
Sometimes videos that are supplied can be deliberately sent with 'limited frame' rates so you have not received all the images...
(Please note I am not a Lawyer and advise that you always seek proper legal advice.)
Who? Sounds like they are talking about a Gatso Camera not a mobile camera? The ACPO guidelines are that you are 'allowed' 10% +2mph.
Whoever told you that is confused. A policeman can ALWAYS book you for any single mph over any limit for 'going over the speed limit'. An automated enforcement speed camera whether Gasto, mobile unit etc etc is only ever meant to book people when they are over the 10% +2mph, so in a 30mph you would be given up to 34mph and 35mph will be potentially bookable.
People are increasingly being persuaded now, to go on a Speed Awareness Course when they were travelling at 33/34mph which is disgraceful.
Unless you are from the US of course ?
I take it you mean on a Speed Awareness Course?

Sadly I have been on air with a presenter that was 'done' for 34mph and she went on a course. I have had others too who have also been done for 33 and 34 .. it is happening which is going against their own guidelines.

'at safe speed' means what exactly please ? I run Safe Speed so what do you mean by this? Surely the Speed Awareness Courses are now not trying to pass off as Safe Speed are they ?
Of course he can be wrong !

Totally agree Homer that a) Safe Speed has NO lecturers and b) admitting to going over the posted limit will likely see you in Court and gaining 3points and £60 or £75 depending on the £15 'Victim Fund' ! Admitting it in a SAC (Speed Awareness Course) will not see you back in Court as they are not usually Police who run it and their whole purpose is to earn money and feed out a lot of information about how 'speed' by itself is 'dangerous'. Some courses probably do give out some sensible advice too but much is based on speed related and little else.

A car reading over is highly unusual and as suggest check the tyres and so forth.

Was this on an uphill / downhill by any chance?

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