Have I dodged a bullet/been very lucky?
Discussion
LoonR1 said:
CaptainMorgan said:
I had to explain exactly this to my dad last year and pursaded him to go on the SAC he was offered, he has just got 3 points and a £100 fine, IF he hadnt have listened to me, they'd have taken him to 12 and he would have been banned. Lucky for him he is on his last life and has 9 in total (all circa 80mph on DC's he isnt some kinda speed freak loon)
He needs to open his eyes a bit more though, as I drive at 85 a 90 on motorways / NSL DCs and have a clean licence. Spidey sense seems to work well though I'm much more cautious, especially, and ludicrously, in light traffic, since getting done at 85 on an empty motorway standard DC - cop with a tripod mounted laser was off to the side of a bridge and all but invisible until close up. They can speed check you at 1000 metres. Made me realise just how easy it is to get caught. See them a lot on motorways and A roads down South, not so much in the North.
LoonR1 said:
Mobsy said:
Hope you were touching wood and had your fingers crossed behind your back when you typed that.
Yep and threw some salt over my shoulder, avoided any ladders and everything else I can think of. Sooner or later I'm going to get caught, but until then it's happy days. When I do, then I'll accept it in good grace, knowing that I'm still well ahead. 
- *UPDATE****
Someone will be in touch......
I feel it is like being told that we're not going to charge you for murder if you make a guilty plea for man slaughter. I make the full confession and they get the evidence and go ahead and charge me for murder.
Is this a normal procedure? If it is, fair cop......
What was the precise wording on the original letter, where you said it would be dealt with by fixed penalty?
It may (very dependent on wording) be an abuse of process to take you to court if they have offered a fixed penalty and you have accepted that offer. I may be entirely wrong, which is why you should seek expert (as in motoring expert, not just A N Other solicitor) advice on the issue.
It may (very dependent on wording) be an abuse of process to take you to court if they have offered a fixed penalty and you have accepted that offer. I may be entirely wrong, which is why you should seek expert (as in motoring expert, not just A N Other solicitor) advice on the issue.
On the back it says:
1 - I was the driver, what happens now?
You need to complete and sign the top section of the enclosed response sheet and return it to the address at the top of the sheet. After this you will receive a conditional offer of a Fixed Penalty; however you may be eligible for a speed awareness course, see below.
1 - I was the driver, what happens now?
You need to complete and sign the top section of the enclosed response sheet and return it to the address at the top of the sheet. After this you will receive a conditional offer of a Fixed Penalty; however you may be eligible for a speed awareness course, see below.
OdramaSwimLaden said:
***UPDATE****
It seems after being offered 3 points, filling in the paperwork from the "Fixed Penalty Support Unit" and naming myself as the driver, I now don't qualify for 3 points but the speed was outside the threshold.
Someone will be in touch......
I feel it is like being told that we're not going to charge you for murder if you make a guilty plea for man slaughter. I make the full confession and they get the evidence and go ahead and charge me for murder.
Is this a normal procedure? If it is, fair cop...
They don't "offer 3 pts" before knowing who the driver is. After all, the driver may have already been on 9 - or not even have had a licence. All they're doing, up until you get a NIP of your very own to send back, is asking who was driving. When you get a NIP with your name on, they're only asking "Was it you?" and giving you the choice of saying "Nope, it was X", "Yep, bang to rights - here's my licence" or "See you in court!". If you take the "Bang to rights" option, THEN you find out what they'll be offering you.It seems after being offered 3 points, filling in the paperwork from the "Fixed Penalty Support Unit" and naming myself as the driver, I now don't qualify for 3 points but the speed was outside the threshold.
Someone will be in touch......
I feel it is like being told that we're not going to charge you for murder if you make a guilty plea for man slaughter. I make the full confession and they get the evidence and go ahead and charge me for murder.
Is this a normal procedure? If it is, fair cop...
If the speed's too high, or if they don't like the look of your record, they'll not offer you an SAC or FP - they'll just go directly to court.
LoonR1 said:
He needs to open his eyes a bit more though, as I drive at 85 a 90 on motorways / NSL DCs and have a clean licence. Spidey sense seems to work well though
Yup, this is on top of a unmarked car pulling along side and telling him to slow down. He spends every weekend on his motorbike but gets all his points in his diesel Mondeo, silly old sod. As has already been said, slow down a little on motorways guys.
Keep it just under prosecution level (say an indicated 75-77, as all German speedos are 3mph fast), put the cruise control on if you have it and the road is not too busy, switch the digital dash readout to mpg so that you can see how much you are benefitting from your new-found common sense, relax, and arrive fresher, less frustrated, and 90 seconds later than if you had been doing 85.
I have a regular 90 mile commute (A1, A14, M11). I behave as I have advised, and on the two-lane bits watch the 85mph brigade queued up in the fast lane, pushing past the interminable 18-wheeled w
kers, with their right feet welded to the speed limiter, taking several miles to pass each other at 55.9999999mph. 50 miles later I can still see the same Audis, Mercs and BMWs a mere half a mile ahead of me, driving on the back bumper of the car/truck in front, up-tight and frustrated and having gained nothing.
I have tried doing the 85mph trick - I think I did save 90 seconds, which i then wasted telling someone at the office how bad the traffic had been. And the next half an hour calming down enough to do some sensible work.
Keep it just under prosecution level (say an indicated 75-77, as all German speedos are 3mph fast), put the cruise control on if you have it and the road is not too busy, switch the digital dash readout to mpg so that you can see how much you are benefitting from your new-found common sense, relax, and arrive fresher, less frustrated, and 90 seconds later than if you had been doing 85.
I have a regular 90 mile commute (A1, A14, M11). I behave as I have advised, and on the two-lane bits watch the 85mph brigade queued up in the fast lane, pushing past the interminable 18-wheeled w
kers, with their right feet welded to the speed limiter, taking several miles to pass each other at 55.9999999mph. 50 miles later I can still see the same Audis, Mercs and BMWs a mere half a mile ahead of me, driving on the back bumper of the car/truck in front, up-tight and frustrated and having gained nothing. I have tried doing the 85mph trick - I think I did save 90 seconds, which i then wasted telling someone at the office how bad the traffic had been. And the next half an hour calming down enough to do some sensible work.
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