Totting up ban looming...

[Jamster123]

photosnob said:

Depends if you can stop speeding and using your phone. I'm not on zero points, have been done for lots of speeding and stuff in the past. Now I just drive slower and don't use my phone. Better to to drive for 6 months and change your ways than repeat this cycle forever.

Thats the thing, Ive clearly not been able to change my ways. Not being able to drive will kill me, but I think its only way Im going to learn.

[TooMany2cvs]

Jamster123 said:

Im taking 100-150 business calls/texts/emails a day so thats the problem right there. I should have an receptionist, Its my company, so Im alway eager to answer these enquiries, and Im always on the road. Got hands free etc etc, but actually the few times Ive been caught on phone its been just holding phone by side, rather than up at ear, but as the copper says holding the phone is holding the phone.

The ban will be the only way Ill learn I guess. Exceptional hardship plea was based on my business being my livelihood and the potential job losses at my company, but I guess employing a driver we can get by.

If you can afford to employ a driver, you can afford to delegate all the st you're trying to do at the same time as drive.

"Yes, yerhonner, I should keep my licence because I'm a micro-managing control-freak who can't take a hint"

[Roo]

12 points, 6 pending and then got another 3?

Get a chauffeur and a receptionist.

[Jamster123]

Roo said:

12 points, 6 pending and then got another 3?

Get a chauffeur and a receptionist.

12 points, then another 3 and another 3 .

[EmmaJ]

I can just picture the patrol car waiting outside the OP's house and the Officer behind the wheel rubbing his hands together with glee when he sees the OP get in and starting up his car


However, being serious for a minute, Please OP for the love of whatever you hold dear, do us all a favour and change your ways before you do serious damage to something other than your license or wallet

[EmmaJ]

Jamster123 said:

12 points, then another 3 and another 3 .

Just a thought but will one or both of your new offences be covered by a speed / mobile phone awareness course?

Or have you already done those in the last 3 years?

[Jamster123]

EmmaJ said:

Just a thought but will one or both of your new offences be covered by a speed / mobile phone awareness course?

Or have you already done those in the last 3 years?

Nope not done the courses?

I have a solicitor who wants to deal with everything but bloody expensive, could I represent myself?

[Cooperman]

Surely if running your own business with that level of calls, emails and texts, the solution is to employ a chauffeur to do the driving whilst you sit in the back and work on improving the company profits. That way you won't be risking your licence when you get it back and being banned won't be a big issue.
The stress of constantly being on the phone whilst driving will eventually lead to a serious loss of concentration which could cost you more than a missed deal or contract.

[EmmaJ]

Jamster123 said:

EmmaJ said:

Just a thought but will one or both of your new offences be covered by a speed / mobile phone awareness course?

Or have you already done those in the last 3 years?

Nope not done the courses?

I have a solicitor who wants to deal with everything but bloody expensive, could I represent myself?

It depends on what the offences are for and for speeding you can only be slightly over the limit otherwise you won't qualify.

Also depends on the area where you were caught, some regions don't offer courses at all.

Certainly something to investigate before you commit yourself to pleading guilty and offering mitigation

[dacouch]

EmmaJ said:

I can just picture the patrol car waiting outside the OP's house and the Officer behind the wheel rubbing his hands together with glee when he sees the OP get in and starting up his car


However, being serious for a minute, Please OP for the love of whatever you hold dear, do us all a favour and change your ways before you do serious damage to something other than your license or wallet

Policeman 1 "I bet you £10 I can get him for using a phone while driving in the next ten minutes"

Policeman 2 "I'll take that bet"

Policeman 1 proceeds to dial Jamsters mobile number and when it's answered says "Pull over, you're nicked son"

[Jamster123]

Cooperman said:

Surely if running your own business with that level of calls, emails and texts, the solution is to employ a chauffeur to do the driving whilst you sit in the back and work on improving the company profits. That way you won't be risking your licence when you get it back and being banned won't be a big issue.
The stress of constantly being on the phone whilst driving will eventually lead to a serious loss of concentration which could cost you more than a missed deal or contract.

Yeah it is a real problem to be honest, loss of concentration as you say. I need to visit all clients to quote. Im doing usually 5-8 visits a day, plus project managing etc too.

[Jamster123]

EmmaJ said:

It depends on what the offences are for and for speeding you can only be slightly over the limit otherwise you won't qualify.

Also depends on the area where you were caught, some regions don't offer courses at all.

Certainly something to investigate before you commit yourself to pleading guilty and offering mitigation

How would I go about that!?

[Jamster123]

dacouch said:

Policeman 1 "I bet you £10 I can get him for using a phone while driving in the next ten minutes"

Policeman 2 "I'll take that bet"

Policeman 1 proceeds to dial Jamsters mobile number and when it's answered says "Pull over, you're nicked son"

....Its texting thats the big problem actually. Ive been taking calls on handsfree for some time now, I think its rare to see anyone with phone to ear now, but I ALWAYS clock people looking down to text, which is where Ive been caught too

[EmmaJ]

Jamster123 said:

EmmaJ said:

It depends on what the offences are for and for speeding you can only be slightly over the limit otherwise you won't qualify.

Also depends on the area where you were caught, some regions don't offer courses at all.

Certainly something to investigate before you commit yourself to pleading guilty and offering mitigation

How would I go about that!?

It's been years since I did my speed awareness course. But....

I think it went something like:

Nip arrives
Complete a section 172 identifying the driver
summons arrives and if applicable the option of an awareness course is in with that

But bear in mind this is from memory and it's a while ago. Details of my offence caught doing 35 in a 30 in Berkshire.

HTH

[Cooperman]

IMHO texting whilst driving should be classed the same as drink-driving. i.e, an automatic 12 month minimum ban for 1st offence with a 3-year ban for a second offence. No excuses at all. Sorry to be so blunt, but innocent people have been killed by texting drivers.

[BertBert]

EmmaJ said:

It depends on what the offences are for and for speeding you can only be slightly over the limit otherwise you won't qualify.

Also depends on the area where you were caught, some regions don't offer courses at all.

Certainly something to investigate before you commit yourself to pleading guilty and offering mitigation

Emma, with due respect, I think the OP is past courses.

[dacouch]

Jamster123 said:

....Its texting thats the big problem actually. Ive been taking calls on handsfree for some time now, I think its rare to see anyone with phone to ear now, but I ALWAYS clock people looking down to text, which is where Ive been caught too

I see dozens of people a day driving while on the phone

[BertBert]

Jamster123 said:

....Its texting thats the big problem actually. Ive been taking calls on handsfree for some time now, I think its rare to see anyone with phone to ear now, but I ALWAYS clock people looking down to text, which is where Ive been caught too

So with due respect and actually trying to be helpful. You have demonstrated a woeful lack of simple common sense (that even my children have) with regard to your driving habits. You are now demonstrating a woeful lack of common sense in thinking you can vaguely describe your circumstances to a bunch of internet knobs and get some reliable advice.

So the simple answer, Mr super important I have to be on my phone all the time company owner, get some proper paid for legal advice. You can call them from the car without any problem. Just don't text them.

Really, get professional advice. Then get a grip on Mr Real World and stop getting points. How hard is that?

Bert

[EmmaJ]

BertBert said:

Emma, with due respect, I think the OP is past courses.

Yup, I agree to an extent but then I look back to when I was younger and remember getting up to 14 points all due to speeding.

If I can change my ways (or at least have got better at picking my moments when to speed ) then the OP should be afforded one last chance . Hopefully a course may have a more lasting impact, because clearly points don't seem to work

[ging84]

the numbers on this are somewhat confusing me

I am surprised this thread make it to 2 pages with barely a single preachy post

But i really struggle to understand how anyone gets 18 points these days, especially if the are all from 3 point offences
My experience being a young driver who liked to break the law, was that i could get away with a warning, 80-90% of the times i was pulled over, so that equates to being caught up to 60 times to get 6 tickets, ok cop cars have a lot more cameras, and driver awareness course options might mean they are a little more ticket happy these days, but with the levels of policing now i very rarely see a police car and that's not because i'm not good at spotting them, ok i don't do a huge mileage, but i reckon if i kept a reasonably sharp eye out for police and speed cameras, I could more or less ignore all speed limits, and use my phone when ever i want (ok i don't get a lot of calls) and still struggle to get 12 points in 3 years.