More, to contest or not to contest
Discussion
Dear Pistonheaders,
a Colleague of mine was pulled over and given 3 points and a fine yesterday travelling up the M40 on route from sunny Berkshire to Liverpool.
His official speed was 81mph. Is this worthy of contesting? He feels other cars were flying past him and that his speedo was only hovering around the 75 mark.
He also feels targeted for driving a new Black BMW saloon......
a Colleague of mine was pulled over and given 3 points and a fine yesterday travelling up the M40 on route from sunny Berkshire to Liverpool.
His official speed was 81mph. Is this worthy of contesting? He feels other cars were flying past him and that his speedo was only hovering around the 75 mark.
He also feels targeted for driving a new Black BMW saloon......
Street - you cant disagre that it's a bit unusual to be stopped at 81mph on the motorway...?!
er...without being funny...driving a black BMW just makes you look like 7000 other motorists. Its a ncie car, but hardly 'plod magnet'
Are you sure he wasnt stopped because he was driving badly, and the 81mph was the nicest ticket he could be given? (not wanting to be insulting but this is pretty unusual!)
er...without being funny...driving a black BMW just makes you look like 7000 other motorists. Its a ncie car, but hardly 'plod magnet'
Are you sure he wasnt stopped because he was driving badly, and the 81mph was the nicest ticket he could be given? (not wanting to be insulting but this is pretty unusual!)
Well he claims he was sitting around the 75 mark in Lane 1, moved out into Lane 2 to overtake a lorry and speed up to 80 (81 claim the police) after pulling back in he was pulled over.....
Sounds like normal / fairly relaxed motorway driving to me...
75,,, overtake,, creep up to 80,, fall back to 75..... and on the M40 which in my experience is a nice, fast flowing motorway.
Sounds like normal / fairly relaxed motorway driving to me...
75,,, overtake,, creep up to 80,, fall back to 75..... and on the M40 which in my experience is a nice, fast flowing motorway.
chris_freebie said:
Well he claims he was sitting around the 75 mark in Lane 1, moved out into Lane 2 to overtake a lorry and speed up to 80 (81 claim the police) after pulling back in he was pulled over.....
Sounds like normal / fairly relaxed motorway driving to me...
75,,, overtake,, creep up to 80,, fall back to 75..... and on the M40 which in my experience is a nice, fast flowing motorway.
I agree with you..(especially on the M40..
) However, if he's been clocked at 81mph, the offence is absolute and no matter how many..it's not fairs won't change the decision of the magistrate.
It's just a fact of life.
Street
Yes sad but true. Once it was said in Court "I wasn't doing 85 it was only 79" (motorway) as though that made a difference. Instant confession, guilty. Admitting to 71mph in a 70 is enough. (Edited to add: to magistrates in Court, I doubt very much anybody except Brunstrom would ticket you for 71)
>> Edited by turbobloke on Tuesday 24th August 14:21
>> Edited by turbobloke on Tuesday 24th August 14:21
If this is accurate then I have absolutely zero respect for the trafpol who made this decision.
I know Im normally one of the first to jump to the defence of the laws actions but this is just contemptable.....especailly considering the average speed on the M40!!
however...you def cant contest it!
I know Im normally one of the first to jump to the defence of the laws actions but this is just contemptable.....especailly considering the average speed on the M40!!
however...you def cant contest it!
Was this a marked car?? If so they probably thought he was taking the piss (And with some justification IMHO).
If they were following him then presumably they used VASCAR, which (I thought) needs to run over a certain distance, suggesting he may be telling small porkies about the extent of the "drifting over the limit."
If they were following him then presumably they used VASCAR, which (I thought) needs to run over a certain distance, suggesting he may be telling small porkies about the extent of the "drifting over the limit."
chris_freebie said:
I think they should concerntrate on the people talking on phones / weaving around, driving with one hand on the wheel / one hand on the bacon sandwich.
I would bet money he could have done 90 past them in a ford focus and they wouldn't have battered an eyelid.
Mobile phone users are dealt with. I personally ticketed 4 such miscreant today alone...
As for the bacon sandwich brigage, the offence of 'not being in proper control of vehicle' is used and also is enforced. However, the driver then usually contacts The Sun or The Star and the headline "POLICE STOP DRIVER FOR EATING KIT-KAT, WHILE 89yr old ETHEL WHITTAKER IS MUGGED LESS THAN 5 MILE AWAY FOR HER PENSION"
The type of car business doesn't really come into it. Well it doesn't with me and none of my colleagues. The type of driver, does come into the equation and how they react to being stopped. Often the actual action of being stopped by the police delivers the safety message without the need for pen touching paper.
Street
The sun makes me laugh
One week they have headlines
"SPEED CAMERAS GO OFF AT 35MPH in 30 ZONES" making you a criminal this is terrible
then the next week
"SPEEED CAMERAS DONT GO OFF AT 32" meaning criminals are getting away with speeding, gee make up your mind.
So when you see me hovering along doing 85 with my eyes clearly observing the road all round.... both hands clearly on the wheel.... would you pull me over on the M40 (ensuring I return to lane 1, and onlly moving to lane 2 then 3 when overtaking carrying out correct signalling at all times)
One week they have headlines
"SPEED CAMERAS GO OFF AT 35MPH in 30 ZONES" making you a criminal this is terrible
then the next week
"SPEEED CAMERAS DONT GO OFF AT 32" meaning criminals are getting away with speeding, gee make up your mind.
So when you see me hovering along doing 85 with my eyes clearly observing the road all round.... both hands clearly on the wheel.... would you pull me over on the M40 (ensuring I return to lane 1, and onlly moving to lane 2 then 3 when overtaking carrying out correct signalling at all times)
chris_freebie said:
So when you see me hovering along doing 85 with my eyes clearly observing the road all round.... both hands clearly on the wheel.... would you pull me over on the M40 (ensuring I return to lane 1, and onlly moving to lane 2 then 3 when overtaking carrying out correct signalling at all times)
Does the answer matter? You broke the speed limit, you broke the law! Doesn't matter how carefully you did it.
chris_freebie said:
His official speed was 81mph. Is this worthy of contesting? He feels other cars were flying past him and that his speedo was only hovering around the 75 mark.
I'd complain to BMW. Normally speedo overread at motorway speeds! The quality of German engineering really is on a downward spiral. Tut Tut
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