37 mph in a 30

[rich325]

Hi, First post after being pointed at a forum. I've just received a NIP for doing 37mph in a 30 limit (40 mph half a mile before and directly after the roundabout). The road is a dual carrageway with barriers either side. The A325 going North into Farnborough for those who live nearby.

Has anyone actually been prosecuted for a speed lower than this? Unfortunately I had no time to react, as i crested the brow of a hill approaching a roundabout, the scameravan was sitting parked on the central reservation. (I assume not legally)

I have to say I am very suprised a such a low limit. My speed rose slightly over the brow of the hill (I drive a BMW 325i) and I'm 3 points and £60 down.

I'll now be watching my speedo like a hawk in 30 mph limits in future - how is that going to make me a safer driver, taking my eyes off the road every few seconds?

[edc]

Doesn't help but my dad got busted for 41 on the same road (he tried to argue he was NHS).

[hedders]

I wonder how long it will be before a scamera van is the cause of a pile up...i guess they will just blame it on excessive speed though.

Maybe someone could volunteer to drive into an illegally parked one at 29mph in a 7.5 tonne truck? That should make them think a bit...

[rich325]

Its probably worth noting that this was also at 11:30am and I had the day off work. I was the only car on that bit of road at the time.

I can understand that there have been a lot of accidents on that bit of road over the last year but I can't believe these accients were mid morning when the road was empty.

These Scameravans just don't seem to take into account the road conditions at the time. It was probably safe to do 40 mph plus at 11:30am but obviously not at 8am when the road is very busy.

I just can't see how they can claim its not money making when its set at such a low speed. I'd love to know what limit the camera was set too? Is there any way to find this out?

>> Edited by rich325 on Thursday 23 October 19:26

[SpudGunner]

Unfortunately mate that area is infamous in the local paper (Star). Loads of people fed up with getting done on a road which has too low a speed limit.

The council have even stuck up signs with some bollox about 25 people getting injured along that stretch of road last year. I think this "statistic" probably includes people who had nose bleeds, slipped over on the pavement or got into a fight at the tumbledown dick pub

[DrSeuss]

rich325 said:

Has anyone actually been prosecuted for a speed lower than this?

Yep. I posted a thread earlier this year about how my dad got done for 35mph in a 30 zone on a deserted road early on a Sunday morning, also by a Talivan. He was given the choice between 3 points & £60 fine, or going on one of those driver education days. He chose the latter, and said it was quite interesting, if a touch patronising at times - plenty of thinkofthechildrenist rhetoric was used, apparently.

[sandman]

I didn't think that you could be done for those speed levels. Isn't there a margin of error in the speed reading that is taken ... and or a margin of error on your spedo??? For example your spedo could be reading 30 but you could actually be travelling at 33/34 mph. That coupled with the fact that the way the reading from the van is taken also has a margin of error would make me serioulsy consider contesting any allegation of 36 or lower in a 30 zone. Anyone know anything about this ... from a legal point of view???

[sps]

sandman said:

I didn't think that you could be done for those speed levels. Isn't there a margin of error in the speed reading that is taken ... and or a margin of error on your spedo??? For example your spedo could be reading 30 but you could actually be travelling at 33/34 mph. That coupled with the fact that the way the reading from the van is taken also has a margin of error would make me serioulsy consider contesting any allegation of 36 or lower in a 30 zone. Anyone know anything about this ... from a legal point of view???

I understand that the general guide line for the Police is 10%- so that would make it 33mph then.
Your speedo becomes less accurate the higher your actual speed.
SPS

[rich325]

I have since spoken to a BiB I know who works in Traffic for Surrey Police. He has said that 10% + 2mph is their guideline, so the min you should be prossecuted for is 36mph. I have also spoken to a few friends who live nearby and they have known people be prosecuted for 34mph by the same van. (The van is controlled by Hampshire Police as its about a mile or so from the county border with Surrey)

So, its seems different forces have different "advisory" values for speed enforcement and the only hard and fast rule is the 10% one.

That van location is also widely known within Hampshire media - shame I live in Surrey really...

The "driver training" does seem a good idea, but I suspect that will again be force specific...

I have now taken to using cruise control in a 30mph limit and setting it to 30. Doubt it will make me safer but will at least protect my licence...

>> Edited by rich325 on Monday 27th October 12:43

[KenP]

rich325 said:

Unfortunately I had no time to react, as i crested the brow of a hill approaching a roundabout, the scameravan was sitting parked on the central reservation. (I assume not legally)

The clue is in your own statement. You were travelling at a speed at which you could not react safely.

[rich325]

KenP said:

The clue is in your own statement. You were travelling at a speed at which you could not react safely.

What do you mean react safely? All I was saying is that the camera was hidden over a hill brow. The road was empty and I could have stopped dead way way before I reached the roundabout and where the van was, had I needed too. It was mid morning on a clear dry dual carrageway, where obviously the road conditions are different to the morning rush hour. At no time could I not have reacted to something at a standstill in front of me and stopped in time. I was aware I was doing around 30mph but in this case my speed had just drifted slightly higher. I know from using a navigation system my speedo does no overead at those speeds.

It seems now a days there is no leway for a natural slight speed variation and change in road conditions. I have since found out that someone was prosecuted for 34mph by that camera. It is easy to accelerate to just above the speed limit before slowing back down gently under engine retardation, and I believe watching your speedo like a hawk will mean you are less likely to spot hazards on the road.

I did not brake when I saw the camera van at all. I was still some way off the roundabout and braked as I normally would for the roundabout.

[gfun]

33mph is the worst I have heard of - Lancs She paid upand accepted the points.

If you have any doubts to the insanity of this consider how closley you would have to watch your speedo to maintain this margin.

You have three choices drive at 25mph which would cause an incident on many of the roads now reduced to 30mph.

Expect a NIP soon.

Drive with your attention locked on the speedo - not the road.

[M3EVO]

Since receiving 3 points and fixed penalty recently from a nasty forward facing flash from a Truvelo (A1M) in Sandy, I have set about travelling at the speed limit on every road. Since returning from holiday, I can say with my hand on my heart that I have not breached one speed limit. Now, I can tell you that my road concentration and anticipation skills have been reduced to the fact that I spend about 25% more time watching my speedometer. In some instances a low speeds I have not been paying attention to the surrounding conditions and have nearly come a cropper.

[tonyrec]

One of my mates was recently 'done' for 37 in a 30 limit.

No ones exempt sadly

[Apache]

good to see you again Tony

[tonyrec]

Cheers mate

I like the new pic of the car!

>> Edited by tonyrec on Tuesday 28th October 16:47

[Apache]

F**k sake you can't leave it alone can you toad

[toad_oftoadhall]

Apache said:

F**k sake you can't leave it alone can you toad

That was good natured and pretty f**king obviously so.

Since it bothers you I've chopped it but it says more about your lack of sense of humour than than anything else...

[Apache]

Ask anyone here about my sense of humour.
I know for certain that our BiB are getting bored to f**k with your repetitive digs at them. Don't forget that these guys have been around here for some time and have seen and heard it all before, even post here to get away from it. You seem like a nice guy with a fair sense of humour yourself so try and use it a bit more sympathetically eh don't want another MC leaving do we

[Gixer]

With speed cameras being torn down and burned all over (and rightly so) and a growing lack of respect for the police I don't think it will be long before a mobile camera van catches someone on the wrong day who then stops and takes his anger out on the camera van/man.