The wife and speeding
Discussion
I'll keep it short.
Wife called me on Tuesday to say she has to take our 20month old into A+E as she somehow managed to drink a bottle of Anbesol...... (I was away overnight with work)
Anyway she was nipping on to A and E as she was in full panic mode even tho I told her to take it easy and passed the speed camera van doing 65mph in a 50mph, she dead sure she was caught as she was the only car on the road on the dual carriageway. She did the usual of slowing down as soon as she has seen it.
Anyway what's she looking at for it, never been caught speeding or had points before, been driving since she was 17 now 32?
Wife called me on Tuesday to say she has to take our 20month old into A+E as she somehow managed to drink a bottle of Anbesol...... (I was away overnight with work)
Anyway she was nipping on to A and E as she was in full panic mode even tho I told her to take it easy and passed the speed camera van doing 65mph in a 50mph, she dead sure she was caught as she was the only car on the road on the dual carriageway. She did the usual of slowing down as soon as she has seen it.
Anyway what's she looking at for it, never been caught speeding or had points before, been driving since she was 17 now 32?
Assuming it happened in England or Wales she should get offered a SAC up to 64mph. "First offence" and "no points" don't come into the decsiion. The only criterion is not having done a SAC in the previous 3 years, so even if on 9 points you can still get a SAC if the speed is within the band for a course.
From 65 - 75 it's a fixed penalty of 3 points and £100.
From 65 - 75 it's a fixed penalty of 3 points and £100.
You will soon find out if the speed she says she was doing is correct. In my experience the fairer gender under-report their speed :-|
Hopefully 3 points worst case though. But if she's in an emergency rush I think she might be let off? Could you provide a letter or document from the hospital? Or GPS data showing she was headed there? Probably need to reject any possible FPN and go to court for that though.
Hopefully 3 points worst case though. But if she's in an emergency rush I think she might be let off? Could you provide a letter or document from the hospital? Or GPS data showing she was headed there? Probably need to reject any possible FPN and go to court for that though.
IJWS15 said:
If it was that urgent why didn't she call an ambulance?
Sometimes it’s the right decision. My wife had a serious asthma attack about 20 years ago, where we lived, it was faster just driving straight to A&E. I got there in less time than it would take an a but get the Ambo to us. That’s before some of the horrendous delays being reported currently.Edited by normalbloke on Thursday 10th February 14:53
IJWS15 said:
If it was that urgent why didn't she call an ambulance?
When we call an ambulance here, we are told its quicker if we drive to A&E as the ambulance has a 40 mile round trip compared with a 20 mile trip for us.Exactly that happened when my 3 year old son severed the tendons in all of his fingers on his right hand. Probably the fastest I have ever driven on public roads with a passenger.
normalbloke said:
IJWS15 said:
If it was that urgent why didn't she call an ambulance?
Sometimes it’s the right decision. My wife had a serious asthma attack about 20 years ago, where we lived, it was faster just driving straight to A&E. I got there in less time than it would take an a but get the Ambo to us. That’s before some of the horrendous delays being reported currently.I would certainly ask whether I could be let off if there were mitigating factors, its like edging over a stop line on traffic lights or into a bus lane to let an ambulance past.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 10th February 14:06
If it was me, I'd sit tight and if it comes through and it's 3 points, fixed penalty I'd take it. Obviously if the licence was well decorated already that may make you feel more differently.
If it was going to court anyway I'd get proper advice with a view to defending it based on mitigating circumstances.
That's the big shame about camera enforcement as there's no discretion at the time. I once got followed by a police car when I was doing a similar speed in a lower limit, just before turning into A&E. They leapt out when I stopped but clocking the situation they helped get the ill person into the hospital, parked my car and brought the keys in for me.
If it was going to court anyway I'd get proper advice with a view to defending it based on mitigating circumstances.
That's the big shame about camera enforcement as there's no discretion at the time. I once got followed by a police car when I was doing a similar speed in a lower limit, just before turning into A&E. They leapt out when I stopped but clocking the situation they helped get the ill person into the hospital, parked my car and brought the keys in for me.
Speed cameras. Just love them.
Genuine story: when younger I was keeping an eye on my elderly grandmother for a week while my folks were away. Grandmother lived perhaps 15 minutes drive away.
I called her one morning to make sure that she was OK (as was the routine) and there was no answer. I called her again 5 minutes later. No answer.
Seriously worried, I drove over to see if she was OK. Speed? Damned sight more than 65 in a 50, and I was pulled by a copper.
I was polite and explained the situation. In retrospect, I was probably quite panic-y. Kind lady copper picked up on this and escorted me to see my grandmother, stood around while I knocked on the door and resorted to opening it with a spare key, and called for an ambulance when we found my grandmother had had a fall and was on the floor. I seem to recall aforementioned lady copper following us to the hospital as well.
No fine, no points, no SAC. When? 1992 or possibly 1993. How times have changed.
Genuine story: when younger I was keeping an eye on my elderly grandmother for a week while my folks were away. Grandmother lived perhaps 15 minutes drive away.
I called her one morning to make sure that she was OK (as was the routine) and there was no answer. I called her again 5 minutes later. No answer.
Seriously worried, I drove over to see if she was OK. Speed? Damned sight more than 65 in a 50, and I was pulled by a copper.
I was polite and explained the situation. In retrospect, I was probably quite panic-y. Kind lady copper picked up on this and escorted me to see my grandmother, stood around while I knocked on the door and resorted to opening it with a spare key, and called for an ambulance when we found my grandmother had had a fall and was on the floor. I seem to recall aforementioned lady copper following us to the hospital as well.
No fine, no points, no SAC. When? 1992 or possibly 1993. How times have changed.
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