Should I expect a NIP?
Should I expect a NIP?
Author
Discussion

fidgits

Original Poster:

17,202 posts

259 months

Saturday 23rd September 2006
quotequote all
Okay, I was hoping for some help from the PH experts here. In a nutshell I was wondering whether to expect a NIP or not - I was on the M4 this morning, clear, dry day, light traffic - cruising at 70mph on the inside lane.

on a downhill section I notice a camera van on the bridge.

My first question is - he was over the opposite carridgeway, but on my side of the bridge (if that makes sense), now he had a clear view in both directions - so is there any way to tell who he was targetting by his location?

Secondly, i didnt panic, as i didnt think i was speeding - but when i looked down i was at about 80 (due to the hill i suspect), I hit the brakes, but by then he would've got a good reading if he targetted me.

Now, I've only had the car a couple of weeks - but im reliably told the speedo reads 5mph over at 70 - so my 'actual' speed would have been about 75mph..

I know the police used to use 10% + 2mph (or something) as a guide for prosecution - but I have no idea what the safety camera people are like.

Should I expect a NIP in the post? or could i have been lucky?

And if i do get one - is it a case of I should take it on the chin - or would I have a chance of arguing the point?

DucatiGary

7,765 posts

255 months

Saturday 23rd September 2006
quotequote all
you own a 911, so you shouldnt expect any help or sympathy from others on here, sorry to break it to you but I found this out the hard way, 5 points and 535 pound fine for overtaking a vehicle doing 40mph in a 60 saftley, good visibility etc, wide road, overtook on a straight, I fought it in court as advised and from the start the car was mentioned MORE than the offence (which was speeding FYI)

the prosecution started the proceedings "Mr Jones (me) was driving a porsche 911 over the speed limit" then sat down. . . . . .

W T F

the first thing I said was if this would be different if I was driving a mini metro ? and I think that got the big wig's back up. . . . . . hence stoppid fine, stoppid points, just for driving a 911 and saftly overtaking a slower moving car on a wide country lane.

I guess if I was black, hadn't employed 18 staff, was a muslim, an immigrant or other minority who has only just landed here in UK and not paid 40% taxes for the past 4 years I would have got away with a warning. . . . . .

Gary

(about to change his name to abu sihng musabala)

Edited by DucatiGary on Saturday 23 September 21:49

mds automotive

68 posts

241 months

Saturday 23rd September 2006
quotequote all
tut tut , anyway i shouldnt expect you will hear anything from it i know from friends who are paid to enforce the law by such means that anything below 79 mph in a seventy is ignored if the conditions allow i.e. flow of traffic and weather they are mainly looking for the dangerous ones topping a hundred coming over the brow and braking when the damage is done.
however if you do hear anything i would just take it on the chin as trying to argue with technology in a courtroom full of people who are frowning upon you well that says it all ! good luck

fidgits

Original Poster:

17,202 posts

259 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
Gary, that's terrible! Theres nothing you can really say to that, other than 'ouch couldn't you have used lube...'

justinp1

13,363 posts

260 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
DucatiGary said:
you own a 911, so you shouldnt expect any help or sympathy from others on here, sorry to break it to you but I found this out the hard way, 5 points and 535 pound fine for overtaking a vehicle doing 40mph in a 60 saftley, good visibility etc, wide road, overtook on a straight, I fought it in court as advised and from the start the car was mentioned MORE than the offence (which was speeding FYI)

the prosecution started the proceedings "Mr Jones (me) was driving a porsche 911 over the speed limit" then sat down. . . . . .

W T F

the first thing I said was if this would be different if I was driving a mini metro ? and I think that got the big wig's back up. . . . . . hence stoppid fine, stoppid points, just for driving a 911 and saftly overtaking a slower moving car on a wide country lane.

I guess if I was black, hadn't employed 18 staff, was a muslim, an immigrant or other minority who has only just landed here in UK and not paid 40% taxes for the past 4 years I would have got away with a warning. . . . . .

Gary

(about to change his name to abu sihng musabala)

Edited by DucatiGary on Saturday 23 September 21:49


Have to agree with that.

When I was cross examined before i was asked any questioned about my alleged offence, I am asked:

A TVR thats a sports car isnt it?

Thats a two seater sports car, yes?

And what is the top speed of that car?

Its a very powerful car isnt it....

And those are the ones I remember!

7db

6,060 posts

260 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
They can target both directions - you can see a little window out of which the laser is operated.

I should think that if your speed was an indicated 80 you are probably fine.

RedOctober

122 posts

246 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
You should be alright at an indicated 80mph-it's usually the case that speedos over-read a bit, usually by around 3-7%, although as with anything in life there are always exceptions!

I understand the police officer has to get a good, stable reading on the radar gun over a set distance, and the whole theory behind using a doppler-shift radar to measure speed is that if the measurement distance is too small then accuracy suffers, so the police will have to get a good reading to get an accurate speed measurement that will stand up in court, by which time you may well have scrubbed off enough speed to be ok.

Fingers crossed then...

jith

2,752 posts

245 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
mds automotive said:
tut tut , anyway i shouldnt expect you will hear anything from it i know from friends who are paid to enforce the law by such means that anything below 79 mph in a seventy is ignored if the conditions allow i.e. flow of traffic and weather they are mainly looking for the dangerous ones topping a hundred coming over the brow and braking when the damage is done.
however if you do hear anything i would just take it on the chin as trying to argue with technology in a courtroom full of people who are frowning upon you well that says it all ! good luck


OH mds!!!
You have to use your automotive ENGINEERING experience to counteract the blatant prejudicial stupidity you will undoubtedly encounter in a magistrate's court.

Extracts from the defence of my son when he was accused of the brutally dangerous and desperately reckless crime of 42mph in a thirty limit on an empty dual carriageway at 2am on a perfect summers night in my full blown Quattro turbo.

The prime witness for the Crown was a TRAINEE copper with NO traffic experience; his colleague had switched off all the equipment because he wasn't trained to use it!!!!

Me:- You seem to place much emphasis on the fact that the accused was driving an Audi Quattro officer; why is that?
Him:- It's a very powerful car and in my experience can be lethal in the hands of the wrong driver.
Me:- Really officer? And what experience would that be? At the time of the incident you had utterly no experience whatever according to your testimony, is that correct?
Him:- Yes.
Me:- In fact, it might interest you to know that the accused is an advanced driver and has much greater experience and training than you do.
Do you know anything about the development of the Quattro? In fact have you ever driven one?
Him:- No.
Me:- Do you know that Audi in conjunction with Bosch developed the ABS braking system on the Quattros, a system that has saved literally millions of lives?
Him(starting to colour slightly):- No.
Me:- Do you also know that the Quattro or four wheel drive system is one of the safest in the world, particularly in the type of climate that we get in Scotland?
Him:- No, I've already said I've never driven one.
Me:- Do you also know that Quattros are now standard equipment as high speed pursuit vehicles in the German Traffic Police, the highest trained police force in the world?
Him:- No.

At this point the magistrate intervenes and says, "this is very interesting, but you must understand that this could be construed as heresay without direct testimony."

Me:- If your honour desires I will happily take the stand and testify to my part in the development work with Audi.
Mags eyebrow raises a fraction and he indicates that we continue.
Me:- Most importantly officer, what relevance does the make and type of vehicle that the accused was driving have over his guilt or innocence?
Him:- I don't know
Me:- You don't know? Well is it not the case that due to the fact that you have no experience or training as a traffic patrol officer, your colleague switched off all the specialised equipment in the car, including the VASCAR and video equipment, the very thing that would have provided pertinent evidence in this case; so you have no evidence?
Him:- I detected his speed by calibrated speedometer.
Me:- Without training?
Him:- It's just a speedometer.
Me:- Exactly officer, and you have utterly no proof whatsoever of the offence with you today to show to this court; so you try to imply that the accused was speeding because of the type of vehicle he was driving.
I put it to you that this grossly prejudicial and unprofessional conduct for a police officer.

Are you starting to get the idea here.
By phrasing the questions properly you back this kind of individual into a corner using your accurate knowledge of the systems at work and the clear abuse of evidence.
The fact that someone is driving a Porsche or an Audi or even a bloody F1 car is totally irrelevant to guilt or innocence, and you MUST demonstrate to the court how ridiculous an inference that is.

7db

6,060 posts

260 months

Monday 25th September 2006
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What punishment did your speeding son get?