Speeding offence solicitors/advice

[MrBig]

Unlucky OP, that's a pretty regular spot for the camera van. Sadly it does nothing to deter the fkwit bikers that ride like utter aholes down that road.

[theboss]

If its any consolation OP, looking at that section of road, I'd have done the same in the circumstances without thinking much of it.

If it needs legal advice agtlaw is definitely your man here.

[dibblecorse]

pandjack1 said:

Not a helpful response dibblec. We all make mistakes. Or did you/do you always drive/ride your Ducati, Porsche, BMW's within the speed limits? No, didn't think so.

No, but were I caught so blatantly breaking a speed limit by 50% I wouldn't be on here looking for advice on letters of mitigation to try and squirrel out of my transgressions.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

dibblecorse said:

pandjack1 said:

Not a helpful response dibblec. We all make mistakes. Or did you/do you always drive/ride your Ducati, Porsche, BMW's within the speed limits? No, didn't think so.

No, but were I caught so blatantly breaking a speed limit by 50% I wouldn't be on here looking for advice on letters of mitigation to try and squirrel out of my transgressions.

Really? I'd imagine we'd all try our hardest to get the best outcome.

[pandjack1]

Many thanks for your support & reassurance guys. You're right - no point worrying too much until the brown envelope arrives, I'm just trying to get my 'ducks in a row' for when/if it does!

Regarding the guy in the van having a sandwich (or just about to set up the camera after arriving/just dismantled it & about to leave) - I've thought about all these as well!!!

[Pedro25]

pandjack1 said:

Speed limit was 60mph. Location A169 North Yorkshire moors (Whitby-Pickering) on the straight just south of Saltergate

I know that stretch of road fairly well, slow traffic is not uncommon, farm vehicles, motor bikes etc, 50 years of never being caught doesn't make you a fantastic driver, close to 90 mph on the wrong side of the road even if it was straight is fairly reckless in my book. Going to have to accept you were 50% over the speed limit I'm afraid.

[martinbiz]

dibblecorse said:

I wouldn't be on here looking for advice on letters of mitigation to try and squirrel out of my transgressions.

Isn’t that what the SP&L forum is for?

[julian64]

pandjack1 said:

Many thanks for your support & reassurance guys. You're right - no point worrying too much until the brown envelope arrives, I'm just trying to get my 'ducks in a row' for when/if it does!

Regarding the guy in the van having a sandwich (or just about to set up the camera after arriving/just dismantled it & about to leave) - I've thought about all these as well!!!

I think you just want to wait for now. There is nothing you can do currently. There is a small possibility that the camera was just pointing to the traffic you were overtaking and may not have seen you.

Either which way you have got this far in your life with no driving convictions, so I doubt you were doing anything dangerous , and I'd probably prefer to be in a car with you than most of the people criticizing. I'm also very much a 'boot it' when overtaking chap to minimise time at risk. There are quite a few people on here who talk about overtaking within the speed limit and actually doing it regularly, and I suspect they are playing fast and loose with the truth to make themselves look good.

Hopefully the right outcome, but even if not I would just write it down to experience

[soad]

I use a Waze, comes in handy. Although other motorists tend to warn you also, by flashing their headlights.

[scottos]

I was in a similar situation years ago (also in N.Yorks funnily enough!) and thought i was screwed and it rocked through at 85mph (think summons is 86!). £100 fine and 3 points.

[LosingGrip]

You’ll be unlikely to get banned at 89 in a 60. I stopped someone for 93 in a 60 and they got five points (large fine however as they tried to hide how much they earnt).

[LunarOne]

Pedro25 said:

... close to 90 mph on the wrong side of the road even if it was straight is fairly reckless in my book.

There's no such thing as the "wrong" side of the road. In the UK we are instructed to keep left, but we are entitled to use all of the road as necessary, unless there are road markings in the centre of the road which prevent us from doing so. Even then, you can cross those markings if there is a stationary or very slow obstruction.

See Highway Code, rules 127-132:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/gener...

[littleredrooster]

You have my sympathy, OP. I guessed from your post that it would either be the A169 or the A170 West just before Sutton Bank; both are regular haunts for the vans. The frustration of being stuck behind the 40-every-bloody-where brigade on such lovely roads can be very annoying. I'm newly local to the area and am just finding out where they regularly sit.

The waiting game has commenced, but - if the plot goes badly wrong and you have to face the magistrate - your mitigation (as I best understand) cannot include hardship to yourself, it will be ignored. Only hardship to dependent others will be taken into consideration, so if you have a dependent, non-driving wife/mother/daughter/son who needs you to provide transport you need to formulate the mitigation along those lines.

IANAL, and no doubt AGTLaw will rightly shoot me down in flames if my suggestion is incorrect.

Edited by littleredrooster on Tuesday 28th March 17:59

[Grumps.]

LunarOne said:

Pedro25 said:

... close to 90 mph on the wrong side of the road even if it was straight is fairly reckless in my book.

There's no such thing as the "wrong" side of the road. In the UK we are instructed to keep left, but we are entitled to use all of the road as necessary, unless there are road markings in the centre of the road which prevent us from doing so. Even then, you can cross those markings if there is a stationary or very slow obstruction.

See Highway Code, rules 127-132:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/gener...

Doesn't really matter much as the OP was knocking on 90MPH in a 60. People were apparently dawdling along at 40mph so he decided to overtake, but also decided to keep he foot on the accelerator passing the speed limit by a considerable amount. You don't do this accidentally.

[BertBert]

At that speed you'll get a SJPN, plead guilty by post and get some points and a fine. No big deal methinks

[Racing Newt]

pandjack1 said:

Hello all

After a restless night I'm still kicking myself (hard) for overtaking a line of slow traffic on the way back from a drive to the coast yesterday without noticing a camera van parked behind a tree halfway down a long downhill straight stretch of road.

The road ahead was clear, weather & road condition were good, & as I was committed to completing the overtake I ended up travelling much faster than intended. I noticed the camera van, glanced down & saw 89mph before slowing.

I'm expecting the worst & have already started researching regarding a letter of mitigation.

I'm 65 years old, drawing down a small pension, clean driving licence, live in a rural location (so a ban would really hurt me) & otherwise accident & claim free for almost 50 years of driving.

Whilst I have no excuse I'm sure I'm not alone. Any advice/recommendations would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks in anticipation

Oh yes know that well, always hope to get a good run there passing the more leisurely drivers. Fortunately didnt go that route home last weekend, but did do the weekend before, never saw any scam vans at all.

[Rick101]

Pedro25 said:

pandjack1 said:

Speed limit was 60mph. Location A169 North Yorkshire moors (Whitby-Pickering) on the straight just south of Saltergate

I know that stretch of road fairly well, slow traffic is not uncommon, farm vehicles, motor bikes etc, 50 years of never being caught doesn't make you a fantastic driver, close to 90 mph on the wrong side of the road even if it was straight is fairly reckless in my book. Going to have to accept you were 50% over the speed limit I'm afraid.

Meh. Sympathies OP. Slightly different view. Easy to to be into 3 figures doing a multiple car pass down there.
Plenty of times I've though, that's me, straight to jail, and for whatever reason nothing has come of it. Hopefully the same or worst case a few points.

Edited by Rick101 on Tuesday 28th March 19:18

[agtlaw]

BertBert said:

At that speed you'll get a SJPN, plead guilty by post and get some points and a fine. No big deal methinks

It's 2023. Do it online.

[kestral]

BertBert said:

At that speed you'll get a SJPN, plead guilty by post and get some points and a fine. No big deal methinks

That's it.
Mitigation..."I was taken short and speed crept up in desperation"

Clerk to the justice will probably mumble "that old chestnut again".

The old doddery magistrate will understand about arse problems in the over 60's.

[BertBert]

agtlaw said:

BertBert said:

At that speed you'll get a SJPN, plead guilty by post and get some points and a fine. No big deal methinks

It's 2023. Do it online.

Yes indeed, good point