How to defend oneself against an incorrect camera

[redwedge]

Hi,

My girlfriend was "caught speeding" on the A9 in Scotland earlier in the year, with me in the passenger seat. We were in a hire car, so it has already cost us (me!) £100 in admin fees.

The problem is, neither of us think she was speeding:

- she drives really slowly anyway
- the car was unfamiliar so she was even more cautious than usual
- we were on the A9 and had been forewarned about the abundance of cameras on this stretch

What's more, the photo shows her heading up a queue of traffic. One of the vehicles keeping up with her is a lorry!

I've taken a scan of the photo they've sent through: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7841335/Scan.j...

I'm not looking for someone to just give me the right answer, but if someone could point to some good online reading material it would be very helpful.

Steve

Edited by redwedge on Tuesday 27th May 18:28

[Steffan]

redwedge said:

Hi,

My girlfriend was "caught speeding" on the A9 in Scotland earlier in the year, with me in the passenger seat. We were in a hire car, so it has already cost us (me!) £100 in admin fees.

The problem is, neither of us think she was speeding:

- she drives really slowly anyway
- the car was unfamiliar so she was even more cautious than usual
- we were on the A9 and had been forewarned about the abundance of cameras on this stretch

What's more, the photo shows her heading up a queue of traffic. One of the vehicles keeping up with her is a lorry!

I've taken a scan of the photo they've sent through: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7841335/Scan.j...

I'm not looking for someone to just give me the right answer, but if someone could point to some good online reading material it would be very helpful.

Steve

Edited by redwedge on Tuesday 27th May 18:28

Regrettably it would seem from the clarity of the photo which is pretty good that your wife very probably was proceeding at the speed that the camera recorded. Given the clarity of the photo where do you think a defence can be found? She was driving the car caught in the photo presumably.

I would like to be more positive but I cannot see much hope. Best of luck anyway.

[TooMany2cvs]

redwedge said:

What's more, the photo shows her heading up a queue of traffic. One of the vehicles keeping up with her is a lorry!

I've taken a scan of the photo they've sent through: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7841335/Scan.j...

74mph...? With an artic up her chuff?

That's gotta be an error, f'sure. I'd definitely be querying that. The still they've sent is from a video, so they should be able to review that and calculate the actual speed.

BUT... right now, your choices are :-

• No, it was this person <x>.
• Yes, it was me - fair cop guv, here's my licence.
• Yes, it was me - and I'll see you in court.

So you want to be taking the last option right now. In the very unlikely event it gets to court, it should get thrown straight out. Keep documentation relating to the hire-company fines, and you should be able to apply to have those either awarded you by the court or get them refunded by the rental firm, but you'll probably find it referred to as a "fee" for the "service" of forwarding your details. Which they've done.

[mattshiz]

Steffan said:

Regrettably it would seem from the clarity of the photo which is pretty good that your wife very probably was proceeding at the speed that the camera recorded. Given the clarity of the photo where do you think a defence can be found? She was driving the car caught in the photo presumably.

I would like to be more positive but I cannot see much hope. Best of luck anyway.

I would agree with you but the fact that a lorry is keeping up suggests that she's doing no more than 56mph. Pictures can only tell half the story here unfortunately.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Looks like classic side slip

Unless the lorry was doing 80 or you hire car can do 50 to 70 in 10 yards

[WinstonWolf]

mattshiz said:

Steffan said:

Regrettably it would seem from the clarity of the photo which is pretty good that your wife very probably was proceeding at the speed that the camera recorded. Given the clarity of the photo where do you think a defence can be found? She was driving the car caught in the photo presumably.

I would like to be more positive but I cannot see much hope. Best of luck anyway.

I would agree with you but the fact that a lorry is keeping up suggests that she's doing no more than 56mph. Pictures can only tell half the story here unfortunately.

Can you remember if she overtook the lorry?

[windy1]

I wonder if that laser has targeted one of the fan blades in the radiator. If that was turning fast it could have magnified the speed reading?

[Steffan]

WinstonWolf said:

mattshiz said:

Steffan said:

Regrettably it would seem from the clarity of the photo which is pretty good that your wife very probably was proceeding at the speed that the camera recorded. Given the clarity of the photo where do you think a defence can be found? She was driving the car caught in the photo presumably.

I would like to be more positive but I cannot see much hope. Best of luck anyway.

I would agree with you but the fact that a lorry is keeping up suggests that she's doing no more than 56mph. Pictures can only tell half the story here unfortunately.

Can you remember if she overtook the lorry?

That was my thought but clearly there might be a case of error here although it would be unusual. Worth asking the question but that is an exceptionally clear front on photo at (some) speed. If the procession was proceeding together then it cannot be at the speed suggested. Certainly an element of doubt. I will be interested to see the results.

[eskidavies]

The lorry driver is in the poo then,he's going well inexecess for his class of vehicle,what is it for lorrys 50.

[Matthen]

eskidavies said:

The lorry driver is in the poo then,he's going well inexecess for his class of vehicle,what is it for lorrys 50.

40 in an NSL isn't it? Unless it was increased on the A9 - I remember something about the possibility of them raising it to 50.

[Terminator X]

eskidavies said:

The lorry driver is in the poo then,he's going well inexecess for his class of vehicle,what is it for lorrys 50.

Lorries can't do 74mph though can they, speed limited innit!

TX.

Edit - if anything the OP's other half looks to be holding everyone up ...

[pinchmeimdreamin]

I may be mistaken but the white car behind you (Seat?) appears to be at a slight angle as if it and quite possibly yourself had just overtaken the lorry, Which judging by the queue behind may have been holding you up for a while.



Or I may just be talking cobblers

[s p a c e m a n]

Doesn't look to me like you have just overtaken the HGV unless you dove back across the lane, at +20mph it's unlikely you would be slap bang in the middle of the lane that distance in front of the SEAT and the SEAT definitely wouldn't be there if it was following you in the overtake.

[Steffan]

s p a c e m a n said:

Doesn't look to me like you have just overtaken the HGV unless you dove back across the lane, at +20mph it's unlikely you would be slap bang in the middle of the lane that distance in front of the SEAT and the SEAT definitely wouldn't be there if it was following you in the overtake.

Be interesting to see what the OP says?

[Russellely]

Looks like the road before was a bend so might not be a overtaking place. Hope you are successful in this claim, I wonder how many people don't question when they are supposedly caught speeding

[mrmr96]

WinstonWolf said:

Can you remember if she overtook the lorry?

Presumably there is a video to back up the stills? This would show if the car passed the lorry.
Failing that even a 2nd photo would indicate if the gap between the car and lorry were growing or not.

[anonymous-user]

windy1 said:

I wonder if that laser has targeted one of the fan blades in the radiator. If that was turning fast it could have magnified the speed reading?

Where's that Batman Joker meme when you need it?

[ferrariF50lover]

Holding up a massive queue of traffic. Any chance she can pick up a ban to give everyone a break from being stuck behind her? (You'll need to insert your own smilie, I'm not sure how to do it from my phone).

Simon.

[Dairymilk]

There is more than 100m between the lorry and the car in front. Can't see how that makes the maximum speed of the lorry material to the car in front.

[ridds]

I'd play not guilty and ask to seem the video footage. Measure the lines on the road and calculate the speed from that.

Very unlikely that's 74mph.