Caught Speeding!!
Author
Discussion

Bluebottle

Original Poster:

3,498 posts

269 months

Saturday 9th April 2005
quotequote all
I'm not the first and won't be the last to be caught by a Bl***y laser gun minding my own business.
I had a faulty speedo which reads around 50mph when you are doing 70mph. I have only recently purchased the car and Peninsula are fixing it at the moment.
My qustion is - Does anybody know if this fact (supported by corroborating letter from Peninsula)would get me off in court?

2 Smokin Barrels

32,000 posts

264 months

Saturday 9th April 2005
quotequote all
Bluebottle said:
I'm not the first and won't be the last to be caught by a Bl***y laser gun minding my own business.
I had a faulty speedo which reads around 50mph when you are doing 70mph. I have only recently purchased the car and Peninsula are fixing it at the moment.
My qustion is - Does anybody know if this fact (supported by corroborating letter from Peninsula)would get me off in court?


I doubt it. You might cop an extra fine for knowingly driving with a faulty speedo though

chris watton

22,547 posts

289 months

Saturday 9th April 2005
quotequote all
2 Smokin Barrels said:

Bluebottle said:
I'm not the first and won't be the last to be caught by a Bl***y laser gun minding my own business.
I had a faulty speedo which reads around 50mph when you are doing 70mph. I have only recently purchased the car and Peninsula are fixing it at the moment.
My qustion is - Does anybody know if this fact (supported by corroborating letter from Peninsula)would get me off in court?



I doubt it. You might cop an extra fine for knowingly driving with a faulty speedo though



Agreed, don't, whatever you do, tell them you knowingly drove with a faulty speedo, just more ammo for them to milk extra money from you!

starmist

1,052 posts

271 months

Saturday 9th April 2005
quotequote all
I would try the tack that you'd only just bought the car and didn't realise how fast you were going. Don't mention the speedo.

To be honest if you only get a fixed penalty, I wouldn't even bother taking it to court. The risks are a greater fine / more points!

And besides, if you knew the speedo was reading under by 20mph, why didn't you take that into consideration?

Mad Mark

2,345 posts

261 months

Saturday 9th April 2005
quotequote all
You could say that you had only just bought the car, and did not know the speedo was faulty untill you were cought speeding, which is why you got it checked out by Peninsula.

angusfaldo

2,831 posts

303 months

Saturday 9th April 2005
quotequote all
Mad Mark said:
You could say that you had only just bought the car, and did not know the speedo was faulty untill you were cought speeding, which is why you got it checked out by Peninsula.


But that would be lieing! He couldn't do that, could he?

PetrolTed

34,468 posts

332 months

Saturday 9th April 2005
quotequote all
Bluebottle said:
I'm not the first and won't be the last to be caught by a Bl***y laser gun minding my own business.
I had a faulty speedo which reads around 50mph when you are doing 70mph. I have only recently purchased the car and Peninsula are fixing it at the moment.
My qustion is - Does anybody know if this fact (supported by corroborating letter from Peninsula)would get me off in court?


What speed were you doing and what was the limit?

Mad Mark

2,345 posts

261 months

Saturday 9th April 2005
quotequote all
angusfaldo said:

Mad Mark said:
You could say that you had only just bought the car, and did not know the speedo was faulty untill you were cought speeding, which is why you got it checked out by Peninsula.



But that would be lieing! He couldn't do that, could he?



That depends if he did, or did not, know it was faulty at the time of the incident, he doesn't make it clear.

drifting

266 posts

267 months

Sunday 10th April 2005
quotequote all
Bluebottle said:
I'm not the first and won't be the last to be caught by a Bl***y laser gun minding my own business.
I had a faulty speedo which reads around 50mph when you are doing 70mph. I have only recently purchased the car and Peninsula are fixing it at the moment.
My qustion is - Does anybody know if this fact (supported by corroborating letter from Peninsula)would get me off in court?


Could be totally wrong but when you buy a car (any car) you are liable for the car and said speedo readings, you have already said that you knew that it was 20 over so why were you doing 70 in a 50, or are you trying to say that you bought the car and did not know about the problem before the laser gun?

Drifting

drum4it2

658 posts

278 months

Sunday 10th April 2005
quotequote all
Road Angel with digital speedo readout!

Derek Smith

49,703 posts

277 months

Sunday 10th April 2005
quotequote all
It is not an offence to drive a car with a faulty speedometer if you have taken reasonable steps to get it repaired (some form of corroborative evidence required). I would consider approaching a solicitor and discussing your particular circumstances with them. You are unlikely to be found not guilty but you might convince the magistrates that they should not award you any penalty points.

A lot depends on the speed you were travelling and your answer to the question, "Why, if you knew your speedometer was incorrect, did you drive at X miles an hour over the limit."

Note that I am not a solicitor and am unqualified to give legal advice.

Derek

Bluebottle

Original Poster:

3,498 posts

269 months

Sunday 10th April 2005
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies chaps.
I was thinking of using the "Didnt know it was faulty until i get the summons and had it checked out as soon as i got it, becuase i saw the camera and checked my speed and it was ok...hence didnt know it was faulty and being a new car to me, how was i to know?"
I'm actually facing 2 speeding tickets, one fixed penalty and one summons for doing 92 on a fast national limit A road, all in the space of a fortnight.
I have only had one speeding ticket in 15 years of driving fast cars, so i a little P****d off.

ncs

3,974 posts

311 months

Sunday 10th April 2005
quotequote all
From my experience I would say just take it on the chin, you're on to a hiding to nothing if you try to take them on - no matter what excuse you have - you were speeding - end of story.

Of course if you had no tax, insurance or had stolen the car they wouldnt be able to trace you & you could get away with it - but lets got go there eh?

Nick

Julian64

14,325 posts

283 months

Sunday 10th April 2005
quotequote all
I would say you have a good defence there.

I was surprised when I was caught speeding as I regularly check my speedo and it was not over the limit. No convictions in fifteen years and then two in a fourtnight.

This lead me to believe I may have a problem with my speedo. I duly took it to 'x engineer' and he confirmed the reason for my error in speed was a faulty speedo which has now been fixed, 'look heres the documents to prove what I say'

I assume you have more than one car and the two speeding offences were in the faulty car?

But opinions on PH are just that, I would seek out some professional help.

parrot of doom

23,075 posts

263 months

Sunday 10th April 2005
quotequote all

groucho

12,134 posts

275 months

Sunday 10th April 2005
quotequote all
Couldn't you say that you had the speedo tested after the NIP? You could say that you didn't believe it so had it tested.