Speeding Ticket

[local hero]

Dispite the fact that i drive 50,000 miles a year, I have miraculously managed to keep a clean licence until now, anyhow I have just picked up a ticket 35mph in a 30 zone :( hardly worth a mention on crimewatch but still Iam guilty M'lud.. Now loads of my (mates) have various schemes to get around this including not returning/signing the form. Claiming that their cousin who is a Budhist monk + lives in the Himalayas happened to be driving their car on the day in question + cannot be contacted, and, they were selling the car, and an unknown person was giving it a road test etc etc.. Anyway my realistic options are paying £60 fine + having 3 points or paying £60 + going on a speed awareness course, which will cost me a days wages of about £7-50p at the moment but i will keep a clean licence Has anyone been on one of these courses and other than saving myself 3pts was it beneficial??

Thanks Stew

PS any other suggestions serious or humorous welcome

[Davrav]

Dispite the fact that i drive 50,000 miles a year, I have miraculously managed to keep a clean licence until now, anyhow I have just picked up a ticket 35mph in a 30 zone :( hardly worth a mention on crimewatch but still Iam guilty M'lud.. Now loads of my (mates) have various schemes to get around this including not returning/signing the form. Claiming that their cousin who is a Budhist monk + lives in the Himalayas happened to be driving their car on the day in question + cannot be contacted, and, they were selling the car, and an unknown person was giving it a road test etc etc.. Anyway my realistic options are paying £60 fine + having 3 points or paying £60 + going on a speed awareness course, which will cost me a days wages of about £7-50p at the moment but i will keep a clean licence Has anyone been on one of these courses and other than saving myself 3pts was it beneficial??

Thanks Stew

PS any other suggestions serious or humorous welcome

Do the course and avoid the points or you will be stung next time you renew your insurance ;)

"Insurers insist that where premiums are increased, it is justified. Direct Line's spokeswoman Emma Holyer says: 'If you have two drivers who are otherwise the same, but one has three penalty points and the other doesn't, our data show that the one with the penalty points is more likely to be involved in an accident.' Norwich Union makes a similar claim, although neither insurer could produce figures to support this assertion. Just how many drivers have speeding endorsements is unknown - even to the DVLA - but one estimate is around 12 per cent.

While you might get away with one speeding offence without paying extra premiums, get two and it will cost you dear. What's more, insurers count your points for five years - even though courts take them into account for only three years and they have to stay on your licence for only four years. And if you don't tell the insurance company you have points, your insurance could be declared invalid in the event of an accident."

Extract from: The Observer - Sunday 26 October 2003

[jedi134]

Yep! I agree do the course, as points mean high insurance premiums, plus extra box`s to fill in on insurance web sites. Do you work for an IT firm by any chance?

[anchorman]

My mate went on the course and he said it was a bit obvious but a bit of a lark. I think 3 pointers don't affect insurance but it might if you tot up.

Might be good idea to do the course.

If you're like those taxi drivers at Piccadilly, you might learn how to stop honking the whole time. Sounds like Calcutta some days!

[Plutus]

Do the course. YOu never know, you might get another one next week.

[local hero]

Yep! I agree do the course, as points mean high insurance premiums, plus extra box`s to fill in on insurance web sites. Do you work for an IT firm by any chance?

Yes I do work in IT.. I am an Insolvent Taxidriver Stew

[abraxas]

I'd say go for the course as well. With all the stigma attached to the points at insurance renewal time, plus the license being somewhat essential to your livelihood etc...

I'd think of it as a half-day custodial sentence :) Doin' time and all that...

All together now: Breakin' rocks in the hot sun...

...shakin' it here, Boss...

:)

OK, ok, nothing that dramatic. I am sure it will be a wee bit more mundane than the escape from Alcatraz... with much stating of the blindingly obvious going on, and that you'll struggle to learn anything you don't already know... but still... better than points, in my book.

I suppose I am not self-employed, so my perception of a day away from work doesn't obviously and easily translate into hard cash so you'll have to factor that part in yourself. :)

Good luck with whatever you decide !

[chatman]

You do the crime pay the fine...... :bann:

I would do the course and not get the points... as the insurance will no doubt effect you more...being a careful law abiding taxi driver :unsure:

[Parts-King]

I don't believe people when they say they got off. We run about 20 loan cars and are always getting speeding tickets through the post, by law we have to keep records, and if we mess up the company secretary is responsible for points/fine if you cant give the name of the driver on the day. It's amazing how mad people drive when in somebody elses car, I'm sure they think they will get away with it just because it isnt their car......wrong

Take the course and fine Stew, my mate did and learned a bit from it, some young scroat nearly got a beating from the instructor for saying that if anybody got too close up behind him, he would pull over and drag the driver from the car..........wrong answer, I think he had anger management problems :D:

Kingo

[Mereside]

For my advice I would say 'do the course' as we can all learn something about driving and the odd refresher is good.

I have to say that I was invited along to evaluate the course in our area.

I found the course quite informative but have to admit that as I worked in that area of training at the time some was a bit obvious, but of course you realise that things you take for granted others struggle with and vice vera.

If you read the papers you will see that some people get away with things like this, however if it was a static fixed camera then the chance for errors is very slight, if it was a safety partnership van with a police officer in the back operating the video then I would say that the chance of an error in procedure is almost nil.

Bering in mind how much these famous wealthy people pay to get off points I think £60 is very cheap.

Go on the course and let us know what its like.... maybe we could sponser you...... er maybe not.

Regards

[Parts-King]

"My" company car was once caught on camera, the photo was taken from BEHIND the car, so you couldnt see who was driving it, but there were clearly two people in it. I NEVER have two people in my car at the time the photo was taken (noon-ish) to my mind a salesman borrowed my keys and took a customer on a test drive, the proper logs had not been filled out and I had to kop a £60 fine and 3 points, only because I couldnt prove who was driving it.

Kingo

[Fujisan]

...shakin' it here, Boss...

LH revealed! B)

I know it's a hard hit, taking a day off work but if I was you, I would do the course.

[jedi134]

I think those getting away with it days are long gone, as kingo says if you can`t prove who the driver was at the time, or get someone to take the wrap, then the registered owner of the car has to pay the fine......You maybe able to get off with it if you could afford Mr Loopholes hourly fee`s I presume? but for £60 I`d do the course, its a day out ;-)

[gwilphil]

I think those getting away with it days are long gone, as kingo says if you can`t prove who the driver was at the time, or get someone to take the wrap, then the registered owner of the car has to pay the fine......You maybe able to get off with it if you could afford Mr Loopholes hourly fee`s I presume? but for £60 I`d do the course, its a day out ;-)

Hi there, I went on the course and it was the most boring morning of my life like a bad boy in school, there were about 20 there at £60 a time and another batch in the afternoon, not bad money. Go on the course it is better than 3 points in case you get more. Gwil

[Pat2u]

Go on the course, don't forget a packed lunch "they don't feed you" i took my course in preston boring boring and boring.

[local hero]

Thanks everyone, going for the course I fancy an afternoon in a classroom (have you seen some of those schoolgirls :shutit:) only kidding honest Yes, as i got done in Cheshire (Preston Brook to be precise) i have to attend either Winsford or Ellesmere port for my crimes, now Kingo knows a good Indian restaurant in E,P so might as well make a night of it, anyone up for a curry? Thanks for advice Stew

[anchorman]

Thanks everyone, going for the course I fancy an afternoon in a classroom (have you seen some of those schoolgirls :!Removed!:) only kidding honest Yes, as i got done in Cheshire (Preston Brook to be precise) i have to attend either Winsford or Ellesmere port for my crimes, now Kingo knows a good Indian restaurant in E,P so might as well make a night of it, anyone up for a curry? Thanks for advice Stew

Going for another short holiday in Florida soon LH but if I am about, count me in. If you want I will hide a file in your curry just in case there is no hope and they decide to keep you.

[s m smith]

Yep count me and the wife in , tells us were and when, Si

[Parts-King]

i have to attend either Winsford or Ellesmere port for my crimes, now Kingo knows a good Indian restaurant in E,P so might as well make a night of it, anyone up for a curry? Thanks for advice Stew

Sure do Stew, The Agra Fort, Cambridge Rd, Ellesmere Port, lovely curry house, great owner (I used to go a lot before the diet) Count me in, will have to be 22nd September on, I'm in Egypt from Monday for a week! Off to see Faruke to see how many camels I can get fer missus Kingo :D:

Kingo

[shcm]

LH, If you are trying to emulate the stig (is that the stig driving that?), as a reminder, you'll need Kingo's RAV to TVR conversion chip, rather than your current setup:

Please wait a few seconds for Video to load!

Hang on, maybe LH is the stig?

[anchorman]

i have to attend either Winsford or Ellesmere port for my crimes, now Kingo knows a good Indian restaurant in E,P so might as well make a night of it, anyone up for a curry? Thanks for advice Stew

Sure do Stew, The Agra Fort, Cambridge Rd, Ellesmere Port, lovely curry house, great owner (I used to go a lot before the diet) Count me in, will have to be 22nd September on, I'm in Egypt from Monday for a week! Off to see Faruke to see how many camels I can get fer missus Kingo :D:

Kingo

I'm away from the 21st till the 1st Oct.

[Fujisan]

Yes, as i got done in Cheshire (Preston Brook to be precise)

The one at the bottom of the hill, just around the blind corner, hidden by the roadside trees?

I know the one!

LH, If you are trying to emulate the stig (is that the stig driving that?), as a reminder, you'll need Kingo's RAV to TVR conversion chip, rather than your current setup:

Please wait a few seconds for Video to load!

Hang on, maybe LH is the stig?

Wow

How Top Gear has changed! That must had been the first series, with the ....er...rotund guy now on ITV4.

[local hero]

Yes, as i got done in Cheshire (Preston Brook to be precise)

The one at the bottom of the hill, just around the blind corner, hidden by the roadside trees?

I know the one!

LH, If you are trying to emulate the stig (is that the stig driving that?), as a reminder, you'll need Kingo's RAV to TVR conversion chip, rather than your current setup:

Please wait a few seconds for Video to load!

Hang on, maybe LH is the stig?

Wow

How Top Gear has changed! That must had been the first series, with the ....er...rotund guy now on ITV4.

Wow great shcm, wonder if Kingo could up my chip to 170mph :D :D Can any Toyota other than Bothy's achieve 170mph ?

When we went to the motorshow they had T shirts with i am the stigs fat cousin on, embarassingly they didn't have any large enough How sad is that!!

Fuji I wasn't going to make excuses, but you are 100% correct, If you come from Frodsham into Preston Brook there are no 30mph signs until you get roughly 200yds from the actual camera, then you get a camera sign +30 sign together which are virtually obscured by bushes, I have checked, but TBH i knew there was a camera as i get fares to the 02 building just near there, I just didn't realise my speed had crept up to 35mph I am still convinced the camera did not flash but WTF ... Stew