12pts in a week - driving ban

It's worth mentioning on this thread that there are lots of English towns with 20mph limits throughout - it's not just Wales.

Our town is kind of divided by a bridge and every road on the left side of the bridge is 20mph, but there aren't constant signs. You have to go over the bridge to access the town so there's a big sign on the bridge but that's it, no reminders.

You’re not right though - there is no legal entitlement to a course

https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/speeding/if-youve-received-a-speed-camera-activation-letter-or-notice/

Take the option that means you go to court and explain what happened. You can argue your way into keeping your license on points based bans.

Also, talk to a criminal solicitor. I thought they couldn’t fine you repeatedly like this for sake time of day, same stretch of road but I’m not an expert.

Whatever you do, don’t just pay the fines and accept the points. Argue your case and explain to a magistrate. They are likely to be sympathetic. Especially if you need to drive to get to work, get kids to school, take elderly parents to appointments etc.

But invest in a decent local solicitor.

@Zov
you might be arguing for nothing
it sounds like the op has only recieved the nip’s in the post
she needs to return them and then will find out if she’ll be offered an awareness course
as I said before she needs to look at the speeds and send in the lowest one first to try and get the course then take the others for the nine points

It's saved lots of lives/life changing injuries plus a fortune in post- accident costs.

Not really. And road deaths are down. Councils are free to set whatever speed limits they like on individual stretches of road, but it’s from. Base of 20mph instead of 30mph.

I'm a sensible driver, advanced driving, stick to speed limits etc. Never had a blip in 30yrs. But yes, it would be harsh if you lost your licence for this. Hopefully it'll be points and a speeding awareness course.

The reason all the scummy drivers get away with speeding through red lights, drug driving etc is because they're on ghost plates. It's a collosal problem and the DVLA and police need a lot of money to try and get a grip on it.

https://www.jdspicer.co.uk/site/people/profile/jonathan.lynn

I stand corrected! Still no ban though on 9 points. There’s no fine if you take the course, although the cost if the course is the same amount as the fine!

Do you have a dash cam? It might be worth going through the footage so you can see what was visible at the time you were driving.

People saying 'you need to be more careful' - you can only look at one thing at one time. So if you're navigating a tricky junction that you've not done before you are checking your mirrors, in front of you and focusing on that - you could even have a van obscuring the signage or weather that affects visibility.

Missing a sign can be momentary when your eyes are elsewhere - I really disagree with no repeater signs, seems designed to catch you out.

If its 20mph then this needs to be on the road at regular intervals so it cannot be missed as you drive. This should be universal across the whole country, not decided by different councils.

Cash strapped councils could be seen to be seeking to create revenue by deliberately minimising signage/ creating confusion.

I think it cones from very insecure and/or people. They are either projecting or are so bored in their lives that they need to stick the boot in. Wouldn't it be great to be so perfect like them!!

It was only unfamiliar the first time you drove along it. I have a relative receive 3 tickets in a short space of time and she sounds like you .... long driving history, no points blah blah. Pay more attention in future. Speed kills.

I would seek a solicitors advice. I know of someone who had something similar, they were successful in arguing a ban was unfair as due to the closeness in the fines/points being accumulated they had not been given the opportunity to learn from their mistake.

Oh here we go- judgy people on their high horse!

But as you say - it's just guidance - nobody is entitled to be offered a course no matter what speed they were caught doing, it's entirely at the discretion of the police.

While the general "rule" is that you're offered a course up to a certain speed, you can't expect it or demand it.

https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/speeding/if-youve-received-a-speed-camera-activation-letter-or-notice/

This is Hampshire Police guidance on speed awareness courses.

Surely you saw the flash of the camera though which would alert you to the fact your were driving too fast. I can’t believe it would be a mobile camera (no flash) on the same road everyday for a week.

They're also entirely discretionary and the police aren't obliged to offer one at all, even if you do meed the "criteria".

Speed awareness courses are offered at the discretion of the police, but in a 20 mph zone many forces would have a police of offering them if the driver was driving up to 31mph.

There's no "should" about it in law. Speed awareness courses are discretionary - nobody is entitled to be offered one no matter what speed they were doing.

And she may "only have been doing 30mph" but that's 50% over the limit of the road - it's (legally speaking) the same as going 90 in a 60, or 60 in a 40. Nobody would be offered a course for either of those - it would be straight to a fine and points.

The limit for a course in 20mph zone is 31 - OP could easily have been going over that if she thought it was a 30 zone.

I sympathise with your situation but you have repeatedly driven 10 miles over the speed limit in a 20 zone - it makes a huge difference braking at 20 to braking at 30. Imagine someone suddenly veering into the road and you are 10 miles faster in a slow speed zone. They’d stand no chance.

Was this in Wales? Roads with repeat lights are automatically 30 in the UK but 20 in Wales. A speed awareness course for doing 80 as opposed to 70 on the motorway taught me that. I can’t preach as whilst I have no points the speed awareness course was much needed for me.

If this helps at all: my friend was twice recorded in the same area about 8 miles faster than allowed. Think she drove at 38 instead of 30. She was offered a speed awareness course for theorist offence and had to accept the points for the other.

Do you have caring obligations or is someone relying on your driving? Do you live very remotely? If I were you I’d get a specialist lawyer that defends driving offences like yours and let them plead your case. Given your previous good record I think you may get spared the full severity of the ban 🤞

Speed awareness courses is only offered if the offence meets certain criteria. The OP might have been going too fast

A friend of mine had 12 points in similar situations and went to court - wasn’t as scary as she thought. She managed to overturn the potential ban and got a speed awareness course.

Thank you. I appreciate that. I know I'm right, but I have stopped bothering to say anything. People are determined they're right (when they're not,) and nothing I say is going to make people admit they are wrong. They can keep doubling down, but I'm still right. The OP should have been offered a speed awareness course after her first speeding offence, especially taking into account that it was a first offence and she was only doing 30mph.

@Daytimetellyqueen confirmed it too. At 13.45. (And so did @nicepotoftea just after!)

I genuinel CBA to argue with the 'yeah but yeah buts/ and the whatabouttery, so I'm done on the thread. Good luck @Jarofgoodness I hope you can sort it out. Get legal advice.

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Is it possible that the OP has missed the fact that she can apply to take a speed awareness course? It seems very unusual if that hasn't been offered and the OP hasn't taken a course before.