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12pts in a week - driving ban

441 replies

Jarofgoodness · 15/02/2026 11:47

I can't believe that this is happening.

I am normally such a careful driver. I hate speeding, always use the speed limiter on my car and have never had even 3pts on my licence in almost 30 years of driving.

Last month I worked away from home for a week, and on the way to my temporary workplace there was a road which I thought was a 30mph road but which was actually a 20. I got caught speeding (high 20s) every single day, and yesterday received four speeding fines in the post at once. £400 in fines but also 12pts which means a mandatory six month driving ban!

I simply cannot believe that this is happening. I know that it is my responsibility to know the speed limit, and that I shouldn't break it. But this punishment seems wildly excessive and unfair to me. I have 30 years of spotless driving, and have not suddenly become dangerous in a week. Surely someone can see the pattern here and note that it was multiple times making the same simple mistake in exactly the same place? I didn't even have time to reflect on one speeding ticket and change my driving behaviour because they all arrived at once, after I had left the area!

What can i do? I am not expecting sympathy as I know I am only receiving the punishment due to me. But I may well lose my job. The form says that I can plead 'exceptional hardship' in court but that losing employment doesn't count.

I see boy racers all the time and yet I am getting banned! It just seems such an unfairness.

OP posts:
Daytimetellyqueen · 15/02/2026 13:45

DisappearingGirl · 15/02/2026 12:02

That's really shit OP.

You'll get a whole thread of holier-than-thou posters though.

I also don't agree with speeding and my one ticket in 30 years was also where I just got it wrong and thought it was 40 when it was 30 (it's a road that keeps changing between 30 and 40 and I must have just missed a sign). I'm lucky I just drove along it once though so just got one ticket.

I hope they show you some leniency.

Agree with this!

Also Op, there should be a case for being able to do a speed awareness course for the first one, which means only 9 pts total. Fingers crossed for you.

Blushingm · 15/02/2026 13:41

Zov · 15/02/2026 13:19

It was a first offence, and the OP was only doing around 10mph above the speed limit (and was only doing 30mph!) She absolutely SHOULD have been offered a speed awareness course! (After the first speeding offence!)

So going 50% above a speed limit is fine? So if it’s national speed limit it’s ok to do over 100mph?

and it’s not 1st offence - she was caught on 4 separate occasions

and speed awareness courses aren’t an entitlement

Adelle79360 · 15/02/2026 13:41

You need legal advice OP, find a solicitor that specialises in traffic offences. If you really think your job would be on the line for losing your licence for 6 months, it’ll be worth it.

RosesAndHellebores · 15/02/2026 13:38

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Are you racist, sexist, and homophobic as well as ageist?

PrincessofWells · 15/02/2026 13:37

saltandvinegarpringles · 15/02/2026 13:34

The last thing you should do is go to court and say "well, nobody told me I was speeding so how was I supposed to know?!" 😂

That's not what I said.

Actually I withdraw my post. Apparently the offences have to have been incurred on the same day to be treated as one. I just had a quick look.

saltandvinegarpringles · 15/02/2026 13:34

PrincessofWells · 15/02/2026 13:27

No it is the correct legal argument to make. Zov is correct.

The last thing you should do is go to court and say "well, nobody told me I was speeding so how was I supposed to know?!" 😂

Pollyanna87 · 15/02/2026 13:33

This reply has been deleted

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RosesAndHellebores · 15/02/2026 13:31

Pollyanna87 · 15/02/2026 13:29

You said you’ve had fines and points in the past five years. You can’t drive.

I think you will find I can and drive well but I'm going to stop responding to you now because clearly you know everything and have already accused a 65 year old of being too old.

Pollyanna87 · 15/02/2026 13:29

RosesAndHellebores · 15/02/2026 13:27

No dear, the volume of speed cameras has increased exponentially.

I have had three accidents since learning to drive. 1986, 1996 and 2011. My excess was repaid on each occasion because no time was the accident my fault.

You said you’ve had fines and points in the past five years. You can’t drive.

EggsEleven11 · 15/02/2026 13:28

Something very similar happened to me, although I made a u-turn where I shouldn’t have had, twice in one week. I received a ticket for the first incident and to my dismay, realised I had made the same manoeuvre the day before (so another ticket would be on its way).

I wrote to the council and asked them to cancel the second ticket and they did. I said I was very happy to pay for the first ticket but I didn’t realise I couldn’t make a u-turn where I did until I received the ticket.

it might be different for you as yours was in relation to speeding, but definitely worth a go!

PrincessofWells · 15/02/2026 13:27

samarrange · 15/02/2026 13:25

Agreed. It's as if the point of the speed awareness course is to make you aware of the limit on that one road.

No it is the correct legal argument to make. Zov is correct.

parababe · 15/02/2026 13:27

My sympathies OP - If this were me, I would get some legal advice and possibly go to court. If you have got a completely clean license apart from this one week where you accumulated the 12 points, all at the same place, I'd use that to try and get maybe a higher fine with no ban.... not sure if that's possible, but worth a chat to a solicitor. Good luck!

Mimicking · 15/02/2026 13:27

Did you happen to be driving in Wales? As a PP said, the lamp post rule applies for 20 mph there as it does in for 30 mph in England. This might be why you missed signs.

Was it a busy road? Were going with the flow of traffic?

RosesAndHellebores · 15/02/2026 13:27

Pollyanna87 · 15/02/2026 13:21

Many 65 year olds can drive. You can’t, apparently. If you managed to drive (mostly) competently between 1977-2021, and you’ve had issues since then, your driving has deteriorated.

No dear, the volume of speed cameras has increased exponentially.

I have had three accidents since learning to drive. 1986, 1996 and 2011. My excess was repaid on each occasion because no time was the accident my fault.

samarrange · 15/02/2026 13:25

saltandvinegarpringles · 15/02/2026 13:16

What an utterly bizarre argument.

Agreed. It's as if the point of the speed awareness course is to make you aware of the limit on that one road.

MiniCoopers · 15/02/2026 13:24

Are you able to appeal them? They may offer you a course for the first one which brings you back to 9? I have no idea if that’s feasible or not. Have you spoken to anyone about if there are any options?

lessglittermoremud · 15/02/2026 13:24

Like someone else has asked was it in Wales by any chance?
We had to travel from England to North Wales for a family occasion and we made sure we had sat nav and waze on because someone had warned us that the speed limits were a little confusing.
We probably got it wrong a few times travelling at 20 when it should have been 30 because the signage wasn’t clear or there at all. We didn’t seem to be holding people up though so I think everyone was probably local and knew the what the actual limits were or just as confused as we were 😂

PonkyPonky · 15/02/2026 13:22

Zov · 15/02/2026 13:19

It was a first offence, and the OP was only doing around 10mph above the speed limit (and was only doing 30mph!) She absolutely SHOULD have been offered a speed awareness course! (After the first speeding offence!)

“Only 10mph over” in 20 limit is 50% over the speed limit. It’s huge. You aren’t usually offered speed awareness at 50% over no matter how many offences you’ve had.

Harrietsaunt · 15/02/2026 13:22

If there were signs then it isn’t any mitigation to say “you didn’t see them” as that just makes you look like a completely unsafe driver.

Your only chance of escaping the ban will be if there was no/grossly insufficient signage so I would focus on that.

Dollymylove · 15/02/2026 13:22

pteromum · 15/02/2026 11:53

are you Scotland or England. Hardship much easier to establish in England.

I would take legal advice asap. It might be worth taking the lot to court and asking for it to be dealt with all at once. Then argument can be ran about lack of signs, your record etc.

I agree. A good friend of mine racked up 4 speeding fines in 2 days. Ignored the letters and ended up in quite some trouble. They ha been having some difficulties and wrote a letter expanding on these. Court date was arranged and the magistrates were very reasonable, giving 9 points and a large fine.
My friend was lucky not to get a ban and very grateful.
Much more a careful driver now, and the insurance is a tad on the outrageous side!!

Pollyanna87 · 15/02/2026 13:21

RosesAndHellebores · 15/02/2026 13:17

If you think that about someone of 65, either you are disgracefully ageist or can't reasonably calculate on the basis that people can pass a driving test aged 17.

Many 65 year olds can drive. You can’t, apparently. If you managed to drive (mostly) competently between 1977-2021, and you’ve had issues since then, your driving has deteriorated.

ginislife · 15/02/2026 13:21

@AnndalouzierODFOD

saltandvinegarpringles · 15/02/2026 13:21

Zov · 15/02/2026 13:20

Exactly. Glad you get it now.

Like I say, utterly bizarre.

saltandvinegarpringles · 15/02/2026 13:21

Zov · 15/02/2026 13:19

It was a first offence, and the OP was only doing around 10mph above the speed limit (and was only doing 30mph!) She absolutely SHOULD have been offered a speed awareness course! (After the first speeding offence!)

Why should she?

Speed awareness courses are not mandatory and someone going 50% over the speed limit is not likely to be offered one.

Zov · 15/02/2026 13:20

saltandvinegarpringles · 15/02/2026 13:18

Because apparently you shouldn't be punished for speeding multiple times unless you've already received a warning for the first one Confused

Exactly. Glad you get it now.

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