Pay the fine, appeal or do the course?

[whatadrain]

I have a speeding fine. First one ever! I'm mortified as I would never normally speed.

Last Sunday, I was driving myself to an out of hours appointment at the nearest hospital. I had 30 minutes to get there and it's a 25 minute drive. The only (sensible) route that I can take is shut, so I had to take a diversion (adding about 15 minutes to my journey through country lanes.) Basically, I was running late and very unwell-So unwell I had to have a biopsy two days later. I finally got on to a regular stretch of road and I picked up a bit of speed - 48 in a 40 - where I was caught by the police speed camera.

I know I was wrong to speed, but I don't know what to do about the ticket. I realise that I am highly unlikely to 'get away with it' so should I pay the £100 fine and take the points or spend £87 and 4.5 hours on a speed awareness course?

Do the course, if you can manage the time. If you pay the fine and take the points your insurance goes up too. I found the course useful and they didn't try to make us feel bad or patronise us.

Do the course. Saves you points, and it's worth doing. I got my first ticket in over 30 years of driving, and I learned a lot. It's not a punishment, it's education, and I think you will find it interesting.

Do the course. What would your grounds for appeal be? You were running late?

Yep. Do the course. As well as being better for your insurance premiums I found it useful and interesting.

Trouble is, I can't afford the time off work for the course, especially as I'm about to start a new job. Do two points on your licence really make a massive difference to renewal costs?

I probably wouldn't appeal it but if I did I would argue that I was seriously unwell I guess. I really shouldn't have been driving but I didn't want to call an ambulance.

An appeal would be a waste of time as you have no grounds. Speeding is a strict liability offence, meaning the issue is only whether you did it or not, and any defence would be disregarded.
Do the course, it'll keep your insurance down.

I'm pretty sure that 'I shouldn't have been on the road at all' isn't a good appeal. Do the course and delay it for a couple of months till your job is more settled.

Arguing that you were speeding because you felt really unwell is unlikely to help you - were you even safe to drive if you were in pain?

I did the course last year and actually it was quite useful and has made me think about my speed much more. They run them at weekends if that helps re work.

Do the course
You were putting other peoples lives at risk
Driving while unwell is really not on and being late is no excuse for speeding

Do the course.

I recently got my first ever ticket too. It was a struggle to fit it in (I don't work, but childcare is an issue with 2 disabled children) but I managed to find a course to fit around my life - I had to drive for 2 hours to get to it though!

You don't have to declare the course, so it won't affect insurance. It's worth it.

On what grounds do you even think an appeal might work?
I would absolutely NOT draw attention to the fact you should not have been on the road in the first place!
You put your own and other people's lives at risk so pay the fine or do the course.

You have quite a choice in the course dates, and can pick one in a while off. By then you will probably have accrued a few days leave.

and you will be glad you took the course and not the points when you later get caught twice in a week doing 33 and 32 in a 30 zone and end up with 6 points on your licence

Friend of mine did the course, she said it was worth every penny and really made her think.

She did it on a Saturday morning I think.

There is absolutely no point appealing. You were driving too fast. You can appeal if you get a letter through for an offence in Aberdeen when you know the car was in Exeter. Explaining your reasons for choosing to speed will get you nowhere. Seriously unwell would only be considered if it was backed up with documentary proof that you were driving to A&E and the doctors write a letter confirming that a few minutes delay could have been life-threatening (e.g. A gunshot wound to an artery)

We had a new employee have to go and do a speed awareness course within the first fortnight of a new job. It wasn't a big deal. Phone up your new employers with a list of dates and find out which one you could reasonably be released for.

I think that appealing on the grounds that you were seriously unwell (and really shouldn't have been driving) is only likely to make things worse.

I would do the course if you're given the option.

they do evening and weekend courses round here. everyone I know in this situation did the course.

Just to add to the other side, I didn't do the course and took the points.

Clean licence, 3 PTS are worth about £60 on your quote.

I know not to speed

I also know you're going to collect a whole lot of cash if you stick a copper two meters in front of the 30mph into the 60mph road bit.

The course might help you understand that driving a motor vehicle is inherently dangerous to you and other road users, and should not be attempted if you are less than 100% attentive, because of illness or any other reason (upset, tired, drunk, distracted etc etc).

Do the course.

Most of your OP is about making excuses for speeding. A course might help you see that, and the aim is safer roads.

I did my course at a weekend about three months after the offence.