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Original poster

Think I've been caught doing 60mph in a 30... what will happen

255 replies

Shouldhavenotdonethat · 22/02/2019 20:30

So I'm likely to get flamed for this I know

I've been driving for 15 years. No convictions, no crashes. I'm generally very careful and a considerate road user

Today i was driving down a country lane that leads to the edge of a town. They are in the process of building a housing estate on the edge of the town and have now made it an immediate 30mph from a 60 as you come towards the edge of this new estate. I went through the 30 sign at 60, slowing down as I was going along. Then spotted a police van with a camera pointing out of the back of it Sad just up the road

How much trouble am I in?

I was slowing down before I hit the urban bit, but I Definately was still doing 60 as I went through the 30 limit sign.

I'm so stressed i feel sick with worry.

If i lose my license i lose my job

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Yabbers · 23/02/2019 08:41

You would feel very differently if you were in my position.
You don’t know what position I’m in.

You did mean to be harsh and there was no need.

2010Aussie · 23/02/2019 08:42

Occasionallyincomplet

Yes, speeding is an absolute offence but it is often difficult to get an accurate reading of a car's speed.

We have a lot of the speed indicator signs near us - it tells you your speed and gives you a smiley or sad face. I have a digital speedo on my car so I know exactly what speed she thinks she's doing. It's very rarely the same as indicated. Also some of the 'slow down 30' signs get set off when you are below the limit.

OK these devices are not speed cameras but it does indicate a degree of inaccuracy in the speed measurement.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 23/02/2019 08:43

Just as your speedometer is inaccurate.. it reads a little fast, to keep you safe!

Gina2012 · 23/02/2019 08:57

Road used to be a 40 and now is a 30

But you were doing 60?

I was sympathetic towards you up until then.

Now I think you're an idiot and a dangerous one. People like you kill. THINK in future Angry

But I think you'll be saved by the van and by the fact that you think you might have reduced your speed to 40 in time

So most likely 6 points and a fine

Fishwifecalling · 23/02/2019 09:04

Car parking on double yellows to see what you get.

Ali1cedowntherabbithole · 23/02/2019 09:09

So many passionate posters who are convinced that the OP definitely will/definitely won’t be offered a speeding course/ban.

We don’t know her speed at the time she was clocked.

Ali1cedowntherabbithole · 23/02/2019 09:13

And I hope the people who think there are deceleration signs aren’t U.K. drivers Hmm. Especially if they think you never go straight from 60 to 30.

BayandBlonde · 23/02/2019 09:15

Sorry if this has already been mentioned but the law changed and now they fine you based on your salary. It's a percentage of your weekly income.

This calculator will tell you how much you're likely to get fined. I'm assuming there will be points also

www.confused.com/on-the-road/driving-law/speeding-fine-calculator

LakieLady · 23/02/2019 09:22

If it's a short term ban I could work with that as a brief break in work they'd allow that unpaid due to how long I've worked there.

I was going to suggest that. My friend's husband was allowed to take a 3-month leave of absence while he was banned from driving.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 23/02/2019 09:27

Shouldhavenotdonethat

I know the sort of bend you mean. I have a fair few round my way. The difference is, I know the roads so know when the speed changes and drive accordingly. If I don’t know the road, I slow down appropriately for bends just in case. Not to 30 but enough to decrease my stopping distance.

You know the road. You know the speed changes. 30 or 40 doesn’t matter. You knew! If you’d gone through at 40 as a brain fade moment, I’d be sympathetic but knowingly continuing to do 60 because ‘everyone else does it too!’ is dangerous.

Janecon · 23/02/2019 09:28

My neighbour was caught doing 44mph in a 30 zone just before Xmas. He heard within a week and he got a £100 fine and 3 points on his licence.

notapizzaeater · 23/02/2019 09:29

The paperwork comes through quickly now, within a few days so you will know soon enough

LakieLady · 23/02/2019 09:39

Dont they usually have 300, 200, 100 yard warning signs for a drop from 60 to 30?

I've never seen them, and there are several stretches of road near me that drop from 60 to 30.

There's one on the way into town, where you come off an NSL dual carriageway, along about a mile of NSL road and then there's a 30mph sign where it's not even a built up area. If they put a speed camera there, they'd make a fortune.

There's also one on a rural road across the downs, where you arrive at the edge of a town really suddenly (if you're not familiar with the area). You come down a lovely hill with gentle bends, then into some trees and all of a sudden you're in a housing estate. I've seen cars practically stand on their noses as drivers slam their anchors on when they suddenly realise they're in a built-up area. The 30 signs aren't that prominent, because of the trees and dappled light.

mmmm25 · 23/02/2019 09:45

It took about 7-10 days for my paperwork to come through too.

CaptainBrickbeard · 23/02/2019 09:45

I’ve only been driving a couple of years and am very cautious about speed limits. I drive at them. Not under them, not too slowly but I stick to them. Consequently, people overtake me dangerously and/or tailgate me sometimes if they don’t want to drive at the speed limit. Sudden changes like 60 to 30 are scary if someone is driving right up the back of you. I used to have this on my drive to work last year where a 60 road suddenly went into a little village with cars parked all sides of the road, narrowing it down to single car width and the limit dropped abruptly, however, it was a straight road with red tarmac approaching the change so you could see it up ahead. I would brake in advance so I was doing 30 when I got to the sign and anyone behind me would see my brake lights in warning rather than me slamming on and surprising them. It was a scary test of nerves if someone came zooming up behind! It sounds like a bad stretch of road.

alfagirl73 · 23/02/2019 09:52

OP - firstly - you don't know if you've been clocked yet, so try not to worry until you know for sure. There have been a couple of times where I'd swear I'd been caught and never heard a peep.

However, assuming you were caught, and assuming worst case scenario, given it's a first offence, it is likely you'll get a hefty fine and points. If you DO have to go to court, just be very contrite, remorseful, apologetic, accept your crime, won't do it again etc etc... and it'll probably be all over very quickly - your bank balance will be significantly lighter but unlikely you'll get a ban. Then just put it down to experience and move on.

Tunnocks34 · 23/02/2019 09:57

A friend of mine was caught doing 107 on the motorway. At night when it was empty but still it was absolute stupidity on his part and inexcusable.

He already had three points for speeding as well. He was given 6 points and a £700 fine. The court allowed him to keep his license because he was repentant, admitted he was stupid and proved he would lose his job if he lost his license. He also had to complete a speed awareness course at an additional cost.

I think if it’s a first offence, you accept liability, apologise and prove you need your car for work then you should hopefully offered a hefty fine but allowed to keep your license.

It’s a hard lesson to learn, but I’m sure you’ve already learnt your lesson by the sounds of it.

Lifecraft · 23/02/2019 10:54

it shouldnt go from 60 to 30! normally goes down in increments surely?

Firstly, 60 to 30 is an increment! It might go to 20 further down the road.

Secondly, I hope all the people banging on about speed limits having to reduce in small steps, or there being 300/200/100 markers to a drop in the limit, don't actually drive. Because if they do, it's worrying how little knowledge they have.

I can think of 3 roads within a few miles of me that drop from 70 to 30. It's perfectly normal when coming to the end of an NSL dual carriageway of leaving a motorway.

Lifecraft · 23/02/2019 11:00

Your car insurance will also go up considerably if you get a conviction for speeding.

More nonsense. It might go up considerably, especially if you're a young driver or have a poor previous record, or a high group car. But most insurance companies don't worry much about a single speeding offence for a driver over age 30 with a family hatchback.

Lifecraft · 23/02/2019 11:02

If only the OP received a pound for every bit of utter tripe posted on this thread, she'd be able to afford a chauffeur driven limo for the next 5 years! Grin

Original poster
Shouldhavenotdonethat · 23/02/2019 11:07

@lifecraft Grin

OP posts:
MintCassis · 23/02/2019 11:57

2010Aussie there are two near my parents that are like that. One flashes slow down when you’re doing 26 in a 30 zone. Then round the corner another says thank you for driving carefully with speed displayed at 23 when I’m doing 30 Confused

MustBeThin · 23/02/2019 12:35

Mint is it a road near a school or a really busy area? If there an advisory speed sign near (usually 20mph) it will tell to slow down at certain times when travelling over 20mph even though the road is technically a 30mph road.

I don't understand why some people are shocked that a road changes from 60mph to 30mph without warning Confused that's why you look ahead, read the signs and slow down. Theres a route I travel often and it goes from 30mph to 60 to 30mph to 50mph and then back to 30.

Zwischenwasser · 23/02/2019 12:54

I’ve only skimmed the thread, apologies if I missed this, but if it’s a new speed limit, the police might just send a warning Letter.

That’s what they did near us not too long ago. Same situation, a housing estate under construction, and a speed limit went in.

Justaboy · 23/02/2019 14:32

I really can't remember but I would say the van was probably 4 or 5 cars spaces in front? I remember thinking "why's he breaking" immediately followed by "shitttt". I quickly slammed mine on too and as I looked at speedo it said 40. At that point I wasn't far off level with the back of the van

*do see below!

Well there i think you have it. In order to measure your speed they have to get a marker on your vehicle, it dosent take more then half a second or so to measure the speed BUT they must get your number else they wouldn't know where to send the ticket;!

So if that was say a decent size transit type van I'd think on probabilities that it would be screening your car from them taking a decent shot and photo.

If you were checking your speedo at that point and that close to the van then how could they "see" you? And for them to do that then you'd have to "see" them.

I bet that they had clocked the van in front then they'd normally have to wait for that to clear or pass so they could then see you in order to target you and get a reading and a photo. But what from what your saying I don't think they had a chance of getting that.

*Now this all depends on where was the 30 limit sign?, some way back so you'd already passed it?, or were you going past it when this happened or was it in front of you?