60 in a 40mph area

[laco2425279]

I just need to know other peoples experiences!! I was driving home (I wouldn’t normally be speeding but my mind was elsewhere today!😔)
As I came round the bend I would’ve been doing about 58mph I think then I noticed the speed van and braked to 50 before realising it was a 40 and slammed my brakes on to 40.

I’m hoping it’s a 3 points and a fine and nothing more. But was hoping someone may have had something similar and just wondered what your outcome was?

Thank you! X

So sorry for your loss, and maybe you shouldn't have been driving in the state you were in but I'm guessing you've learned that now and are just grateful it's only a speeding ticket you're getting and that you didn't have an accident.
Depending on the speed they've registered you at you might be able to do a speed awareness course, you'll just have to wait to see what comes in the post...

Sorry for your miscarriage, but that doesn't obviate your need to drive better.

You knew you were speeding for the 50 zone, let alone the 40. No excuses for it. You're having a shit time, but you can kill people like that.

How am I one of those ‘aggressive drivers’ you don’t even know me?! Definitely not that kind of driver at all. Don’t throw accusations.

It was a mistake and I honestly thought decent people would respond after reading the previous thread - she was obviously just very lucky! X

@Shopkinsdoll please read the thread. Ordinarily you would be right and I would agree with you, as my FIL died in a car accident. But in this case, the OP is aware that she shouldn't have done it, and those were very extenuating circumstances.

I think it's very unlikely she'll do it again.

Sorry for your loss OP

I cannot believe how mean people are - regardless of your actual situation. Good for all of those people who never make mistakes honestly

FWIW OP, I think you may get a speed awareness course. Speedometers are usually a couple of mph over what you were actually doing so more likely to be caught doing around 50mph (if you were indeed braking) depending on how far away you were from the van. If its 3 points, its a learning curve and a deterrent to be more aware from now on if nothing else

Speed limits are there for a reason, 50% above the limit may well land you in court

So sorry to hear your loss OP :(

Don't beat yourself up or pay too much attention to the negative posters on here. I'm pretty sure we've all done things we shouldn't have from time to time. You weren't thinking straight. I've done worse.

My advice would be not to fret about it. I reckon you slowed down in time to just get 3 points or a speeding course at worst.

I'd stay off AIBU for a while too, it's not a great place for people who are feeling vulnerable and going through shit times like you have been through recently. (I got hammered on here once when I was already feeling at rock bottom, and it nearly tipped me over)

Concentrate on looking after yourself and coming to terms with your recent loss.

All the best

Very sorry for your situation. That said it's entirely arguable you were in no fit state to drive - I would be careful trying to justify the offence if summonsed.

60 in a 40 is inexcusable - even by MNs rather casual attitudes to speeding.

FWIW, I did the same as you, 6 years ago. I was trying to pluck up courage to report my historical SA to the police. I was on the way to a counselling session. I was on a straight road, I think doing 40 in a 30 mile zone. A police car stopped me, the one and only time it had happened in my life. I found myself sobbing hysterically and reporting my abuse.

I felt sorry for that poor young copper; I bet he didn't expect to have a sobbing middle-aged woman in his car. He was very kind to me.

You might get away with it, often they will allow 10% plus 2 so above 46 in a 40 to get a ticket. Depends on your brakes.
I try very hard never to speed (I hate it) but I managed to cock it up recently and do 50 in a 40 too. Fortunately didn’t get caught but I was very cross with myself and have been more careful since.

Op I couldn't have safely driven immediately after I found out I was having a miscarriage, luckily I had dh there to drive. If I hadn't I would have driven as you did, just to get home. It doesn't make it right, but I can totally understand where you're coming from. Sorry you're going through this.

I was stupid and was caught doing 43 in a 30, which is almost 50% over like you.
I got 3 points and a fine
I was pulled over and it was one of the worst experiences, police officer was lovely, genuinely nice and polite - but I knew I was in the wrong, like you and there were simply no excuses. It has however made me still almost 3 years on much more aware of my speed and I happily drop from 60 to 30 through the same village much to the annoyance of every car behind me. Weirdly i'm glad I was caught because I always considered myself a safe driver up to then and obviously I wasn't.

You are almost right they usually prosecute at 10% plus 2mph. So in a 30moh you could be prosecuted at 35mph but let off when doing 34 mph

Telling someone they was wrong for speeding doesnt make someone not decent.

To be fair I don't think my reply was harsh anyway but i would have probably not replied at all if you had posted about the miscarriage.

I am sorry for your loss, doesn't make it right though. But clearly you've bigger things going on I wouldn't worry too much about ticket, you can't change the outcome anyway. Just deal with it if and when it comes

Speed limits are there for a reason

They are, and not always for safety reasons, but eg to reduce pollution. And to make money from fines of course.

Lets not pretend that police don't strategically place vans to catch people out and this sounds like one of those places, if it's 50 and then becomes 40 and they just happen to have the van at that point.

People should stick to limits but sometimes the cameras are in unreasonable places, like going down a hill.

OP sorry for your loss and maybe ask for this to be moved to Chat where the AIBU brigade are not quite as out in force.

I was photographed by a speed cam doing 45mph in a 30mph area. Clear road, early Sunday morning. I got 3 points, possibly a £100 fine too, but I may be wrong on the fine (not that it was more than £100, whether there was any fine at all). This was in Sussex four years ago.

It really does depend what they clocked you at. If it was at the high speed you won't be offered the speed awareness course. It will go to court. You can plead guilty by letter and won't have to attend. I wouldn't use your miscarriage as mitigation because I think they'll say you shouldn't have been driving. It'll be points and a fine, no ban.

FWIW the speed awareness course is actually really interesting, so don’t feel concerned about doing it if that’s what you’re offered. (I recently got caught for the first time since getting my licence 11 years ago. It happens.)

Sounds like a really, really shitty day for you OP. Try not to worry, worst case you get some points and need to be extra diligent for the next 3 years. Focus on recovery from your bad news.

you wont be able to do a speed awareness course. that is only for minor excess. yours was bigger. I am very sorry you have had a miscarriage but i expect you know you were not really fit to drive.

My DH got caught doing 71 in a 50 limit. It was late at night and he had been caught up in work with an emergency then drove home. Like you he just wasn't paying as much attention as he should have been. He was stopped by two cops who had caught him with a speed gun. They saw that he was obviously coming back from work and decided not to throw the book at him, but gave him three points and a fine. I think they could have been much more severe.

I know you get no leeway like that with a speed camera van but I just wanted to empathise with your situation. There are many on here who appear to have never made an error in their entire life the way they take delight in lambasting people on here about speeding. You have made one error and it is possible you will get a fine and points. Try not to worry about it too much. What is done is done and it is likely you will never make the same mistake again.

I got caught by a van doing 52 or 53 in a 40 (dual carriageway, no idea why it is a 40 but it became a popular spot for the vans). I was able to do a speed awareness course rather than points and a fine.

There is no longer a 10 percent leeway, we have a trap and peeps have been prosecuted doing 33

You really should have mentioned the miscarriage in your OP, though I know it's hard to write the words when something really traumatic has happened.

This happens really often where I am (country road with lots of villages so it will be a stretch of 60 then a couple hundred meters of 30 then 60 again, signs are not always visible and placement can be quite random so it can take a while to realise you’re in a 30 zone if you aren’t familiar with the road). To police come out occasionally to sit in the bits before the villages start/at the bottom of steep hills to raise some revenue. But I think the officers who are sent out to enforce this must be quite lenient. I’ve had a few episodes like yours (before I figured out exactly where the signs are positioned) but I’ve never been fined.