Caught speeding & drop off

[Sadandstupid]

I know I’m unreasonable.

I work for myself but due to timing of when I started working for myself, I’m not eligible for any gov help. So, I’ve had to pick up some contracts at lower pay.

Last week, when collecting DC from school the full parking was full. I had to go round and round, was late for pick up, and spent 40 mins on what should have been a 10 mins trip.

The following day, I was an idiot. There is no excuse. But I sped on my way to pick up. Probably did 40 in a 30 zone. No excuse and I feel awful thinking about it.

I saw the police in hi via jacket pointing a handheld speed gun at me. I don’t think they had someone else at the end to stop people. It was literally the one person.

Could I have been caught? If I lose my license, it will be even harder with work and pickups. I can’t believe I’ve been such an idiot.

I'm always extremely careful about speeding and until last year had never had any points but then I got caught by a camera doing 24 in a 20 zone. It happens. Don't flagellate yourself just suck up the consequences. Honestly your attitude sounds like you really got caught looking at your phone while doing 50 in a 30 and smoking a doobie.

As others have said, I think you've punished yourself enough here op. Speeding is bad but you know this and this scare will undoubtedly make you think twice about trying to make up time by picking up your speed. Will you let us know how you get on?

A lot of wrong advice from pps.

Threshold is 10% plus 2mph over the limit so 35 in a 30 zone (probably 36 is ok but over 40 definitely not).

However the main thing is was it a policeman holding a radar gun or one of those mobile camera vans? If the police are using a handheld gun they would pull you over straight away! You won't let a letter in the post at a later date. It's the roadside cameras that take a picture that you get a fine for in the post. If they didn't pull you over at the time I think you've got away with it this time but don't be an idiot in future!

I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

If you do get a letter it will be a speed awareness course.
Know someone who had been driving under 2 years and managed to rack up the speed awareness course and 6 points on there licence.

Took it to court and because they needed their car for work and because of the fact they live in the countryside with no public transport instead of having their licence revoked they argued that if they had been going faster then they would have only lost their licence for 30 days whether they were new drivers or not and all points would have been wiped from their licence so going slower was a harsher outcome.
They got given 6 points and banned for a fortnight. Which they thought was a result as otherwise it would have taken them months to do their test again.

Speed awareness course or 3 points and a fine usually

My DH was caught by a handheld gun but he wasn't pulled over. He saw it and moaned and grumbled and then lo and behold a letter came a few weeks later.

I deffo did 41 in a 30 and got to do the speed awareness course!

@Whoooootaminute

There are some pompous posters on this thread.

So the OP drove too fast . Now she realises that it was wrong and won't do it again. Quit the preaching.

OP - you won't lose your license. Take the course if possible - not only will it save you having points on your license but I found it to be useful in my future driving style.

Yes there really are. Smug and hoping for OP to receive her due punishment. All they need are knitting needles and a guillotine.

OP... you can't afford to give that £100 to charity so don't. Wait to hear, you may be luck and as ancientgran has said, if you don't receive the NIP in 14 days you won't be receiving any sanction at all.

We do all make mistakes, even the tricoteuses on this board.

You'll definitely not lose your license OP!

I was once caught doing 58mph in a 40 zone (a long time ago, I have certainly don't drive like that anymore) and got £100 fine and 3 points.
The worst thing that will happen to you is a fine and points; you definitely won't lose your licence!

None of us are angels and despite what people say everyone has made idiotic decisions in their lives. Don't beat yourself up about it.

you have to pay for a speed awareness course op

No point worrying until you get the letter if you do. Then do the speed awareness course if offered, or pay the penalty. Then forget about it and move on.

@Sadandstupid

Are you cleaning? If you are, put your rates back up to a proper level & focus on your quality/reliability/H&S etc. It's really not all about the price. Get fewer, better clients.

If it's not cleaning, the same probably applies anyway.

Having had kids at an inner city school with only a tiny bit of local parking available & done more than my share of driving around & around until someone moves, I can sympathise. We lived 16 miles away so walking wasn't an option and the nearest on street parking was 2.5 miles away & often rammed too.

It frequently frustrated me, but it wasn't until they moved schools again where I can park easily at the school that I realised just how badly the situation had been affecting me.

Is there anything you can do to change your stressful pick ups?

Be thankful nothing bad happened, learn from it & stop beating yourself up.

Fingers crossed jetadore is correct for where you live 🤞🏼

Let us know how you get on.

OP - is it possible the person with the speed gun wasn't Police? Around here we have speed wombles who are civilians who just note down numbers of people going too fast and then the police write a letter to the registered keeper.

Almost everyone else - we spell licence with a C in this country - if you don't believe me there's an easy way to check.

I do not know where the 10% +9mph which PPs are mentioning comes from. Most Police Forces operate 10% + 2mph - which is very different - see www.confused.com/on-the-road/driving-law/speed-camera-tolerances . Many then offer speed awareness courses for first time offenders who are a little above the tolerated speed. At a speedometer's registered 40mph OP may well have been doing less than 40 in reality as most give a higher than real reading but I suspect she was going too fast for a speed awareness course to be offered. However I do hope that those who think they can do 42mph in a 30mph zone without risk stay away from where I live!

@glitterelf

Are you even sure it was the police ? Sometimes residents do this and send out letters to remind people not to speed. Even if it was the police you would be offered a speed awareness course.

Same with PCSO's and Specials. They sometimes have a "campaign", part of which is using the speed camera and following up with a warning/advice letter. It's pretty rare (around here anyway), for "real" police to do speed checks - it's usually local council mobile vans or fixed cameras that do it.

Some forces have stopped the speed awareness courses due to social distancing etc., so if it's "real" police enforcement, it's more likely to be a straight fine and 3 points with the speed awareness course not being offered.

@BigSandyBalls2015

You won’t lose your licence due that. Will be a fine and 3 points or a virtual speed awareness course so don’t stress too much.

That’s assuming you don’t already have loads of points on your licence?

40 in a 30 zone is too far over for the Speed Awareness course, sorry. OH was caught doing 54 in a 50 and just scraped in!

@CatWithKittens 10% + 9 is the cut off to be offered the course, not whether you get caught or not.

Try not to worry - if you get offered the the course it’s actually not that bad. I once got caught doing 58 in a 50 on a smart motorway. I was distracted and I didn’t even realise I had sped until I got the letter. Taught me a lesson for sure though!

@DickAndSizzy

The threshold is the speed limit + 10% + 9mph, so 42mph would be the cut off for a 30 zone.

I suspect it'll be the coruse, OP.

Northants Police only used to offer the course if you were doing 34mph (the first speed you were given points at in that county). My knowledge goes back to 2005 though, so they may have changed since.

However the main thing is was it a policeman holding a radar gun or one of those mobile camera vans? If the police are using a handheld gun they would pull you over straight away! You won't let a letter in the post at a later date

This thread is a fine example of posters getting all kinds of stuff wrong by assuming everywhere is the same

@jetadore the police had a man with a speed gun near where I worked one morning, no one was pulled over but many employees got letters a few days later, maybe different forces do things differently.

It is 35-42 inclusive here but it used to be 34-37 only.

If you do get the choice of doing the course I would take it. It was really useful. I knew all the reasons not to speed and I knew the law beforehand but the course was still very useful and made me more aware of what to look out for. I had previously considered myself a careful driver (despite being caught speeding 😂😂) but the course made me realise I was a bit complacent.

I think it’s easy to speed. The signs can be confusing and unclear.

I’ve been caught twice in 40 years driving so not too bad but I suspect the number of times I’ve exceeded the speed limit must be zillions. I used to always speed on motorways, I’d aim to drive 80-85 if the conditions were clear. I wouldn’t dream of doing that these days.

* I feel really shit. Even if I don't get caught, I will put £100 toward a charity donation. I realise I probably did get caught and I will accept the punishment*

Yeah, right.

I sure as heck wouldn’t and I don’t think anyone would.

i done 56 in a 50 through some roadworks in my first two years of passing

done the speed awareness course and paid for that no extra fine or points

you wont lose your license

of course if your area doesnt offer the course it will be a fne and 3 points but you still wont lose license based on that