Has anyone here ever challenged a speeding fine? What do you think of this?

[Laiste]

Got letter today asking for confirmation of driver for offence of doing 36 in a 30 mph area.

It was only 2 days ago, the police van sometimes lurks on a particular spot beside the lane as you enter the next village to ours. The van's easy to see from a distance and i remember seeing it and thinking - oh there's the police van. The lane is national speed limit (60 for rural road) and I was already slowing down for the village (i don't go over 45 ish on this stretch as it's bumpy) but glanced at my speed to double check and made sure i went into the village and past the van at about 25/28pmh.

So - got this letter and couldn't understand it. Gone on the police website to check photos and the photo is taken pointing up the lane, with me driving towards the camera, and in the foreground is the 30mph sign and i'm still 10/15 meters away from it. Slowing down.

... i mean, i would have been doing under 30 as i past the sign., and then the van.

What do you think? Should i challenge it?

Hello op!! A real life op!!
Sorry absolutely no help at all!!
But challenge it for sure.

The sign you can see is the one for traffic coming towards you, not for your direction!
So yes, you were definitely speeding.

On what grounds?

I realise I may be being obtuse, but that 30mph is for going the other way? Meaning that you are in the 30 mph limit at that point?

Yeah... That's the sign for traffic coming the other way OP. So you were in the 30mph zone when that photo was taken... Probably wouldn't pursue challenging it. 🤣

I am def going into a village. Out of ... no man's land between villages.

Oh bollocks!

😂😳

Seems that no man's land is now a 30 mph zone then.

I don't mean your post is bollocks - i mean - oh bollocks i was speeding!

Lol . Oh well take it on the chin and hope you get a course.

According to that sign, cars coming towards you are entering (or continuing) a 30 MPH zone. Your car IS IN the 30MPH zone.
Have you been given the option of attending a speed awareness course instead of having points? I suggest you do so.

Yeah, but that sign is facing the other way, so marks the end of the 30mph zone. "No man's land"s still have speed limits? I understand your frustration, but all that photo shows is that you were in the 30mph limit zone when they clocked you doing 36.

Surely there must have been a 30mph sign facing your side when you drove into that zone. You can't read a sign facing oncoming traffic. So I am confused.

No worries 😅 Better to realise now than in front of a judge eh! 🤣

OP I usually have Maps on because it shows the speed limit no matter where I am so it gets rid of the uncertainty!

I wouldn't always rely on those being accurate. In central London there are clear signs the road speed limit is 20mph (markings on road and signs up) yet google maps will tell me its 30mph. If I believed google maps I would have had countless tickets.

The sign is facing the way of oncoming traffic to show them where you are in is 30...so yes you were speeding. I have only been caught twice in 30 odd years both times for 36 and its correct that I was but annoying.

I agree! My car tells me what speed the road is by using the front camera and while it’s accurate most of the time - it isn’t perfect!

I was driving down a 30mph road and my car said it was 50mph! Thankfully I saw the sign saying 30 otherwise the speed camera would have caught me.

Sorry OP it looks like you were speeding. Learn from it and hopefully you’re offered a speed awareness course

Don't worry OP, you will just have to go on a speed awareness course and you won't get points or anything.

I speak as a fellow member of the 36-in-a-30-zone club, surely the tamest bunch of outlaws ever.

OK - it looks like i was speeding 😳

Like pp this is only the 2nd time and i've been driving since 1990.

I've google street view'd all along that bit and found the bit of road where the pic was taken. It's a weird bit, a little further back than i thought, but before the village. There are 30 signs pointing each way.

It's a fair cop then.

It will be a course for that, they are probably still doing them online.

Ooh really? That would be handy.

Missing the point of thread, but the google st view was from 2009 and everything looks so much nicer back then. Apart from the fact that it was sunny! The verges of the village is all mowed nicely and there were hardly any potholes!

They've done a lot of extending of 30 mph zones around villages round our way too over the last few years. What was national speed limit has now dropped to 30 so you have to keep your eyes peeled.

I did an online course for an infringement made at the end of Oct.
It was 3hrs long, including a break. Just 4 other offenders and 2 people taking the course.
It was very, very well done and very useful.