To worry DD25 could get a driving ban?

[showslope]

DD26 has been driving for five years. She's usually a great driver & a sensible person all round.

On her way to work nights a couple of weeks ago, she went through a red light at speed. She knows how dangerous this was & was beating herself up about it. She couldn't slow down in time to stop safely (I know this is a speed issue).

She was rushing to get to work as she was going to be late & there were hardly any cars & no people around. However, she did think it was a 40 zone as the signage wasn't great, the other side of the road was a 40 limit, and the area used to be a 40 when she was last there many years ago.

Last week, she got the letter through asking for her to confirm she was driving when this happened. The letter mentions the speed but there's no clear mention of her going through the red light (though it was a speed and red light camera that caught her).

She hasn't had any previous driving offences. She isn't eligible for a speed awareness course as the speed is too high for that.

Understandably, she's now terrified she's going to get a driving ban (needs the car for work). Of course she knows it'd be her own fault, but she's sick with worry and has to wait for the next letter to find out what will happen.

Anyone know what the most likely answer is?

My sentiments too. If she genuinely thought she was in a 40 zone, that is still a hell of a lot over the limit. That's not the sort of thing that happens as a one off. We've all let our speed creep up without noticing at some point in time, but you are talking 2 - 4mph over the limit (which is not excuse, but it happens), but she was going 14mph over what she thought was the limit and 24mph over the actual limit. Sorry but I don't accept this was either a one off or inadvertant. Hopefully she will learn from this experience, and whatever sanction she gets, and be more careful with her own life and the lives of those around her in the future.

I’m regularly overtaken by idiots doing a similiar speed to your daughter in the thirty zones I drive through every day and it’s excessive and scary and I always hope to god they don’t end up mowing some one down.. it’s a rural area with the thirty zones being little hamlets on the way and I’m sure they’d use the same argument .. quiet road etc .. but I long for there to be a police car sitting round the corner ready to throw the book at them
I’m sorry but there’s never an excuse for that speed in a 30 , it’s 30 for a reason .
she may well face a ban , I think that much over the limit will be a court appearance at least and certainly if no ban .. a heap of points and a hefty fine plus the implications of higher car insurance

Hopefully she gets a ban.

Losing her job is better than someone (or her) losing their life.

I’m concerned that you seem more worried about the consequences rather than her actions.

I find it really bizarre that her defence seems to be that she thought it was a 40 zone. Even at a 40 limit she was doing 14mph over it - which is significant.

If she went through a fixed camera at 54mph thinking it was a 40 limit, what did she expect to happen? Cameras are usually visible - was she not paying attention? If she was driving to work presumably it's a route she knows well, so why didn't she know the speed limit and the fact that the camera was there?

Something doesn't add up.

People who drive like that terrify me. Double the speed limit, not paying attention -this is why my friend has raised two kids alone when her husband was killed by a driver doing the same.
I genuinely hope she does get a hefty punishment. Everyone makes mistakes, but when your mistakes could potentially cause such harm to others you need to pay the price.

Even if she was accurate in thinking it was a 40, that’s still a significant amount over the limit. 54 in a 30 is not a mistake and it won’t be the first time she’s driven like that. She absolutely deserves a consequence of some kind. Fucking hell, so dangerous.

Yes, I am in no way minimising the excessive speed here but even if you are 3 or 4mph over, you are still breaking the law and increasing the chances of catastrophe if something does go wrong - so how does that make you any less culpable? A speed limit is a maximum, not a target.

The lecturing just pisses me off. The OP didn't send her daughter out to break the law. She posted here to ask for advice

I got done doing 72 in a 40 zone a few years back. Road was a dual carriageway and went to 70 after the roundabout where I got caught.
I got 6 points and a fine (had to go to court though). I think a ban is unlikely in your case.

It's not the speed. It's driving carelessly amd aithout due care and attention. She shld count herself lucky she didn't hit anyone. She would've killed them. She needs to learn her lesson.

It absolutely is the speed.

And anything could have happened - a cat, a fox, a badger running out in front of her. Incredibly reckless and dangerous - but I guess she probably knows that now?

The rise in her insurance premium and points on her licence should be sufficient though to wise her up, without a ban. Good people also do stupid things though. She's been lucky, this time, in fact.

I didn't explain myself. The speed is obviously an issue. My point was meant to be how she allowed herself to drive so fast and go through a red light. Also, low speeds are also potentially life changing ad I experienced last year when knocked over by a car going at 10mph but fractured my femur and in a wheelchair for mnths. At one point there was talk of amputation. 15mnths on I'm still not recovered.

Bloody hell, 54 in a 30 deserves a ban, but it's not likely unfortunately. 6 points is I would imagine.

My life has been ruined by someone that was usually a great driver & a sensible person all round but decided he could speed that one time. I will spend the rest of my life in pain, on meds and limited mobility because of him. I can't do my job, chop a carrot or some days even shower without help because he had to be at work. So yes, I hope she does lose her licence. Sad you are more worried about her losing her licence and not the damage she could have caused.

Not really. The speed alone is enough to qualify her for a ban.

I find it hard to believe that she's usually a great driver but on this one occasion she drove so recklessly and got caught (it's like how those caught drink driving- it's always the first time).

She'll be a great driver when you're in the car but I imagine she drives like a twat when you do don't see.

Hopefully this will be a wake up call before she kills someoneZ

I also wonder, how did the story change from what she told your husband? Running a red light because she couldn't slow down in time is very specific. If she didn't run a red light what was it she couldn't slow down in time for?

This. I see examples of bad driving every day. Today for example, really bad weather conditions with standing water in the road which can cause aquaplaning if you aren’t careful..the number of speeding cars was ridiculous.

No one does 54 in a 30 by accident.

Fuck me 54 in a 30 zone is disgraceful.

hopefully this/the consequences of this are enough to scare her shitless and she will never make such a bad decision again. I hope you have had a conversation with her about how dangerous this really, both for her and other people, and that being in a rush to get to work is no excuse.

She is probably a perfectly nice person who made a terrible judgement and has learnt from it. I hope so

I do believe in giving people a chance but if she continues to drive so badly frankly she needs a ban

And actually I did a speed awareness course about 5 years ago - got caught doing 36 in a 30 zone. The road coming into the town was National speed limit before changing to 30 and I just didn’t slow down sufficiently. My fault I know. Always considered myself a sensible and careful driver.

it was actually a really helpful course and made me consider things I hadn’t before. There is stuff I learnt then that I still consciously use now, all the time.

it sounds like something like this would benefit your DD, OP

I know an ex cop in a different job now was doing 45mph over on a motorway. No ban, even kept his job despite with others it being instant dismissal for speeding in a works van. If your face fits... absolutely disgusting he got away with it. So OP who knows. I suspect points and a fine only.

Hope your daughter doesn’t have too long to wait to find out what her punishment will be. Hopefully she’s learnt her lesson.

Did your daughter get a letter?

What happened @showslope ?