To be terrified I'll lose my license

[PepsiMaxx0]

I have a clean driving license. Driving for over 40 years with no incidents. Like many others I sometimes go over the limit on motorways if I consider it safe to do so....
I was travelling back from Manchester airport on the m62 during the early hours of this morning. Almost empty motorway. Doing about 80mph average I would say. Occasionally crept to 85. I noticed a camera flash on the gantry. No limits were lit up. I assumed it was from the other side and carried on. Several miles later it did it again and yes for a 3rd time which is when I thought this is too much of a coincidence it must be me! I've just woken and have that sick feeling. The only defence I can offer is motorway was empty, it was between 4 - 5 am this happened and I do not think I was driving dangerously. I just wanted to get home to bed after a late night flight. What will be the penalty for this?

Maximum of 9 points

Hopefully you'll get points and a fine, maybe even a ban. Speeding kills.

You do realise that’s not a defence don’t you? The law is the law, it’s not the just a recommendation dependent on whether YOU believe it’s safe to do so.

If you were going 85 in a 70 and were caughty numerous times it’s unlikely you’ll be offered an awareness course as being 15mph over IS dangerous driving, so points, fine & a ban potentially.

The best way to not get prosecuted is not to do the crime.

I've been flashed a couple of times and nothing's ever happened. Sometimes it looks like a flash but it's actually bridges doing funny things with how lights from oncoming traffic appear to flash as the bridge temporarily interrupts them.

Why didn't you slow down the first time you got flashed?

Why on earth didn't you think the camera would be flashing you? You were consistently driving at 10-15 over the already high speed limit?! The speed limit applies at night. And when the motorway isn't busy.
Could you have reacted when some other idiot driving at what they thought wasn't a dangerous speed lost control of their vehicle?

I hope you do lose your licence.

The M62 is riddled with cameras, the average speed doesn’t have to be up. anything over the speed limit will trigger them.
so you probably have been flashed three times. Depending on the speed you were actually doing the first one you probably will get a speed awareness course for, based on the 10% + 2 rule… so basically up to 79 it would be speed awareness. The next you might be get points for - so six all in all.

You won’t lose your licence don’t panic

Its hard to say whether you will get fined or not. For example they might set the camera to flash only between 75 and 85 mph to give a warning. And only issue a fine if it is over 85 mph. Or they may only fine when the limits are displayed, but the cameras will still flash anyway. So you will just have to wait and see.

I have a rule never to go through those motorway gantry cameras more than 10 mph over the limit (either the full limit or what is displayed). So far I have never been fined.

If you are getting flashed it is at the very minimum a warning. So you should slow down.

80 going through a no limit gantry cam, I would be surprised if you got fined. When you take into account your speedo is also probably reading over. 85 I think is probably starting to get into the territory where it is a possibility.

At the end of the day you will just have to wait and see.

Totally agree

Point but doubt it will be a ban.

Most people would slow down after one flash.

Speed limits are there for a reason

When I was younger and foolish, I often drove faster than I should.

From the age of late 20's, even before the 20mph limits, I had driven lot slower in side streets and built up areas

What many fail to understand that the 'speed limit' is the LIMIT, the MAX and you can be done for driving within the limit but booked for careless/dangerous driving if conditions are poor and the speed limit is not safe at the time.

I've seen people come down side streets in their usual clownish style ie breaking last second at junction as often they have no intention of stopping, but with wet roads, snow the clowns then cause an accident on the main road they slip into. That is careless, dangerous driving.

You will get points if it is as you say and you have no outstanding points

This ^

Like many others I sometimes go over the limit on motorways if I consider it safe to do so....

There’s a difference between your speed sometimes creeping up and you noticing and correcting it and wilfully disregarding speed limits which is what you did.

Oh yes - and if you are terrified at the prospect of losing your license probably best not to drive over the speed limit.

It's ok, the speed limit only applies to people who don't want to get back to bed.

Not saying it was OK OP, but as PP says, sometimes when it's dark it feels like you're being flashed when it's actually just a bright light shining through the gantry/bridges from the side of the road. Happened to me on the A1 at Christmas. I was confused, I'd only been doing 70 so didn't think it could have been a camera, then noticed it happening again and again. So you may be OK. Next time, don't speed.

If no limits are lit up, it means that the national speed limit of 70mph applies, not that there's no limit.

You were consistently speeding. I'm not sure what you were expecting to happen when you went past cameras?

I noticed a camera flash on the gantry. No limits were lit up. I assumed it was from the other side and carried on.

On this bit, what do you mean by no limits were up so you assumed it was the other side? If no limits are up it is still national speed limit so I don't know why you would have assumed it was the other side if you knew you were speeding? Nit having a dig, I'm just wondering if there is some urban myth I don't know about. But yes unfortunately the m62 has absolutely loads of cameras so it may be a few have got you

I know I have no legal defence....I should have slowed down at the first 1 and definitely at the 2nd. I was foolish but just wanted to get home. I'm not going to go into details but we had really bad news whilst away and tried to come home earlier but no available flights so I was pretty desperate to get home. I know this doesn't excuse it.
I think I was doing between 80 - 85 when they flashed.

Maximum is 9 points, however if you were caught 3 times you could get a big fine and they could consider taking your licence.

Speeding kills, it doesn't matter if you wanted to get back to bed. One mistake and you could of killed someone. Selfish selfish selfish!

I believe though that if you do get 3 x letters, you can choose to go to court, you can argue that all three cameras caught the same offence and the judge may choose to give you less points.

I think there was speed limit restrictions on the other carriageway the first time (set to 50) so I assumed it was a reflection. I didn't know cameras worked on smart motorways unless they were actively lit up with a lowered limit on.....

of any help @PepsiMaxx0?

www.webuyanycar.com/guides/car-ownership/speed-fine-calculator/

You have no defence FULL STOP

im not sure how any if your excuses make it any better, they only make it worse! You’ll have been tired from a night flight and you had bad news so were no doubt stressed out and distracted!

maybe just take your punishment and be grateful you weren’t the cause of bad news for other people who may have been on holiday

Sorry when you considered it safe to do so .?sorry speed kills I hope you get a ban clearly 3 times on one trip ..I have never once saw my hubby break the speed limit its there for a reason and so early in morning when you were probably tired makes it worse

You thought speed cameras only work on motorways if there is a temporary speed limit bellow the normal 70? But if it's NSL as usual there are no cameras in use? Really?