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?

There are lots of places with average speed check where you don't see any cameras flash. The cameras take your registration and you get the speeding infringement in the post. If you speed regularly you are likely to get caught by these even if you think you slowed down at potential sites of cameras.

There is no defence here OP, you were speeding and may or may not have been caught. You may or may not be prosecuted.

Sit tight and wait and hope, and slow down.

I don't know ANYONE who hasn't broken a speed limit now and again so ignore the haters though

Also bear in mind that your speedo usually reads a little high on the actual speed you are doing by a couple of mph.

Andy Burnham was fined just under £2k for going at 78 on the M62, and he got 6 points. There was a 40mph restriction at the time.

Depending on the camera locations its possible that all 3 could be considered a "continuous offence", and therefore you should only be punished for the first one (3 points or SAC, depending on the exact speed recorded). Its a similar kind of situation as described here: http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=153762

Assuming the car isn't hired or leased, check right now that your V5 (not your licence) is updated with the correct address to ensure any NIPs don't go missing - having an out of date address on the V5 is not a defence to the 14 day rule, and just causes lots of hassle. If you do receive anything, I'd really suggest getting expert advice from PePiPoo before responding.

You don’t have any defence. You knowingly was speeding and despite being flashed you continued to speed. Regardless to the motor way being “almost empty” or you needing to get home to bed these are not defences. You broke the law repeatedly and now you have a penalty to pay for that.

Again, not an excuse.

The limit is 70mph (and on the M62 I'm always on the lookout for it being 50 having spent so much time on it over the last 15 years).

You were doing 85mph which is well over the limit. Doesn't matter what time it was, or the circumstances. I don't think they need to signpost speed cameras very frequently either - there are certainly speed camera signs at various intervals on the motorway.

Own it op. You were driving way above the limit and you're now bricking it that you might lose your licence, face a fine, get some points and spend a fortune on insurance over the next few years.

I had lights flash at me on the M1 on Easter Monday evening, about 7:30pm. I was in the slow lane but maybe doing 75. Looking around, other cars were certainly going faster, so it may have been aimed at them. It just "felt" like it was at me.
I'm not unduly concerned though.

I posted a table above. There is no negotiating. It's set out in terms of limit and how much you exceed it by.

Up to [speed limit +10% +9mph] = offer of a course (if you're eligible, in not having done the course in past 3 years, etc.)

Ok that’s just daft and more likely to get her the maximum penalty.

No, not everyone goes above 70mph even where the motorway is clear. The M4 is riddled with average speed cameras. I wouldn’t have a license if I did what you did on a regular basis.

Bollocks. I probably average 80+ on motorways and in 30 years have never had points, an accident or killed anyone.

I generally drive late at night when there is no other fucker on the road. Average 25000 miles a year.

Yep I pretty much made up this rule and am happy with my appraisal of what is safe and what isn't, and accept the fact that part of being a member of society means occasionally my opinion and the governments will differ and I may end up paying the consequences of that. I'll quite happily drive on a motorway at 80, but I won't ever drive round housing estates at 30 because I consider it to be too dangerous.

Governments make up rules too. In France the limit is 80 mph. in Germany in some places the speed you can travel at is unlimited. Speed limits vary the world over because conditions change and different countries have different ideas of risk and punishments they want to impose. I don't believe the UK government has any better motivations for setting speed limits at 70 than the German one has at setting them unlimited.

My judgement is that the most dangerous activity on motorways is driving too fast in conditions of poor visibility followed closely by driving too close to the car in front. Neither of those issues are fully addressed by the concept of an invariant speed limit, which just mitigates the outcome in the event an accident takes place. The concept that "I must be safe because I am traveling under the speed limit" to me is as invalid as the concept that "I must be unsafe because I am traveling over the speed limit". What is required to be safe is to actually always be thinking and learning from your driving experiences, understand what is dangerous and what isn't and take steps to mitigate that. Not blind adherence to rules.

If you were consistently speeding, how on earth did you think you wouldn't be caught speeding? My car shows you where the cameras are with 600yds notice. The motorways are full of them. If your car has a limiter, it's a good idea you use it.

Well hopefully they'll catch up with you soon.

I won't repeat what others have said
Tbh i will also admit to sometimes driving above the speed limit particularly on motorways in conditions like you've described.

But that's usually at something like 75 - 85mph is quite a bit over. Obviously still "wrong" though and if I got caught I'd just have to hold my hands up. I am a bit surprised that it took 3 flashes for you to even consider it might be you, despute the quietness of the road, which does tend to suggest perhaps you weren't driving at full concentration? Usually just seeing a camera or police car is enough to give me a "ooh watch out!" and slow down for the rest of the journey - which is the presumed intention as much as actually catching people?

I always try to remind myself of the comparatively little difference speeding makes to the overall time of the journey - i.e. if you were driving at 80mph for 60 miles you'd only actually get there 6 minutes earlier than if you were driving at 70 (45mins vs 51). Put like that, as keen as you were to get home, is it worth the danger/fine?

@Itsaloadofbollocksbut not killed anyone.... yet. Until you do.

People like you ought to be banned from the roads. Gloating about speeding, wow what a decent human being. 🙄

Why would she get banned? The law won't ban her as the speeds not high enough and was a max of 3 times ( on same Rd) she was flashed. Get over your holier than thou shit. ( From someone with a clean license before you start)

I drive a lot further than that. I can save an hour on a 300 mile trip.

Meh. Odds are in my favour. Advanced driver quals (drove blue lights for a number of years), high awareness when driving. Have driven probably half a million miles in the UK without any incident ever.

Me at 85 on an empty motorway is a lot safer than the twats going 35-40 on a NSL dual carriageway bypass near me.

So you should be well aware of the consequences of selfish idiots driving at high speeds.

The self-entitlement of some never ceases to amaze me.

It's not up to YOU to decide what's safe. You probably won't lose your license, but fuck me, people like you shouldn't be on the roads.

They generally make mistakes. Speed isn’t dangerous on its own. It’s inappropriate speed that is. I don’t drive at inappropriate speeds. 85 on an empty, dry motorway when there is nobody else on it isn’t inappropriate.

I also have a race licence and excellent hand, eye, foot coordination. Some of us are just better drivers, I guess.

I’ll take my chances. Ta.

(I’m on the road when very few others are. Risk couldn’t be lower.)

I'd take someone driving sensibly at 85mph over somebody hogging the middle lane at 58mph any day of the week. Those are the dangerous drivers.

Neither of them are safe.