12pts in a week - driving ban

[Jarofgoodness]

I can't believe that this is happening.

I am normally such a careful driver. I hate speeding, always use the speed limiter on my car and have never had even 3pts on my licence in almost 30 years of driving.

Last month I worked away from home for a week, and on the way to my temporary workplace there was a road which I thought was a 30mph road but which was actually a 20. I got caught speeding (high 20s) every single day, and yesterday received four speeding fines in the post at once. £400 in fines but also 12pts which means a mandatory six month driving ban!

I simply cannot believe that this is happening. I know that it is my responsibility to know the speed limit, and that I shouldn't break it. But this punishment seems wildly excessive and unfair to me. I have 30 years of spotless driving, and have not suddenly become dangerous in a week. Surely someone can see the pattern here and note that it was multiple times making the same simple mistake in exactly the same place? I didn't even have time to reflect on one speeding ticket and change my driving behaviour because they all arrived at once, after I had left the area!

What can i do? I am not expecting sympathy as I know I am only receiving the punishment due to me. But I may well lose my job. The form says that I can plead 'exceptional hardship' in court but that losing employment doesn't count.

I see boy racers all the time and yet I am getting banned! It just seems such an unfairness.

If you don’t have anything previous you should be able to do a speed awareness course for the first one. Then it’s 9 points. Still not great and very frustrating but better than a ban.

Even though it was the same thing on the same bit of road, it was still an offence (and a potential danger) each time. Check that the correct signs were there as it seems odd to miss them so many times. Then hope for leniency - and be more vigilant in future. You do have my sympathy though.

Somebody who worked for my husband got to 12 points - DH went to court and said the guy would lose his job if he lost his license (which was true), gave a character reference and he kept his license.

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Very self righteous and you sound ridiculous. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury was done recently.

You need a good solicitor who specialises in potential bans. They will appoint a barrister to speak on your behalf in court. It’ll cost about £1500 plus any fine you get. Plead hardship via the affects any potential ban would have on family members (or your job). Ie caring for elderly parents or children. Detrimental affect on your family etc. Ask the barrister to schedule a date where the magistrates are hearing similar cases and where they will have time to state your case in detail (20 mins). The fact that you have a flawless driving history and that all points were on same road in the same week will be looked on favourably. Last but not least wait for the paperwork to come through to make sure they are taking this to court and not just offering you a speed awareness course! Breathe. It’s not an automatic ban if you go to court - plenty of people out there driving on more than 12 points

Volunteer testing an a driverless car, Op.

No, just take all legal advice and front up to court contrite.

Do you have legal cover on your insurance policy OP? It's usually always offered for an additional fee (£20ish) If so, call them for advice.

Please stop advising people shit like that! Speeding is a mistake, lying about it take you the next step up to a criminal dishonesty offence. OP, whatever you do, don't do that!

Go to court and contest it. If you have such a careful record there can’t have been good enough signage. And yes they DO take loss of employment into account it’s ridiculous to think they wouldn’t.

Go to Google Maps in Street View and see if there are any signs.

Haven’t they offered speed awareness course instead of points? Or maybe they don’t if it is multiple

The probelm is if the OP choses Court she might forfeit her right to a Speed awareness course. And going to Court does not guranatee a positive outcome, however there is chance she will only get 9 points and a curse if she takes it. I would be afraid to risk it but considering people have had good experiences with Court maybe she is lucky. But even so, if she goes to court she might not be banned but given the full 12 points? Is a risk no matter how you look at it. I would not know what to do.

OP if you have no other convictions you should get offered a speed awareness course for one of the fines. Or have they explicitly said it’s 12 points and a ban?

a similar thing happened to somebody I know

Sympathy for you, OP. I had two letters this week for speeding on the same stretch of road (journeys there and back) and am now awaiting notification of my punishment - hoping a speed awareness course will save me three points. But it's blinkin' annoying after having my licence clean for 52 years to have blotted my copybook for being 5mph over the limit.
As others have said, if you do the course you shouldn't get a ban.
Sending good wishes xx

From what the OP has said so far, they have only had the NIPs so far do don't have any points on their licence yet.
You should know that loss of employment is not a strong argument as it depends on many factors.
Exceptional Hardship often relies on the effect on others, not just the license holder.

I feel for you OP. 20mph is an absolute joke of a speed tbh. Theres a few 20mph roads near-ish me and i very much doubt anyone does 20 on them. Hope you get it sorted 🤞🏻

Some 20 zones don't have repeaters as standard. You enter the Zone and are expected to notice.

I would appeal on the basis of it being a "single offence". You thought it was a 30 Zone and were caught multiple times presumably by the same camera. You haven't broken the speed limit in different areas. I would argue you were unfamiliar with the area. Go and check for the 20 signs. How did you miss them? You could claim they weren't clear for example.

My advice is naturally predicated upon the OP being prosecuted in relation to the speeding matters.

And, with 25 years experience in criminal law, I do consider that loss of employment is likely to be persuasive evidence of exceptional hardship. Whilst it often depends upon the effect on others, that is not a determinative requirement.

You should be able to do a driver’s awareness course for the first speeding ticket and then you have to drive like a snail for 4 years.
Unfortunately this happened to my 81 year old dad when they moved house and he thought a road was 40 when it was 30, he got 5 tickets in a month. He went to court to try for exceptional circumstances as being the only driver in the house. He still lost his license. He had great fun in a mobility scooter for 6 months and then got his licence back. Sadly he died 3 months later.
Send off for the driver’s awareness course as soon as it gets offered, I’m pretty sure it means you going back to the area where you got the fine though to do the course so drive very slowly once you’re there!

I believe that there are lawyers who specialise in getting people out of bans. I would imagine it’s. expensive. I wonder though, if you did one speed awareness course if that would take you to 9 points ?

They're mostly online now so no need to return to the area where you got the ticket!

Which section of road was it? Have a look on Street View to check the signage. If you post the road / area name here I'm sure people can help check for you x

What happened to them?