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.

https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/speeding/if-youve-received-a-speed-camera-activation-letter-or-notice/

This is Hampshire Police guidance on speed awareness courses.

Oh here we go- judgy people on their high horse!

But as you say - it's just guidance - nobody is entitled to be offered a course no matter what speed they were caught doing, it's entirely at the discretion of the police.

While the general "rule" is that you're offered a course up to a certain speed, you can't expect it or demand it.

I would seek a solicitors advice. I know of someone who had something similar, they were successful in arguing a ban was unfair as due to the closeness in the fines/points being accumulated they had not been given the opportunity to learn from their mistake.

It was only unfamiliar the first time you drove along it. I have a relative receive 3 tickets in a short space of time and she sounds like you .... long driving history, no points blah blah. Pay more attention in future. Speed kills.

I think it cones from very insecure and/or people. They are either projecting or are so bored in their lives that they need to stick the boot in. Wouldn't it be great to be so perfect like them!!

Do you have a dash cam? It might be worth going through the footage so you can see what was visible at the time you were driving.

People saying 'you need to be more careful' - you can only look at one thing at one time. So if you're navigating a tricky junction that you've not done before you are checking your mirrors, in front of you and focusing on that - you could even have a van obscuring the signage or weather that affects visibility.

Missing a sign can be momentary when your eyes are elsewhere - I really disagree with no repeater signs, seems designed to catch you out.

If its 20mph then this needs to be on the road at regular intervals so it cannot be missed as you drive. This should be universal across the whole country, not decided by different councils.

Cash strapped councils could be seen to be seeking to create revenue by deliberately minimising signage/ creating confusion.

I stand corrected! Still no ban though on 9 points. There’s no fine if you take the course, although the cost if the course is the same amount as the fine!

https://www.jdspicer.co.uk/site/people/profile/jonathan.lynn

I'm a sensible driver, advanced driving, stick to speed limits etc. Never had a blip in 30yrs. But yes, it would be harsh if you lost your licence for this. Hopefully it'll be points and a speeding awareness course.

The reason all the scummy drivers get away with speeding through red lights, drug driving etc is because they're on ghost plates. It's a collosal problem and the DVLA and police need a lot of money to try and get a grip on it.

Not really. And road deaths are down. Councils are free to set whatever speed limits they like on individual stretches of road, but it’s from. Base of 20mph instead of 30mph.

It's saved lots of lives/life changing injuries plus a fortune in post- accident costs.

@Zov
you might be arguing for nothing
it sounds like the op has only recieved the nip’s in the post
she needs to return them and then will find out if she’ll be offered an awareness course
as I said before she needs to look at the speeds and send in the lowest one first to try and get the course then take the others for the nine points

Take the option that means you go to court and explain what happened. You can argue your way into keeping your license on points based bans.

Also, talk to a criminal solicitor. I thought they couldn’t fine you repeatedly like this for sake time of day, same stretch of road but I’m not an expert.

Whatever you do, don’t just pay the fines and accept the points. Argue your case and explain to a magistrate. They are likely to be sympathetic. Especially if you need to drive to get to work, get kids to school, take elderly parents to appointments etc.

But invest in a decent local solicitor.

You’re not right though - there is no legal entitlement to a course

https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/speeding/if-youve-received-a-speed-camera-activation-letter-or-notice/

It's worth mentioning on this thread that there are lots of English towns with 20mph limits throughout - it's not just Wales.

Our town is kind of divided by a bridge and every road on the left side of the bridge is 20mph, but there aren't constant signs. You have to go over the bridge to access the town so there's a big sign on the bridge but that's it, no reminders.

Can you do a speed awareness course for the first offence? That would mean you would only get 9pts for the remaining offences.

If not then I would also try the court route and hope the judge takes mercy on you given your previously long and clean driving history, and perhaps agrees to reduce it to 9 so you’re essentially on your last chance, which I think would be ‘fair’.

In wales it doesn’t have to be on the road at regular intervals. 20 is the default speed limit

We live next door to Wales.
We don't visit any more.

They’ll do it in date of offence order not date received

Apparently the offences have to have been incurred on the same day to be treated as one

That sounds reasonable, @PrincessofWells; after all, depending on how many cameras there are, someone could easily be caught by more than one after failing to notice signs once ... but if it's been on four separate days I fail to see where the defence comes in

And for the few sneering about people being "holier than thou", try being half crippled by someone else who "didn't see" and you may well feel differently about this

Have you checked the signage on Google earth? Take some screenshots and also go back there if you can

Why ever not? Can’t you drive properly?
Best you don’t rally if you can’t. Better not go t9 London, or Bristol or Birmingham or any one of 60 local authorities in England which have 20mph zones. Could be quite limiting. Or you could learn to drive properly.

What if you get in a car and start driving on the other side of the bridge? If there are no signs, the default speed limit where there is regular street lighting is 30mph.

ETA: in England obvs. its 20mph in Wales.

It doesn't work like that, though.

They'll be dealt with in date order, not from "lowest to highest".