Please help - speeding notice - worry about ban

[speedingadvice]

Please can someone give us some advice? My husband just been caught doing 76 in a 50 zone. It was on a busy dual carriageway, white van driving close up behind him and 50 yards from it turning into a 70 dual carriage way.

He needs to drive for work - it is his livelihood. He has never had a point before having been driving for 27 years. Looking at the details it is really bad (level c?) - and may involve a ban. Does anyone have experience of this? Does the situation mean a court may be more lenient? When do you get a lawyer involved? Might they just give him a fine? How do they work this ou if you are self employed with no fixed income?

He is inconsolable. Please help.

27 years without any points is good! I've never had any points either in 35 years and I drive a lot. However, I think a lot of not having had any points is pure luck. 😳 I really try to be careful but still catch myself speeding sometimes. I also speed slightly on long motorway journeys where I think the conditions are OK. 🤷🏻‍♀️ No excuse though.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/driver-62-penalty-points-licence-exceed-limit-still-on-road-investigation-bbc-a7594891.html

It’s the last two paragraphs

If you drive the same way to work everyday and cameras are placed on the route therefore catching you speed, once speeding to work would be bad, twice pretty awful, three time inexcusable and four times irresponsible and clearly a driver that doesn’t have any regard for other people on the road 5 times and you don’t deserve to have a licence as you’re a danger to others

Also a JP. 28 days off the road in my court.

Remind him not to drive to court because disqualification begins at that moment. Someone else with separate insurance would then have to pick up his car.

And the insurance company will cane him too.

I'm not brimming over with sympathy.

Sorry if I've missed it but has he actually been summoned?

IIRR you have to be doing 30 over the posted speed to go to court.

To be fair to the OP, I don't think she was asking for any sympathy. 💁🏻

IIRR you have to be doing 30 over the posted speed to go to court.

I am not sure where this info is from but it is not true.

Interesting Andrewofgg, i’d probably go for 14 days but these things are always up for discussion.

Would you agree about it not being worth a solicitor out of interest?

Would be interesting to get your input on the ‘ will I go to prison?’ thread too.

@JustanotherJP it was mentioned to me when my husband was caught doing 96 in a 60 but that was 7 years ago.

For the OP, he got no ban, cost us over £1100 fine and solicitor and he learnt a very valuable lesson and now has his speed limiter on wherever he goes as it was the most worrying time thinking he was going to lose his job.

All this worry about losing his job makes me angry. What about the damage it could have done?

Because of a selfish person speeding my husband lost a family member in a nasty crash. 13 years later it still haunts him.

Speed kills.

If this chap is articulate and knows how to act humble he can do without a solicitor. If he is not or does not he had better pay for one to be articulate and act humble for him. And if that sounds cynical: I am a solicitor as well as a JP!

Speed kills.

No, inappropriate speed kills. Exceeding an arbitrary figure is not in itself dangerous, although limits have to be set somewhere. Anyone who believes themselves a safe driver simply because they never exceed a speed limit is quite likely mistaken. Most of the truely aweful, dangerous driving I see on a daily basis happens well below the speed limit.

OP - had he received a summons or just an NIP? Is there a chance he may get away with a fixed penalty? I got an FP for 81 in a 60 a few years ago, although I appreciate your DH was going faster in relation to the limit.

Van close up behind him is a lame excuse. If someone is tailgating you slow down, not speed up