What is the likely to happen DS 17 caught on speed camera only just passed his test.

[Fretfulparent]

Utterly horrified after opening the post today. My DS who only passed his driving test 3 weeks ago has been caught by a speed camera doing 41 in a 30 zone. The letter came to me as the car is registered in my name. He is very upset and remorseful but that not to going to change the consequences . We have to send the form back stating he is the driver.
What is likely to happen?
Can he go on a speed awareness course if you is a newly qualified driver or will it be a fine and points?
I am so upset and angry.

Not entirely sure, but I think he'll lose his licence if there's a motoring offence within the first 2 years. Check with DVLA.

He will get a minimum of 3 points and 100quid fine. As a new driver he has max 6 points allowed on license.

Its possible he will be offered a speed awareness course instead of but assume aswell as.

I'm sorry OP, there's no way he'll get a speed awareness course at that's speed, there's little or no leeway at 30mph zones.

Have you asked him why he would be speeding in a 30mph zone? It's such a shame for him but it is what it is and there's really no excuse, not in a residential area.

I imagine someone will be on who knows more about this and the likely sanctions but I think the penalties are higher for new drivers. When I first saw your thread I wondered if he'd have his licence revoked. :(

He'll lose his license if he gets 6 points within the first 2 years.

And if he's driving your car on your insurance it will now go through the roof. You have to inform the insurance company

Speed awareness courses are only offered if you aren't speeding by too much (a few miles over the limit)

It doesn't sound like he is responsible enough to be driving, I'd certainly not be mending him my car if I was you.

As PP said at least 3 points, if not more than that. I’ve never heard of speed awareness courses being offered to my age group but I could be wrong. As a new driver you’re technically speaking “under probation” so if he gets six points his licence will be revoked.

31/32 mph in a 30 zone - easily done. 41? Surely he would’ve known he was going too fast, especially if he was on a familiar route from when he’d been learning to drive. 41 definitely feels faster than 30 to me!

Also agree that he doesn’t sound particularly responsible. Did he do Pass Plus after his test?

just looked back and saw what speed he was actually doing. No fucking way would I be letting him drive my car again doing 41 in a 30. 33/34 yes. 41??

Erm, his first speeding ticket and fine has come early. I think that a speed awareness course is only for being caught up to five or ten miles an hour over the speed limit.

As a young driver, he probably feels bad about this. He will get over it (I realise you are upset too.)

If it's penalty points and a fine, then he will probably get three points on his licence and a sixty quid fine.

This is going to increase his (already sky high on your insurance) premiums.

Check the details about young drivers only needing six penalty points to lose their licence up to a certain age.

NapQueen - thank you for your input.

Depending on the car with a measured speed of 41mph the speedo could have been reading 45mph. I’d want to know why he was driving that speed in a 30mph area.

I think 41mph in a 30 zone is the cut off point for a speed awareness course, that’s what DH’s recent letter stated

Speed awareness courses are given as option on speeds of more than a few miles over .
My brother was doing over a 100 (twat) showing off in his new sports car when he should have been doing 70
Police averaged his speed at 98 , this was on a dual carriageway.
He had to do a course and had a small fine .
Mind you this was when courses were first offered and he has since sold car as think the temptation to speed was just too much for him .
Hope that your son doesn't lose his licence as I'm sure the shock of this will stay with him and he will be more sensible in future .
Nothing like the shock of loosing something you worked hard to get .

Not defending him as such - but it does depend a bit on the roads around you and how drivers actually use them.

There are loads of country roads around me that switch from 50 or 60 down to 30, then back again fairly quickly; and the number of drivers who either blaze through or drop vaguely to 40 is amazing.

If you're driving on autopilot for a moment and just follow the flow it's easily done. If you do slow to 30 you get tailgated relentlessly and aggressively (bitter voice of experience here).

So I could easily see drivers getting caught even when trying not to.

This is good in a way though OP - there was no accident, he didn't hurt anyone, and he'll hopefully be much more careful in future.

My friends son was caught speeding not long after his test and had to resit his driving test all over again

But he'd did have 6 points

Merseyside Police publish the criteria for offering a Speed Awareness Course (SAC) instead of the fine + 3 points here:
www.merseyside.police.uk/advice-and-protection/policing-the-roads/tickets-and-traffic-offence-reports/traffic-offence-reports/

As you can see, driving up to 42 mph when the speed limit is 30 mph is eligible for the SAC although the offer of a SAC instead of the fine + 3 points is at the discretion of the police.

I do not know if difference police forces have different criteria, perhaps you could check your local force website?

Here you go, OP. No awareness course. The link below is helpful and it's a government site.

Speed limit: 30 mph

ACPO threshold for:
•a fixed penalty or a Speed Awareness course: 35 mph
•summoning: 50 mph

www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/road-traffic-offences-guidance-fixed-penalty-notices

Good luck; your son won't forget this and that's a good thing. I've had points/done speed awareness courses myself and it is easily done.

The rules to qualify for the speed awareness course are up to 42mph in a 30 zone so hopefully he will be offered it. When my DSs were in sixth form quite a few friends went on them so they are definitely offered to new drivers.

For one of my DSs after he had acquired points we bought a Skoda Fabia which is insurance group 3. This reduced the insurance costs substantially from what they increased to on the Yaris he had had previously so changing car may be something to look into.

Ask the Police website does say that different forces operate different criteria for the Speed Awareness Course:

www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q584.htm

Gosh thank you for all your responses.
It was an unfamiliar road near a relatives house and his first time driving there. Look like it was where it went from 40 to 30. No excuse as clearly not paying enough attention. He even saw the camera but didn't twig his speed. I am totally gutted he could be such an idiot. He is such a careful boy usually. He passed his test with only one minor and he has had a couple of motorway lessons since with his instructor who was very happy with him.
It could have been so much worse so I can't make any excuses for him.
My husband who is more laid back than me seems to think he will get the option of the speed course but having had a google the speed is at the upper limit of the range and 3-6 points more likely.

mysteryfairy - that is is very reassuring thank you.

I think he'll get 3 points. If a new driver receives 6 points within the first two years of passing they lose their licence for a year and then have to do everything again - the theory test and the practical test which will be 70 minutes instead of 40!! Plus insurance would be sky high after losing licence and prob unaffordable to most (its expensive enough anyway!).

I only know all this as DD passed her test two weeks ago and was horrified at the consequences of just two speeding offences in two years.

If nothing else he will have learned his lesson and will never do this again. I say this as someone who got caught doing 41 in a 30 zone having not paid enough attention to the speed limit. I am now very very attentive to speed limit signage.