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Original poster

I got flashed by speed camera going to friend in labour - what to do?

68 replies

mears · 14/09/2005 23:00

As some of you know I delivered a friend/colleague's baby inher car at a layby the other night .

What I didn't include in my story was the fact that when I was driving to her house I got slightly lost and then got flashed by a speed camera. I was doing just over 40mph in a 30 zone (I actually thought it was 40).

Now my dilemma is that I already have 6 point so another 3 would get me dangerously close to losing my licence. My DH says I should say he was driving but that is illegal. My work colleague (whose DH is a lawyer) say I could appeal them because I was going to attend a woman in labour.

The flash actually went off and sort of blinded me so does that mean it was actually a car on the other side of the road that triggered it? If so I have no worry. If it was me, do you think I should appeal?

OP posts:
Hattie05 · 14/09/2005 23:02

Were the white measure lines on both sides of the road?
I would keep your fingers crossed that it was the other side of the road - the fact that it faced you .
I have been flashed before but nothing came of it so you could get lucky too!

princesspeahead · 14/09/2005 23:02

Yes, I think you should appeal. You have clear evidence that you needed to get to her quickly - her baby was born at the side of the road! I'm sure no magistrate will give you points for that.

However you need Cod the Destroyer, our resident Mag, to tell you what SHE would do.....

wartybosoms · 14/09/2005 23:02

yes - if its you appeal - you will have the hospital to back up the timing - I'm sure emergencies don't count - well you'd hope not!

Janh · 14/09/2005 23:02

Depends what kind of camera it was, mears - I will look for a link for you in a min, but the standard GATSO kind only work from the back and they are the really bright ones; there is another kind which does work from the front but is supposed not to be dazzling. (I was - ahem - researching this the other day )

Congrats on the delivery anyway, what an experience!

lilsmum · 14/09/2005 23:03

i thought it was illegal to flash you head on! i would definately appeal though...good luck

meggymoo · 14/09/2005 23:05

Message withdrawn

Janh · 14/09/2005 23:06

Here you go , mears. Would you recognise the one that flashed you? (oo-er matron)

Gatso at the top is the most common. Truvelo, the second one, works from the front.

Janh · 14/09/2005 23:07

Oh, Truvelo has no visible flash, allegedly. So it must have been a Gatso catching some other poor sod.

frogs · 14/09/2005 23:22

A GP friend told me recently that this happens to him from time to time when he's on call. Apparently the thing to do when you get the ticket is to write to the Chief Constable, as no-one else has the authority to cancel a ticket. Include the evidence (duty rota, etc).

He said it's always worked for him (he's a v. upright sort of guy, I'm sure he's not abusing it). It seems only reasonable that there should be some get-out clause for people who are sort of an emergency service.

Blu · 14/09/2005 23:28

Eek I don't like the look of those little grey ones...I thought those were merely to check on traffic jams...eeek, I was speeding around on motorways like mad all weekend!

Mears: where is the thread about your roadside assistance? Well done!

Easy · 14/09/2005 23:54

Mears, I've been flashed by cameras in the past and nothing came of it, so you may be O.K.

But I would appeal if I were you.

Blu · 14/09/2005 23:58

Yes, I have been flashed and heard nothing too.
But the appeal route sounds a good one.

Original poster
mears · 15/09/2005 00:41

Blu - the thread is here

Janh - it was a Gatso. Do you think it wasn't me then?

How long does it normally take to get notified - is it 2 weeks?

OP posts:
Janh · 15/09/2005 00:47

if it was a Gatso in your face then it wasn't you, mears

Max 14 days for ticket to reach you - doesn't count after that. (DH had one nearly 3 months late last week, I looked it up and was v pleased but then realised his is a company car and that's different )

ronniebaby · 15/09/2005 22:14

Janh - why is it different for comp cars????

SherlockLGJ · 15/09/2005 22:16

Just takes longer to get to the driver I suspect, summons to leasing company, then to company, then to driver.

I maybe wrong.

NannyL · 15/09/2005 22:24

Wher i live there are a few GATSO cameras and also alot of those ones that begin with T

I KNOW that the GATSO where i live only works in one direction (travelling west) and thats where the dotted line things are painted...

I regularly see people flashed (and i also regularly see the speed cameral people changing the fil etc... they seem to do it every other thursday!)

Anyway this camera does NOT look at people travelline east.... this camera is in a pretty stupid place... (well good for going west you are about to go into 'town' and have just come out of national speed limit) howver when going east you are only a few yards from national spped limit...

I know almost always travel past this speed camera doing around 40mph 9sometimes even more yes i admit it... but i am going INTO a national speed limit on a wide road between 2 fields.... NOT a residential area

cod · 15/09/2005 22:40

Message withdrawn

cod · 15/09/2005 22:41

Message withdrawn

wartybosoms · 15/09/2005 22:41

do you have a black cap ready on the bench m'lud?

cod · 15/09/2005 22:42

Message withdrawn

colditz · 15/09/2005 22:46

my friend got ticketed and lost her appeal, while her daughter was convulsing in the back of the car, as she was on her way to A and E!

I hate speed camaras.

wartybosoms · 15/09/2005 22:47

hm isn't on this thread

???????????????????????

RTKangaMummy · 15/09/2005 22:49

there are lots of truvelo in IOW that don't have details on that site

There is only 3 white lines very close together on the road

Janh · 15/09/2005 23:34

ronnie, LGJ is right - they have to get the initial letter to the reg keeper (leasing company in this case) within 14 days, after that it can take as long as it takes, unfortunately.

DH was flashed at 36 at 10.20pm on an empty dual carriageway in Leeds in June; if it had been Lancs he would have been offered speed awareness course at that speed, and no points, darn it. When the ticket hadn't turned up (and work didn't tell him they'd had it as they normally do) he'd thought it was a dummy so was seriously peed off when it did get here. Curses.