Is there anything we can do about an impending speeding prosecution on Tower Bridge?

[cluckyagain]

....past paying it?!! I've had the speeding prosecution letter this morning (addressed to me but was dh driving!) and it says that he was going 28mph in a 20 zone. Neither dh or I remember the 20mph sign (although we could just have not been looking closely enough) and he thought it was a 30 zone (hence the 28mph) Is it worth putting in a letter or doing anything else? Most put out as neither of us have been nabbed before! TIAxx

ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law.

If it was a 20 mph zone and he was doing 28 then he was speeding and should pay up.

just pay

'sorry I didn't see the sign' doesn't cut much ice in court

If you are really desperate to challenge it, you will need to go back to Tower Bridge and follow the approach you took, find out where the speed limit sign is, check the distance to the next repeater and make sure it is within the guidelines.

If it isn't you may be able to challenge the ticket. However, it does mean turning up at court and defending yourselves so you have to have photos of the signs, carefully measured distances etc. Much easier to just pay up.

Hi - turns out that dh did see the signs but sped up behind 2 other cars to catch the traffic lights!! He's most embarrased that he has been 'done' for doing only 28mph.

You need to tell them that DH was driving, otherwise they will be your points.

why didnt you pay it when you got the original speeding fine?
You may end up getting extra points. I got 4 instead of 3 for doing 36 in a 30 (long story about why it didnt get paid though, bot my fault)

Mosschops we only got the thing today - apparently I have to fill it out and send it back today and then they lovingly send it back with fine/points/court date apparently (I sincerely hope not!)
Lazyline - OH yes, we have informed them that the big 6 ft lump in the drivers seat with very short hair and enormous shoulders is in fact not MRS 'oddest looking bird ever' Clucky, but MR 'I married him for those shoulders I'll have you know!' Clucky.

You should only have a court date if you dont pay your fine in time though???? Otherwise its just fine and points AFAIK

Moss - oh I do hope so! I keep looking at web discussions on Tower Bridge though and most mention court appearances (although maybe they all appealed or somesuch?)

Hmm maybe

FWIW i have been done for speeding 3 times and all times I was issued with a fine and points and if you take that you didnt have to go to court.

Good luck

Thanks!

The speed limit is very possibly to keep the bascule bridge in active service for as many years as possible
You might be old and creaky yourself some day Mr Clucky

Hi Marina - I've been reading up on it and yes the fine's are apparently going to help keep the bridge up after previously years of heavy speeding cars and lorries - that's life I suppose. Mr Clucky is already feeling his age, and Mrs Clucky is positively groaning already!!

Have you seen that vintage footage of a Routemaster dodging the barriers at speed, and leaping a 2 foot and growing gap as the bascules go up for a ship clucky
I do love Tower Bridge, I have to admit.
What a completely outmoded and beautiful concept. Main cross-Thames route - Victorian and liable to be opened any time they see fit

You may be able to do a speeding course (I mean a non-speeding course, can't remember what they call it) It does cost £95 which is more than the fine, but you don't get points.

There's something very entertaining about being a pedestrian on Tower Bridge as it opens. Took me right back to being an exicted 6yo! AND I've been under it in a boat big enough that the bridge had to open.

See, so excited I can't even spell excited!

Marina - I haven't but will look it up! Rusty - hmm - don't know how that one will go down with 'El Criminale' dh!!! It is an idea though as the points annoy me intensely as they will put our sodding car insurance up. Do you have any details at all as I may be able to persuade him (promise of 3 times in 3 nights would do it!!)

Disclaimer: It was DH who had to do it , not me!
He had to register online & could pick his date (I think from a choice of two or three, you have to do it within a certain time, think it was 12 weeks, but I'm not sure.

He had to go to a place in North London (we live in Berkshire) I'm not sure if you get a choice of venue, or whether you just get sent to one near you.

It took about 3 hours & there were computer game type simulations where you click to respond to dangers & click when you think you're too close to car in front - at the end you get a certificate to say whether you are average/better/worse than average. Then there was a discussion on why we have speed limits, braking distances, survival chances of pedestrians at different speeds.

The letter he got said that he had to show a 'change in attitude' but that was not actually mentioned again & I think all it meant was that you weren't supposed to sit at the back & heckle!

Message withdrawn

Interesting stuff guys - thanks for all the info. xx

Speeding points don't automatically increase your insurance premiums. DH got 3 points for speeding over 5 years ago and it has never made any difference to our insurance premiums. Does mean that I can be very superior whenever he tries to criticise my driving .

AFAIK you probably won't get offered a speeding course for 28 in a 20, as I think they are offered to people only a certain percentage over the limit..and 8 miles over a 20 is quite a lot proportionally. I could be wrong though!!

You may be right - DH was 34 in a 30 limit,which is 13%, 28 in 20 is 40%

And the guidelines are that you will just get a fixed penalty notice for going less than 10mph over the limit, so I wouldn't worry about court

yes, my DH has been through all this too!