A terrible morning!

[Iain_S4]

paime, where abouts did this happen? I got caught on the A92 almost exactly 5 years ago, 83 in a 60 overtaking 3 cars. It was traffic cops with a gun rather than the van so fortunately compared to you got 3 points and £60 fine.

NESCAMP do publish the locations online and in the local paper. It used to be that they didn't pinpoint exact locations,typically just stretches of road but now there seems to be more detail. However, the list is so extensive its not much use. . . . .

Good luck!

[paime]

Iain, it was on the A947 just before Newmachar as you're headed towards Dyce. It's a decent bit of road, nice and wide and the straight is long enough for overtaking. Im observing the nescamp website meticulously now so i know where they're likely to be. I was driving through towna couple of hours ago and there was a DVLA van with a camera checking road tax. Im probably paranoid about it now but im seeing the authorities everywhere! Lucky im all taxed and insured so no problems there, just gotta lighten my right foot a little bit...

[PetrolDave]

Gonna be a long 2 weeks.

My understanding is that they have 28 days to send out the NIP? At least that's the case in England...

[adsgreen]

nope - 2 weeks.
http://www.motorlawyers.co.uk/procedure ... cution.htm

[PetrolDave]

nope - 2 weeks.
http://www.motorlawyers.co.uk/procedure ... cution.htm

I see where I got the 28 days from - the Registered Keeper has 28 days to reply naming the driver.

Glad it's 14 days - that means I DID brake quickly enough when I saw the camera van beside the A31 at the end of January!

[Dave7]

I feel for you, long wait...

I have been done twice when overtaking in a derestricted area overtaking multiple cars, once in my Corrado VR6 and once in my S3 back in 2001.
One was 86 mph and the other 89 mph in a 60 limit. Both times my case went to court, you won't have to go but I volunteered just in case it helped but it didn't.
I believe its anything over 30 over the limit and it'll be an instant ban on a derestricted road but largely depends on circumstances, weather conditions and road etc.

On both occasions i was given 5 points and 300 pound plus fine. These days I think you might get the choice to bring to offence down to 60 quid and 3 points if you agree to pay £200 or thereabouts and go on a driving course. Both of my offences were with camera vans and not a cop with a gun. I think you have more of a chance with a cop as if he's feeling nice he might give you a 60 quid and 3 points but in the case of the van you'll get whatever is deemed necessary for that speed.

Not so long ago I was overtaking about 5 cars on a long straight in my S2000, must have been doing 110 or more on a wide open road on North Wales. I then see a cop bike pointing a gun at me as I am hurtling past the last car.... Ohhhhh <beep>... thats me completely f**ked I thought... He pulled me over shaking his head, my stomach was in nots as i got out of the car to go and stand behind the barrier. Took his helmet off and to my absolute relief he was an old 6th form school mate! Let me off and told me to slow down. I asked him what speed i was doing and he told me that he would have to book me if he told me?!

I'm now much more careful when overtaking multiple cars on long straights! The problem with the RS4 is that it get to 100 so quickly!

Good luck, I am sure you'll be ok and hopefully get away with a minimal fine and 3 points.

[PetrolDave]

I have been done twice when overtaking in a derestricted area

That's the thing, there's no such thing as a derestricted area. Except where a lower limit is posted the relevant (to the road type and your vehicle type) National Speed Limit applies.

Some of the limits are IMHO not enforceable in all circumstances, which make them look silly - here's an example. I used to own an RV which, as it was over 3500kg but under 7500kg, meant that the National Speed Limit for it on a dual carriageway was 60mph. But how does a Gatso know that it should take a picture of that vehicle if it's doing more than 60 instead of 70? Gatsos don't have ANPR so they can't - which makes that limit not enforceable by a Gatso.

[Cabar Feidh]

A colleague of mine got done last year in a very similar situation in the Aberdeen area - somewhere between town and Alford. Overtaking a couple of slow moving cars on a straight in a 60mph limit and then spotted couple of bike cops parked up ahead, slowed back to 60 by the time he passed them - not sure if they had a gun or if they have some kind of fixed system? Came after him and caught up with him a good bit further on. Showed him the reading - 91mph! As he was 30+ above the limit he had to go to court.

He spoke to a solicitor and was told in order to see any of their back up he had to plead not guilty. He did this and tried various excuses but was found guilty in the end - £400 and 6 points + solicitors fees! I think it may have been less severe if he had pled guilty if thats any consolation but at best may be 5 points and ~£200 fine.

I'm not meaning to give you any further worries but be prepared. Hopefully they didn'ty manage to clock you but if they did, it was <90 - fixed penalty unless they see anything more in it!


Mike

PS the P & J lists the upcoming camera sites weekly - not too long a list but worth checking if you travel any of the routes they monitor regularly.

[Terry1948]

nope - 2 weeks.
http://www.motorlawyers.co.uk/procedure ... cution.htm

Am I right in believing that they have to post it within that 14 days and therefore you could recieve one after the 14 days?

[stu]

stuwd, where is that ?

Haddricksmill Road, South Gosforth. If I turn right onto that road, a quick squeeze of the throttle is required to complete it without other drivers braking to accommodate me. Cars are parked up on the pavement, there's a dip in the road. The speedo is the last thing I'm watching in frenetic commuter traffic. It's very easy to overshoot the 30mph at the end of the manoeuvre - right where the traffic van is parked.

On reflection though, it's an excuse that wouldn't get me very far. I wouldn't try it in court. And, forgetting the law for a second, if the manoeuvre really is that tight for time I should pick another route. Or be more patient.

An old geography teacher once gave me lines: 'Patience is a virtue worthy of cultivation'. I can't remember what for. I wrote it out one hundred times and was none the wiser

[Pie]

Google Pepipoo for an entire site dedicated to this kind of situation.

Someone mentioned earlier that they need to have their equipment on you for X distance, I think its actually a timing thing; 2 seconds at a constant speed seems to ring a bell but thats from watching those fly on the wall Traffic Police things on Sky1 but technology might have moved on from then...

I suppose if thats still true and you were accelerating / deccelerating in that overtaking time frame they may not have a fixed speed on you long enough but I guess other things to consider would be if you were indeed 'masked' by the presence of the cars you were passing.

Your next get out clause would be contesting who was actually driving the car at the time.
Law says the registered keeper must do all within reason to help identify who was behind the wheel.
Ask to see the photographic evidence to jog your memory as you, your gf, dad, brother, 3 mates, boss etc all had access to your car that morning.
If it clearly shows you're driving then game over.
If the image isn't all that clear then you can drag out the process with the finger pointing game (as long as you have willing pals who are all insured).

You as the registered keeper, have then fulfilled your obligation - as far as is reasonably practicable - to try and name who was driving the car.
The fact that all the other drivers you have names are also as unsure as you just causes them untold hassle chasing up everyone.

They can only charge one person with the offence so they cannot blanket blame all thats named and the NIP is eventually binned.

I have read of this method working in the past, worth a try but only if the photo is not clearly you.

[adsgreen]

nope - 2 weeks.
http://www.motorlawyers.co.uk/procedure ... cution.htm

Am I right in believing that they have to post it within that 14 days and therefore you could recieve one after the 14 days?

yes - postmark must be withing 14 days.

[Dave7]

Re Pie above... I think this is a good route to take. Although the MP that did this recently might tell you otherwise!
My wife is French and as so is on an EU license where i don't think she can receive points in the Uk as in France you start off with 12 and they are deducted as you get fined not added on. I may well try this next time and just take a fine...Anyone else know more about EU license holders' situation in the UK?

Naughty but might save higher insurance costs if caught? Not that I drive like an idiot but you can't help being caught these days if you do a decent amount of driving especially on fast A roads. I have a clean license at the moment, the first time since i was 17 - I am now 36!

Dave

[Drummerman]

When I had my C43 AMG, my car was registered at my parents address and my driving licence at my ex wife's. I managed to get caught by camera quite a few times but always ignored the letters and none of them were ever followed up including one which was for 126 on the M4!!
maybe I was lucky but I think they couldn't connect my name on the log book with anyone at the address

[sakimano]

hopefully you had...