Speed Camera Lottery!

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Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

69 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12290530

Glad I live in Lancashire and not Sussex, although I may move to Durham smile

Garett

1,653 posts

207 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
Interesting, I live in Lancashire and attended at Speed Awareness course on tuesday, most of the people I spoke to were caught in areas where the limit had recently changed from 40 to 30, myself included.
Seems to me that there is a big drive in Lancs at the moment to gather as much £££ as they can, there were 3 classrooms of around 25 people and that was just one afternoon, there are 2 sessions a day. Thats around 150 people a day on the course, at £69 a pop thats over £10k a day and the trainer said that only 40% of people choose the speed awareness course, thats a hell of a people getting caught!!!

Acheron

643 posts

179 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
I also live in Lancs and obviously being bib, we trip a fair few cameras. However of the 10 or so cameras i can think of in my area, only one of those is working at the moment and its a very long time since i've actually activated one.

Im not sure of the reason either, but they are pretty pro-active with the mobile van that goes around.

redstu

2,287 posts

254 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
Why wouldn't everyone attend a course if given the chance, its far cheaper as even though you have still broken the speed limit and been caught the insurance companies are not bothered by this only the 3 points on the license.

I wasn't offered a course 3 years ago and have been paying more for insurance ever since.

Yet other people that I know in the same area (Northumberland) have been! So essentially they get off and i get fined!

A lottery indeed.


LuS1fer

42,590 posts

260 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
I think it's a question of finances - speed camera fines generally goes to the government so having a course is a no-brainer for financing the local force. Let's be honest, a course is cheap next to 3 points and an increased insurance premium and you do learn something (or in the case of my mother, everything).

Arun_D

2,317 posts

210 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
redstu said:
Why wouldn't everyone attend a course if given the chance, its far cheaper as even though you have still broken the speed limit and been caught the insurance companies are not bothered by this only the 3 points on the license.

I wasn't offered a course 3 years ago and have been paying more for insurance ever since.

Yet other people that I know in the same area (Northumberland) have been! So essentially they get off and i get fined!

A lottery indeed.
For the most part the extent of the speeding offence governs whether you are offered the course or not (limit + 10% + 6mph). It's why I had no choice but to welcome my first 3 points with open arms at the tail-end of last year frown

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?autocom=ibwiki...


Accelebrate

5,413 posts

230 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
Not really that surprising, a lot of counties have switched them off completely due to lack of funds in recent years.

I wonder if that figure includes gantry cameras that are only operational when a lower limit is in place?

redstu

2,287 posts

254 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
Arun_D said:
redstu said:
Why wouldn't everyone attend a course if given the chance, its far cheaper as even though you have still broken the speed limit and been caught the insurance companies are not bothered by this only the 3 points on the license.

I wasn't offered a course 3 years ago and have been paying more for insurance ever since.

Yet other people that I know in the same area (Northumberland) have been! So essentially they get off and i get fined!

A lottery indeed.
For the most part the extent of the speeding offence governs whether you are offered the course or not (limit + 10% + 6mph). It's why I had no choice but to welcome my first 3 points with open arms at the tail-end of last year frown

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?autocom=ibwiki...
Mine was 37 in a 30 , so I must have been very unlucky. only a few weeks ago someone I know got a course for 37 in a 30!

Arun_D

2,317 posts

210 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
That's just plain infuriating!

dylan0451

1,040 posts

206 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
Arun_D said:
(limit + 10% + 6mph)
thought it was limit + 10% + 2/3mph?

can't believe you can do 39mph in a residential before the camera flashes?!

Garett

1,653 posts

207 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
I got caught doing 39 in a 30, it had been a 40 the week before and at least the 8 years before that I've been driving!

My girlfriends Dad got caught in the same county doing 40 mph around the same time as me but wasn't eligible because it was about 1 week later and they'd changed the rules from 1/12/10.

The letter I received from Lancashire Constabulary states the following;

Speed Limit Speed Awareness Threshold
30 mph Up to and including 42 mph
40 mph Up to and including 53 mph
50 mph Up to and including 64 mph


There was also a biker in there caught doing 71 in a 60, not sure what the cut off point is in a 60.

The speed awareness course was mainly dull but I did learn a few things. Still its shocking how unaware some of the drivers in there are.

One of the tasks was to think of some of the benefits in car technology that help road safety and one groups answer was "An anti roll cage", the driving trainer didn't pull them up on it! An anti roll cage! I struggled to stifle my laughter! rofl

grgrgray

790 posts

183 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
I was told on my course that no leeway on speeding needs to be given. This is in West Mercia Worcestershire region. Some claimed they were only doing 32 or 33MPH in a 30.

Skrambles

1,355 posts

279 months

Thursday 27th January 2011
quotequote all
2 peope I know have been done for 35 in a 30.

NHK244V

3,358 posts

187 months

Friday 28th January 2011
quotequote all
Old news, they admitted this years ago, first it was they were too busy too keep changing the film, then they couldn't afford the maintanance or repairs to vandalised units.

Me mother-in-law has been caught 3 times in the last 5 years she got 2 warnings and last month she had to do a course rolleyes she's 65, as alert as 30 year old but just like to speed in her 1.3 Mk4 escort laugh

Edited by NHK244V on Friday 28th January 00:44

g3org3y

21,583 posts

206 months

Friday 28th January 2011
quotequote all
Garett said:
the trainer said that only 40% of people choose the speed awareness course, thats a hell of a people getting caught!!!
I'm assuming that a certain amount were unable to do the course owing to being ineligible. I can't think of a reason why one would choose points/fine over the course.

grgrgray said:
I was told on my course that no leeway on speeding needs to be given. This is in West Mercia Worcestershire region. Some claimed they were only doing 32 or 33MPH in a 30.
I must admit, I wouldn't be a happy bunny if I was done at 32 or 33. Incidentally, I don't believe the 32/33 claims, seems very low.

Skrambles said:
2 peope I know have been done for 35 in a 30.
Which suggests a speedo indicated 37ish I would have thought?

My dad got done for 38 in a 30 and attended the Speed Awareness Course. He actually said it was quite interesting and there was a practical session too. Apparently one of the fellow 'speeders' was a *shock horror* policeman.

Arun_D

2,317 posts

210 months

Friday 28th January 2011
quotequote all
dylan0451 said:
Arun_D said:
(limit + 10% + 6mph)
thought it was limit + 10% + 2/3mph?

can't believe you can do 39mph in a residential before the camera flashes?!
You're getting the camera trigger speed (which could well be your limit + 10% +2/3mph) mixed up with what we were discussing (the threshold at which you are no longer offered a speed awareness course and have no choice but to take points)