Busted
 

Stopped by the police for speeding again yesterday. I was only doing 87mph in a 70mph limit, on a very quiet, dry, daylight, 3-lane motorway. It's not the fine, it's the 3 points on my licence that worries me. This takes me up to 6 out of a maximum 12.

Police said my driving was excellent: so why not a warning? why don't they go and catch some rapists and burglars? 87mph... outrageous.

Anyway, I'm unredeemed: I had 150 out of it this morning. :D

Motorway Driving
 

I was in the UK twice last year and did alot of Motorway driving, it was the first time I have driven in the UK but I have to say I fell into the pace of motorway driving very quickly. Both times I rented a mini class car (Fiat Centesomething and Ford Ka), but managed 100mph + in some sections.

When I mentioned it to a friend in the UK he told me that you can get an automatic suspension for exceeding 100mph, is that true?.

I must say I passed alot of radar and photo cameras, so I have been watching my credit card statement for charges from the rental company. Nothing yet touch wood :)

You should be fine if you haven't heard anything yet. A lot of the radar devices are not speed measuring equipment but traffic information equipment.

Get caught above 100mph and it's likely that you'll get a short ban, probably 2 to 6 weeks. That said, my brother was recorded doing 126mph and got 3 points and a 40 quid fine!!!

Hey 123c, you KNOW that the cops got the blue lights and the badges, thats why they can speed. Besides that, I don't think you'd be driving very long or very far if one were to try a "citizen's arrest" on a cop that was speeding. Kinda like the "do as I say and not as I do" mentality some of them have.

Spock:

I am kind of a "by the book" sort of fella; I just like going fast when it's safe to do so. The 70mph motorway speed limit in the UK was introduced as a "temporary experiment" back in the 60s. Back then most cars couldn't do 70mph and most roads weren't engineered for more. It's an anachronism.

The speed limit is increasingly rigidly and dumbly enforced in the UK. Recently a local authority ran this campaign: "all you need to be a good driver is the ability to balance the needle at 30mph". Mmm...

And while the police nick me for doing 17 over on a dry and quiet motorway, I often see them speeding with no apparent justification or necessity. There is a stretch of road near my home which is renowned for accidents; recently the limit was reduced from 70 to 50mph, and speed cameras were installed. The other day a police car blithely came past me at (I estimate) 75mph. There was no emergency (no blue lights flashing), but it was getting awfully close to 4pm: shift change. I should have taken the registration and made a complaint.

Go to court and plead your case. This way you will be found guilty, pay a fine and get driving school. When you pass the course, you will get the charges dismissed.

I did this for 74/55 and I told a perfectly plausible story. It also helped that I had NO tickets or other infractions on my record. Virginia gives one point per year for no tickets in that year. So I have +5, the maximum, and the previous charges were dismissed.

I got sick of going to court on speeding violations so I got a Valentine One. So far, so good....

Here in Georgia, this is how it usually goes: speed limit is 55 MPH in metro areas, that means you can go 65-75 without raising a cops eyebrow (anything less and you will probably become a statistic). Out in the suburbs, speed limits are 65, meaning you can do 70-75. Out in the "country" limit is 70, meaning you can go as fast as you want with a good radar detector, up to 85 MPH without one. I don't drive nearly that fast out here but I see it everyday. Atlanta has a unique feature, it has two racetracks, Atlanta Motor Speedway for NASCAR and I-285 for everyone else (no BS either).

The last time I was on I285 from the airport to I75 to Marietta was on a Friday evening at 6 pm. I tuned the radio to a Christian station just in case!!!!

Don't even get me started on speeding tickets! We pay enough in taxes to have the right to not endure any more supplemental taxation. That the limits are ridiculous is known, that they have remained this way is also ridiculous.

I now have several friends in the police force where I live and I recently had a speeding ticket "taken care of". What a joke. It's a brotherhood - get to know some cops...;)

Or get a Valentine One. I'm heading South in a few weeks and that's one of the purchases I'll be making while in the US...:D

Another thought......
 

I was just pondering this thread and remembered a buddy of mine got popped a few years ago in Gwinnett County Georgia. His fine for speeding came to a mere 25 bucks as per state law, HOWEVER, by the time they finished tacking on court costs, sheriff retirement fund fee, new jail fee, and a few other fees the total came to about 500 bucks, AND THEY CAN LEGALLY TACK THESE "FEES" ON. Talk about a cash cow and safer than busting some burglar, bank robber, or dope dealer.

Well, you guys have it great, down here in victoria, Australia, our license is suspended for 6months for going 30km's (18mph) over the speed limit, some fines can be up to $500 ($250US), speed cameras are eveywhere, police cars are almost never seen on the roads, it's a measly 50km's (30mph) in suburban streets, and on some 3lane wide roads, they stick a rediculess 60km's (37mph). :eek:

They are also starting to fit speed cameras into redlight cameras, to make things even more half arsed...and there's is nothing we can do about it :(

Not to threadjack here, but.......
 

Manya, that is one fine looking car you have! What a classic, and in such good condition. Wood reveal moulding inside the 'A' pillars, it just doesn't get any better than that!!:D

Speed is BAD but it feels so so good. In the UK how long do the points stay with you?
Speaking of fines Florida is trying to jack up the price of tickets so that my 141 dollar tickets would be 300-500 dollars :( If that happens this state can say good bye to me :rolleyes:
Radar is great but not full proof as I found. I can't wait to get a V1 and try it out :D

The points stay with you for 3 years. I've only been stopped once before. There is a programme on the electric television in the UK at the moment called "Car Wars" or something dumb like that, it is all about the traffic division of South Yorkshire Constabulary. The amazing thing is: they are making themselves out to be totally and utterly reckless "*********s". Here are a few examples:

Cop is hiding up a motorway slip road (on ramp) when a silver BMW 5-er comes by at about 90. Cop roars off in hot pursuit of this menace to society. Cop deems it appropriate to overtake (at 120mph) a 44 tonne wagon in the middle of three lanes, just as the road merges from three to two lanes. Needless to say, he has a massive accident with the lorry. And blames the lorry driver. How's that for safety?

Or what about this gem from our man in the Force: "I always have a reason for pulling someone over... sometimes, it is just a sixth sense"!!! I find that astounding. I think it really says it all.

Many scenes chasing speeding motorists through urban areas (UK urban roads are much narrower and twistier with more pedestrians and stuff than in the US) in the dark, in the rain, at ridiculous speeds.

What is really sad is that for the vast majority of the law-abiding general public, the only contact they ever have with the police is when they are penalised for some trivial or technical motoring offence. This only serves to alienate the police's natural friends and supporters, at the expense of "proper" law and order.