Speed camera!

blackandwhite1986 · Sep 19, 2008

Hi all,

Basically I went through a speed camera on a busy dual carriageway at bout 34-35mph in a 30 zone

BUT!

It wasn't my fault.

A driver pulled out at a junction and swung straight into my lane. If I hadn't of accelerated she would have gone into the back of my car passenger side on (breaking was not an option)

If the fine comes through then I will appeal for the picture which I hope will have captured the incident that lead up to it.

I tried to get the other driver to pull over when stopped at traffic lights to be a witness and perhaps provide a statement but she wasn't having it.

I pay a high enough premium anyway and do not see why I should pay for her poor driving!

It would be great to get some advice

profitxchange · Sep 19, 2008

Two wrongs don't make a right. If that was your speed you may not get done anyway, did you see it flash? the general rule is speed + 10% +2mph.

blackandwhite1986 · Sep 19, 2008

certainly did see a flash.

you are right two wrongs do not make a right. but the other option was her driving into the side of me which i wasn't too keen on!

profitxchange · Sep 19, 2008

Only one flash for a gatso camera probably means you are in the clear. They usually flash twice to get the start and finish road markings.
The law usually see each event separately
Good luck anyway.

bovine · Sep 19, 2008

i really wouldnt bother with that defense you would be wasting your time.

1) Braking is always an option
2) i would question how accelerating out of this situation you describe is even possible. If you saw someone in front of you about to pull out, they would hit the front. If they are pulling out from the side at you, then in the length of you car you accelrated 5 mph. Thats pretty good performance.
3) your observation skills would be brought into question - you should have observed the potential hazard of the junction and the camera.
4)best course of evasion is to move to the right.

Sorry if this comes across as a bit harsh, but everyone needs to be accountable for their own driving and not blame someone else. Just because someone else does something stupid in a car is not generally an excuse. Observe and act accordingly.

rant over. Saw on the news today about a baby that got killed in its pram by a 4x4 mounting the kerb. My son is the same age and this is second type incident i have seen since he was born. Terrifying.

Optegris · Sep 19, 2008

Why were you in left hand lane when going past a junction anyway? Surely you should have been in the right hand lane anticipating cars joining the carriageway.

streetslocal · Sep 19, 2008

I have never recieved a speeding ticket and hopefully never will.
But i too have been in similar situations when you have to make the speed up because of somebody else speeding when i have emerged safely from a junction only for this to be mis judged because the offending person is doing excess speed which i have not accounted for.
One particular junction by me i come out of the junction safely and you will get some idiot doing 50 in a 30 zone and this would result in me having to get up the gears quite swiftly in my piccaso

I believe what you did was the safest course of action and i would do the same if it was safe to do so and then bring the speed down safely as soon as safe to do so.

The rule book might state that you should do 30mph in that particular area but i believe sensible drivers should be able to speed away within reason away from a dangerous postion such as described rather than having your car merged with the other.

If you do get a ticket i suggest reading the drivers handbook and seeing where you can go with this as there is usually some legalloophole which you can find that may cover this situation.

ken_uk · Sep 20, 2008

Fit a mobile DVR (digital video recorder) and some cctv cameras in your car, then your covered in the case of a accident or near miss. Simply go home, and replay the footage to get the evidence. Good mobile dvrs can also monitor things like wether you were breaking / indicating etc at the time of the incident, your speed and GPS location. Not cheap though, but may pay for itself one day...

TWR Recruitment · Sep 20, 2008

I don't advocate it, but I have escaped two in the past by mere writing back twice to discuss it (asked for camera callebration cert etc). I guess the system is not cut out for too much paperwork. Mind you this was a few years back. As i say I don't advocate it.

saracen · Sep 20, 2008

Hi blackandwhite1986

Best course of action is, wait the 14 days to see if a ticket is issued. Next course of action is attend you local station for advice regarding your explanation.

Gatso's flash "twice" in all cases whether there is film within or not.

If in a 30 mph the law allows 10% over, likewise in any other speed restricted area. ( not 10% + 2mph as it has been pointed out )

I done a stint in our camera saftey unit while in the job. All photos a viewed by personnel, it may be that further action is carried out in regards to the other driver for " driving without due care and attention"

I know what happended will eat away at you, if thats the case why not just attend your local station and explain what has happened, giving time date, locus and details of other vehicle if you managed to note them. That way your giving the police a heads up. Remember to ask for a reference number if the polis note anything down.

All the best.

stugster · Sep 20, 2008

saracen said:
Gatso's flash "twice" in all cases whether there is film within or not.

T = the time between the two flashes
D = the distance covered between the two flashes

V = D / T

(V = velocity)

saracen · Sep 20, 2008

Hey stuart,

you wont have speed cams in Craigleith Hill Gardens do ya ? millionaires row there likes !

stugster · Sep 20, 2008

Haha! Millionaires, I wish!

Nah, no speed cameras here, just a few around and about.

One on Telford Road, and a few Red Light cams on Queensferry Road

blackandwhite1986 · Sep 23, 2008

Hi all,

Cheers for your comments.

Openmind/Bovine - I should have made it clearer in my in initial post. I was in the right hand lane. she swung over through the left and into mine. From the point of her coming into my vision she was stationary and it was not until my car was almost in line with hers that she pulled out and thus I had to react.

Optegris · Sep 23, 2008

blackandwhite1986 said:
Hi all,

Cheers for your comments.

Openmind/Bovine - I should have made it clearer in my in initial post. I was in the right hand lane. she swung over through the left and into mine. From the point of her coming into my vision she was stationary and it was not until my car was almost in line with hers that she pulled out and thus I had to react.

Ah ok, thanks for the clarification...

blackandwhite1986 · Sep 23, 2008

I know what happended will eat away at you, if thats the case why not just attend your local station and explain what has happened, giving time date, locus and details of other vehicle if you managed to note them. That way your giving the police a heads up. Remember to ask for a reference number if the polis note anything down.

All the best.[/quote]

Cheers thats a great idea I'm going down there tonight.

I pay a hell of a lot in car insurance because of my age (i'm 22), the car that I drive and the fact i use it for business. regardless of my driving ability or perceived experience of 5 years (despite doing 20k miles for the last two) and no points and no criminal convictions etc I will be more than hacked off if I end up paying extra that I can't afford and having points on my license.

Bovine I can see the point that you are making. I agree everyone should be accountable for their own driving. However, I reacted in a split second (and may be punished) because of her poor driving so what more can you do than that?

With regards to the 4x4 mounting the kerb and a child being killed. If I was in my situation again and there was anyone close by, then I would have braked and taken the hit without a doubt.

Please don't apply it to my situation as you do not know what sort of driver I am. My observational skills are absolutley fine. I could not have perceived that situation and if I had, I would of braked.

I hope that a lot of the advice (indivdual basis etc) will ring true and will update you all as to what happens.

blackandwhite1986 · Sep 23, 2008

blackandwhite1986 said:
I know what happended will eat away at you, if thats the case why not just attend your local station and explain what has happened, giving time date, locus and details of other vehicle if you managed to note them. That way your giving the police a heads up. Remember to ask for a reference number if the polis note anything down.

All the best.

Cheers thats a great idea I'm going down there tonight.

I pay a hell of a lot in car insurance because of my age (i'm 22), the car that I drive and the fact i use it for business. regardless of my driving ability or perceived lack of experience of 5 years (despite doing 20k miles for the last two) and no points and no criminal convictions etc I will be more than hacked off if I end up paying extra that I can't afford and having points on my license.

Bovine I can see the point that you are making. I agree everyone should be accountable for their own driving. However, I reacted in a split second (and may be punished) because of her poor driving so what more can you do than that?

With regards to the 4x4 mounting the kerb and a child being killed. If I was in my situation again and there was anyone close by, then I would have braked and taken the hit without a doubt.

Please don't apply it to my situation as you do not know what sort of driver I am. My observational skills are absolutley fine. I could not have perceived that situation and if I had, I would of braked.

I hope that a lot of the advice (indivdual basis etc) will ring true and will update you all as to what happens.[/quote]

lockie · Sep 23, 2008

don't worry about it too much as it is your first offence they will more than likely offer you the chance to take part in a speed awareness workshop in exchange for no points but it depends on how much over the limit you were.

The 4x4 driver was drunk so had nothing to do with speed.

The problem is there are too many bad drivers and its those that kill more than speed itself does.I get it all the time where people pull out in front of you or take up your braking space on the motorway then hit the brakes causing you to do the same with the consequences behind you.
Way to many using phones and not a handsfree which i cannot understand as its easy to get one fitted or use bluetooth.The worst imho is the lack of indicating on roundabouts or indicating when they are going straight across.

London driving is just mad and im glad im in a van to tackle it,cyclists ignore everything,bikers and scooters think they have some sort of impenatrable shield and just weave in and out asking to be killed.White van man is in most cases nuts lol. So glad i drive a nice van that i dont want to get wacked up.

The motor cyclists and scoooters i cannot get my head around, its like they have a deathwish but only in central london.Outside of central london they drive differently,very strange.

only the other day we were coming through the blackwall tunnel when i biker came up past us all casual on a bend when it no overtaking in any part of the tunnel.Watched him carry on doing it and i pointed out to my colleague that he wasn't aware the cars didnt know he was there.Got out the tunnel and he had just been knocked off which wasn't really suprising. At least he was walking and perhaps learnt his lesson.

noidea · Sep 23, 2008

Speed isn't the only factor... you can break the speed limit and still be a fairly safe driver depending on many other factors such as number of vehicles, whether road is straight or has bends, how observant you are of the road etc.

Duke Fame · Sep 23, 2008

blackandwhite1986 said:
I tried to get the other driver to pull over when stopped at traffic lights to be a witness and perhaps provide a statement but she wasn't having it.

I pay a high enough premium anyway and do not see why I should pay for her poor driving!

It would be great to get some advice

It's what hapens when a woman comes into contact with something like a modern combustion engine. ot's too complicated for her tiny mind, consider yourself lucky to have come out of the situation alive.

noidea · Sep 23, 2008

Duke Fame said:
It's what hapens when a woman comes into contact with something like a modern combustion engine. ot's too complicated for her tiny mind, consider yourself lucky to have come out of the situation alive.

Shelia's wheels...

blackandwhite1986 · Sep 24, 2008

Duke Fame said:
It's what hapens when a woman comes into contact with something like a modern combustion engine. ot's too complicated for her tiny mind, consider yourself lucky to have come out of the situation alive.

Your digging yourself a hole mate!

Up the toon!

northern marine orkney lt · Sep 24, 2008

Thank goodness we dont have this hassle, there are ZERO speed cameras in Orkney, come to think about it, there are no traffic lights and only 3 roundabouts for the 20,000 population to worry about

cheers

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