I had to do a speed awareness course. Problem was i had to drive flat out due to an accident that blocked the motorway for 2 hours.....fortunately i was in a motorhome that would only do 78 . I was still late but they eventually let me do the course. But i thought it was a little ironic.I once did a speed awareness course - it was the most boring thing I have ever done with 4.25 hours of my life.
Been driving for 35 years - this is my only single conviction - 35 mph in 30 mph zone.
I did note thou - the average age of people attending the course was older than me - everybody was of retirement age.
I think when you are old - you just not aware where the speed cameras are...
- Thread starter norsa
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Quite agree - these 'smart' motorways are a complete waste of money - all they are doing is causing hold ups where they are being introduced, then they are managed so poorly its like the boy that cried wolf all the time as you wonder if the limit is there for a reason and then nearly always find out there is no reason for it - probably just someone probably fell asleep at HQ and forgot to cancel the limit!!
Gritineye
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8ob
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We get dozens of speeding tickets sent through to the office every year, trouble is they are all pool vehicles and driven by all the employees. When these tickets turn up many weeks after the event we have to return them and ask for assistance by furnishing us with photographic evidence so we can ascertain who was actually driving. They never come back with anything for us to work with, at best we get a blurred shot of the rear numberplate or a fuzzy image of a driver through a screen. They pointed out once that we should be keeping drivers records, I did send a reply stating that although one particular driver may have taken the vehicle it would not stop anyone else that works here jumping in it to go down the road. They never reply 
Bob
Bob
norsa
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The thing is, do average speed cameras actually work in respect of prosecution for speeding. I don't know anyone who has been done in a so called average zone.We get dozens of speeding tickets sent through to the office every year, trouble is they are all pool vehicles and driven by all the employees. When these tickets turn up many weeks after the event we have to return them and ask for assistance by furnishing us with photographic evidence so we can ascertain who was actually driving. They never come back with anything for us to work with, at best we get a blurred shot of the rear numberplate or a fuzzy image of a driver through a screen. They pointed out once that we should be keeping drivers records, I did send a reply stating that although one particular driver may have taken the vehicle it would not stop anyone else that works here jumping in it to go down the road. They never reply
Bob
Pigeon_Droppings2
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My mate decided to test if they worked!....after managing to dispute 3 of the points he came away with 9 points....in 1 day!!
Speed = distance / time ....guess he wasn't paying attention at school!
Although I've often wondered...on a road with several lanes and lots of bends....if you took the racing line within the speed limit the distance would be quite a bit shorter.....so the tolerances on roads with lots of bends must be quite high?
Speed = distance / time ....guess he wasn't paying attention at school!
Although I've often wondered...on a road with several lanes and lots of bends....if you took the racing line within the speed limit the distance would be quite a bit shorter.....so the tolerances on roads with lots of bends must be quite high?
norsa
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See, up till now, I've tested the current average zone on the M4 albeit at night and I didn't get a summons for that so wondered if they are just an elaborate scheme for controling traffic speed. Seems in your mates case, maybe not. I got the idea from those who as you say should have paid more attention at school go roaring up to the cameras then break to pass them like a fixed camera.
8ob
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I dont know, the average speed setup in the road works is definitely switched on and working. I am quite happy to trolley along with the lorries but a friend of mine managed to collect a few speeding tickets on the M25. He was nipping around it late one night and must have triggered a few cameras, result was a three tickets but he was trying to argue it was the one offence as it was the same stretch of road, not sure of the outcome
Bob
We get dozens of speeding tickets sent through to the office every year, trouble is they are all pool vehicles and driven by all the employees. When these tickets turn up many weeks after the event we have to return them and ask for assistance by furnishing us with photographic evidence so we can ascertain who was actually driving. They never come back with anything for us to work with, at best we get a blurred shot of the rear numberplate or a fuzzy image of a driver through a screen. They pointed out once that we should be keeping drivers records, I did send a reply stating that although one particular driver may have taken the vehicle it would not stop anyone else that works here jumping in it to go down the road. They never reply
Bob
Hi, do they let you off with just fines or do you get the points as well.
8ob
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No fines or points, the trucks are all company registered so they don't have a drivers licences to aim at. They just dont bother to reply to the request for more information. I can only remember one occasion where they have supplied a clear photo of a driver and he was an eastern European labourer that had gone back home, dont know whether they chased him in his homeland
Bob
No fines or points, the trucks are all company registered so they don't have a drivers licences to aim at. They just dont bother to reply to the request for more information. I can only remember one occasion where they have supplied a clear photo of a driver and he was an eastern European labourer that had gone back home, dont know whether they chased him in his homeland
Bob
That’s amazing. Can we all register our vehicles with your company please.
angellonewolf
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over 20 years ago we had a book in the van and you put your times of driving the van
my company has been fined twice for not supplying drivers details, £811 each time
I asked for photos etc. they said it's up to me to keep track of drivers, I told them there's sometimes 3 drivers in a van at once... they replied with a court date, I replied by post, same fine each time.
there's a legal obligation to keep track of which employee is driving which vehicle, supposed to be something written down but I've always said I can check CCTV to see who gets in the drivers seat as it drives away.
personally, I'd rather pay £811 fine than get 3 points and £100 fine
I asked for photos etc. they said it's up to me to keep track of drivers, I told them there's sometimes 3 drivers in a van at once... they replied with a court date, I replied by post, same fine each time.
there's a legal obligation to keep track of which employee is driving which vehicle, supposed to be something written down but I've always said I can check CCTV to see who gets in the drivers seat as it drives away.
personally, I'd rather pay £811 fine than get 3 points and £100 fine
8ob
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I don’t look at this as a get out of jail card, I just feel that if they want to play roulette wheel nicks they should at least have a system in place that delivers the paperwork the next day. I could then nail the gang who took the vehicle and make some sense of who was driving at the given time , a month or even a week later is far too long to work off of memory. Never had a fine or a warning over dealing with this and feel that I have done everything possible along the way to assist, you can only do your best. I don’t condone speeding.
Bob
Bob
I used to have my name on the V5 for the company vans, my name then company address, just filled the paperwork in like that without thinking... but if you do that you're on the hook personally for any points
I've probably said this on the forum before, but we had a fire, I fixed the roof then stupidly stepped on a skylight fell through and head first onto the concrete floor... while I was in hospital and the weeks after 6 speed camera letters were apparently sent to the factory, I knew nothing about them, they disappeared so someone must have intercepted them here (I think I know who)
anyway.... 6 points a time for not replying to 6 letters, I ended up with 36 points... only allowed to keep driving because I had a good excuse (I was in hospital, then recovering at parents, long list of injuries etc.)
it wasn't too bad... till I was stopped for speeding mysef, and banned for 6 months :-(
RWD3M
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I've done a couple of speed awareness courses and a 'Smart Motorways' course and like others, I too am not impressed with the so-called smart bit. I get what they are trying to do but they just aren't smart enough, yet.
I did enjoy the courses though. One of them was being run by a lass that used to work on Top Gear amongst others and she was pretty fit! (am I allowed to say that nowadays?
) She did talk a load of nonsense about cadence braking and locked wheels, but aside from that quite enjoyable. Free coffee and biscuits too 
.
I did enjoy the courses though. One of them was being run by a lass that used to work on Top Gear amongst others and she was pretty fit! (am I allowed to say that nowadays?
) She did talk a load of nonsense about cadence braking and locked wheels, but aside from that quite enjoyable. Free coffee and biscuits too . 