Ok, so after dropping my mate off and generally having a fun drive out on friday night, I was still in "race" mode and may have slightly exceeded the speed limit while traveling back home (ahem). Trouble was, because it was dark and as you know being that close to the road in a locost, that following cars headlights in your mirrors basically make everything behind you a blur. I hadn't realised that a patrol car was following me as I made my way back from Newcastle and onto the A1. As soon as the blue lights came on I immediately knew I was in the sh*t!
Turns out I had been followed for the last few miles and had undertaken 1 taxi (he was bimbling about in the RH lane of a dual carriageway!) and was videod at 85 on the 50 mph area of the A1 (which is bleeping ridiculous for that road btw) - anyway, was given the choice of :
taking 6 points and a fine.
a court appearance for careless driving/speeding.
An S59 and written warning for a year -get caught again and have the var taken off me!
so deciding upon option 3 and going home with my tail between my legs I'm now thinking that I cant go on owning this car anymore because I know I cant trust myself to drive it sensibly, its just that kind of car.
to make matters worse, I also have a 270bhp Focus ST and a 2007 ZX10 that I am now in fear of giving some gas in case of the inevitible....
I'm starting to think I should have just taken the fine and points - at least they cant impound & threaten to crush whatever I'm driving/riding at the time if I'm caught doing something that "may cause distress to the public"!
Fair to say I'm pretty bleeping hacked off this weekend and I only have myself to blame, especially in the time I've been driving/ riding Ive never even had a caution. (17 years) and Im usually pretty switched on when it comes to police presence.

Anyone else had a weekend that sucked this bad?

85mph in a 50 is pretty stupid,but all id do is buy a cheap trailer and spend 12 months doing track days! that way you can learn how to drive it very hard without braking any laws!
pop to blyton on friday and have some good fun as a passenger first!

to be fair my speedo was jumping around and I couldn't tell I was doing 85....lol.
This explanation didn't go down well in the back of the patrol car....haha

Well hopefully you'll learn from the experience. 12months of careful driving might save your life maybe.

Only yourself to be angry with. At least they didn't take your car then and there or take you off to the police station.

As Daniel says, get down to track days and give the car the thrashing it deserves in the correct place.

Bad luck mate, not like we all don't speed at some time.

Looking on the bright side, at least you don't have points to declare on three sets of insurance (AFAIK, there is no obligation to declare a Section 59), and it's not as if the threat of a vehicle being crushed is a regular outcome - they just drag it off down to the police compound and charge you a ransom fee to return it (usually a couple of hundred quid plus so much per day storage, I think).

I'm afraid I can't bring myself to be all patronising and holier-than-thou: 85 in a 50 zone on a dual carriageway isn't exactly suicidally reckless, in something that brakes, manoeuvres and accelerates as well as a 'Seven', if you have your wits about you and you aren't being blatantly idiotic for the prevailing traffic conditions.

Sounds like the copper was a bit anti kit-car to be even offering the option of a Section 59. From what you've said, you were speeding, not using a vehicle 'in a manner causing alarm, distress and annoyance', so the use of the S59 is inappropriate and smacks of prejudice: S59's were introduced as a means of controlling yoofs doing donuts in housing estates and 'cruising' in residential areas with their ICE turned up to a level that contravenes strategic arms limitations treaties, not as a means of dealing with conventional driving infractions.

Sorry to here you've been caught out.

Get it on the track and when you see what it can do you won't even want to use it on the road again. I'm thinking of taking mine off the road for exactly the same reason as I don't want points or a ban.

Let me guess, the taxi hogging the right hand lane didn't even get pulled over?

Sounds like you got off lightly. I'm not entirely sure how an s59 works out but if it only lasts a year and all they'll do is seize your car for the second offence. Even if you lost the car, unless they charged you seperatly for the other offence you'd still probably be better off.

Take it as a wake up call and make sure you don't get caught again. If you;d picked court you could have lost ypur license.

Don't worry about it. There were a couple of chaps in one of the club's I belong to who got s59's for doing donuts in an empty carpark, a year goes quickly and Tbh it didn't slow them down one bit.

What did it say as the reason for getting it on the paperwork? That's what you need to avoid doing again. Tbh you were doing 85 in a 50 the s59 was throwing you a big bone, you should have been preparing for a court appearance usually anything over 70 in a 50 is a trip to court.

Let's face it if he didn't pull you and give you some kind of penalty he's not doing his job. I got tugged for speeding a while back, I had a brake light out too, I was given a choice. £30 fine for the brake light and a telling off. Or 3points £60 fine and a warning about the brake light. Guess what I picked.

There are a couple of lessons here, always be vigilant coming off roundabouts and going past slip roads especially in the dark as it's rather tricky to spot the outline of a plod wagon in the dark. Second lesson make sure your aware of the penalties and where a small fine and small points become a big fine and court. I tend to limit my speed exploration to empty roads these days.

Undertaking in a 7 deserves a kick in the b@lls, if it was a 4x4 and their mirrors were set high or a nob who didnt check his inside mirror then they pulled back in you'd have been toast.
Then you wouldnt have been able to brag about it.
Cheers,
Bob

[Edited on 23/3/14 by splitrivet]

quote:

---

Originally posted by splitrivet
Undertaking in a 7 deserves a kick in the b@lls, if it was a 4x4 and their mirrors were set high or a nob who didnt check his inside mirror then they pulled back in you'd have been toast.
Then you wouldnt have been able to brag about it.
Cheers,
Bob

---

These brake things seem like a good idea however 7 driving as riding a motor bikes Ive found that also have these brake things fitted tend to turn you invisible.
Cheers,
Bob

[Edited on 23/3/14 by splitrivet]

quote:

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Originally posted by splitrivet
These brake things seem like a good idea however 7 driving as riding a motor bikes Ive found who also have these brake things fitted tend to turn you invisible.
Cheers,
Bob

---

Yep personal judgement along with brakes are good but personal judgement doesnt seem to help the loads of bikers who dont get seen in most accidents and who are totally blameless but who end up as organ donors or having horrific injuries.
All I'm saying is if your using a bit of kit that doesnt afford the same protection or is as visible as your normal motor it seems a bit nuts to take risks.
Cheers,
Bob

quote:

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Originally posted by splitrivet
...loads of bikers who don't get seen in most accidents and who are totally blameless but who end up as organ donors or having horrific injuries... it seems a bit nuts to take risks.

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Sound dead lucky you got offered that 3rd option, i would have taken that over the 3 points and £60 fine i got...

quote:

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Originally posted by ST_eely
to be fair my speedo was jumping around and I couldn't tell I was doing 85....lol.
This explanation didn't go down well in the back of the patrol car....haha

---

Unfortunately we now have a system which is all enforcement and no education. It's much easier to catch and punish than to coach and educate so that's what happens.

Personally, I would rather have drivers out there who do drive quickly from time to time, ideally backed by some professional instruction, so that when a difficult situation is presented to them on their routine commute, they have the capacity to deal with it. There are far more accidents which happen due to drivers not fully concentrating because most of the time they don't feel they need to. Then when they get onto some ice or have a sudden deflation or something, they just don't have a clue what to do.

It's like going out for a run to keep fit. Yes, you might die from an undiagnosed cardiac problem, or you might break your ankle due to clumsy footwork but on the whole it is likely to come in handy some day when you need to run for a bus or run for your life!

I got 3 points about 18 months ago for doing 72MPH in a 50MPH section of the M74 motorway. It's a perfectly good section of 3 lane motorway and at the time I was on it, it was not very busy and the sun was shining. A mile or so further it is a 70MPH limit on the same road so when I asked the police why that section was 50MPH the answer I got was because there had been some incidences of local people walking across the motorway rather than use the footbridges or underpasses. If this was genuinely the reason then why the hell don't they prosecute the pedestrians or build fences to keep them from getting a Darwin Award...

Don't beat yourself up too much, it's just another form of driver tax these days.

If you can't tell the difference between 50 and 85 mph without the benefit of a speedometer you shouldn't be on the road.

quote:

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Originally posted by Macbeast
If you can't tell the difference between 50 and 85 mph without the benefit of a speedometer you shouldn't be on the road.

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Just thought I'd pipe up and say that I don't regard 85 on a 50mph dual carriageway as at all excessive on the right occasion. And near side passes happen from time to time, it's not the end of the world. In fact I do both, in my van, most days (on the private road sections anyway...)

I set the speed pinger on my car to 115 to stop it going off all the time! It still annoys me

quote:

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Originally posted by Macbeast
If you can't tell the difference between 50 and 85 mph without the benefit of a speedometer you shouldn't be on the road.

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I presume its the 50mph round the team valley and metro centre..

The plod and the scam vans are on there fairly constant, they will be making a mint! There is often a van just under the bridge before the team valley turn off, north bound side(bottom of the bank just past the Angel if your going there and not familiar with the road/visitor) and the couple of times I've seen it they must be struggling to keep up with the speeders in the outside lane!

Keeping eyes peeled front back and sides is the key to rapid/safe progress..

I keep the speed low if theres lights behind me to get them to pass then hit the load pedal when your sure.

I think you got off lightly, Ive had a few close shaves with the po po in the past. Its very hard not to 'give it the full beans' sometimes. Dont get blasting around in the dark, make sure you can see behind you in the mirror. Speeding on public roads is silly and dangerous, but I for one admit Im not an angel when it comes to sticking to the speed limit when conditions are good. As said at least you got no points to declare to the insurance company.

I have read this, with dismay

if I am reading the Op's original post correctly , I e admitting 85 in a 50, then then he should be put away

My daughter lives not 100 yards away, from a 50mph area ("stupid I know" but if anyone was to hurt, or worse, any one one of my family for driving like a "****", as per the OP, I will personly hunt him down , and ,make his live (whats left of it) a f ing misory

and trust me, the damage that can be done me, you would not believe !

Edited for language -CW

[Edited on 24/3/2014 by ChrisW]

quote:

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Originally posted by steve m
I have read this, with dismay

if I am reading the Op's original post correctly , I e admitting 85 in a 50, then then he should be put away

My daughter lives not 100 yards away, from a 50mph area ("stupid I know" but if anyone was to hurt, or worse, any one one of my family for driving like a "cunt", as per the OP, I will personly hunt him down , and ,make his live (whats left of it) a f ing misory

and trust me, the damage that can be done me, you would not believe !

---

Are people slating the guy for doing 85mph in a 50mph lol

For crying out loud take it all in context, read his whole post.

He was not doing 65mph down a 30zone on a breezy summers day outside the school gates at 3:15pm ffs.

Just realised that that is where I got nicked a few months ago! I did a speed awareness course, but got flashed again 7 days later...

Speed limit's are not there to protect the driver, but the innocent who perhaps, should not be there

says a lot really


steve

"For crying out loud take it all in context, read his whole post."

I did read it

and hopefully, the idiot does not live locally


Steve

Let's hope there are not too many folks quick to judge and climb aboard their (speed-limited) high horse and start some sort of aggressive vigilante patrols!!
I've exceeded the speed limit on occasions and I'm confident that I was no more likely to kill anyones kids, than if I was sticking to the speed limit passing the local school at kicking-out time!

Personally I'd feel safer around an alert, skilled driver in a well maintained sports car doing 85 than someone half asleep doing 50 in a poorly maintained mondeo. Speed limits are largely arbitrary and are chosen to suit an average driver in an average car on an average day.

In many circumstances (eg. fog, heavy rain, snow) it would be inappropriate to travel even at the speed limit and it can be acceptably safe to drive in excess of the limit in other circumstances (eg. empty road, clear weather). That doesn't make it legal of course and you have to live with any consequences, legal or otherwise if it all goes wrong. Sadly, things can go wrong at any speed and the results can be equally tragic. A someone who drives the best part of 20k miles a year, the biggest risk I see is inattention and plain and simple "poor" driving standards. I would call this "careless" driving and it happens just as much at low speeds as it does at high speeds. Driving at or below the limit DOES NOT guarantee safety - far from it! It just so happens that it is more easily measured than "carelessness" and can even be automated via "safety" vans...

If speed alone was so dangerous then the Autobahns in Germany would have been outlawed many years ago.

Anyway, 'nuff said. I'm off before the name calling starts...

Edit: Aargh, too late, it's started...

quote:

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Originally posted by steve m
hopefully, the idiot does not live locally

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quote:

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Originally posted by craig1410
Personally I'd feel safer around an alert, skilled driver in a well maintained sports car doing 85 than someone half asleep doing 50 in a poorly maintained mondeo. Speed limits are largely arbitrary and are chosen to suit an average driver in an average car on an average day.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sam_68

quote:

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Originally posted by craig1410
Personally I'd feel safer around an alert, skilled driver in a well maintained sports car doing 85 than someone half asleep doing 50 in a poorly maintained mondeo. Speed limits are largely arbitrary and are chosen to suit an average driver in an average car on an average day.

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^^^ This.

Before Steve M implodes in a puff of righteous indignation, he might wish to consider the logic and relative safety of applying the same speed limit to a sports car that, in dry conditions, can brake and change direction at circa 1g, and a heavily laden van or articulated lorry that might, on a good day, manage 0.35g.

I'd go further than Craig and suggest that speed limits are chosen to suit the lowest common denominator, not the average. In fact, having been involved in the design of many new roads as part of my day job (designing housing estates), I can go further than to suggest it: I can tell you that it's a fact.

Research has established that the average deceleration rate for drivers stopping in response to a hazard is 4.5m/sec-2 (a little less than half a g, and roughly half the braking capability of a modern performance car). Design Bulletin 32 (the document that the majority of the UK's roads are designed to) is based on an assumed rate of 2.5m/sec-2 which is approximately equivalent to stopping on snow without skidding.

If you don't believe me, see page 18 of the evidence guide for Manual for Streets.

In other words, the design safety margins on British roads are huge, so you'd have to be driving like a total fuckwit for speed to be the only factor in an accident, in the majority of instances.

I have no problem with people using their own judgement, in moderation, provided they take responsibility for their actions and are prepared to accept the legal consequences.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by onenastyviper
...are you seriously suggesting that we allow everyone to "exercise their judgement"?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by steve m
I have read this, with dismay

if I am reading the Op's original post correctly , I e admitting 85 in a 50, then then he should be put away

My daughter lives not 100 yards away, from a 50mph area ("stupid I know" but if anyone was to hurt, or worse, any one one of my family for driving like a "****", as per the OP, I will personly hunt him down , and ,make his live (whats left of it) a f ing misory

and trust me, the damage that can be done me, you would not believe !

---

I'm fairly sure 90% on here break the speed limits on a regular basis, and i have no problem with that at all if done in suitable places and conditions.

When i was at school we were taught about road safety and the green cross code (or something like that...it's a while ago now! lol) etc etc. Now if someones hit on the road it must be the cars fault, after all 'Speed Kills'. Of course speed kills, if cars weren't moving at all then there wouldn't be any collisions between cars-cars or cars-people!.

Times change, but if everyone (motorists and pedestrians) used common sense we'd all get on just fine

Ian

Thanks for all the replies guys, just to try and clear up a few things

Can I just point out that I was fully aware I may have been speeding - I am not making any excuses otherewise.
I knew as soon as the blue lights came on I had been daft.
I pulled off the slip road onto the stretch of the A1 heading southbound along the team Valley, into lane 1, checked my right shoulder was clear (Im a biker - its habit!) and accelerated along lane 2 passing 3 cars before pulling back into lane 1. Once I had passed them I then returned back to the speed limit.
Anyone who knows this section of the A1 will know that it was reduced from a 70 to 50 mph limit a few year ago for reasons I dont know, but simply cant understand as at any other time than rush hour, this road flows freely.

Some of the posts are making out like i run down children and kittens for a hobby. Far from it.
I believe myself to be a higher than average skilled driver who simply made a mistake. I find it hard to believe that anyone who owns a 7 type car/ performance car or motorbike has ever failed to stick to anything but the limit. I have a clean licence of 17 years and have never been pulled for anything other than a random stop (on my zx10 with a race can!).

Ive no qualms for being pulled for speeding and accept the punishment, but what bothers me is every day I see people with little or no idea on driving skill or standard who may be sticking to the speed limits, but are a danger otherwise through lack of or no observation or blatant disregard (mobile phones??) yet seem to get away with it constantly.

Anyway, Im not even going to get started on that one.....

All I would say to all this, quite frankly, is that (whatever) the roads really are no place for any vehicle remotely 'interesting'. The tarmac is an unsafe place, with many drivers distracted, idiotic or just plain uncaring.

I (like many people?) removed my kit car from the road, fitted slicks and never looked back. My desire for a kit car in the first place came from a wish to survive on the highway. Too many hospital visits from motorcycling SMIDSY events.

The last SMIDSY was the youngster who "failed to see" the LWB white transit pulling the huge white BJ racebox. I saw the 'accident' coming like a train crash, the van went past the junction, the trailer followed, the youngster approching didn't even slow down, didn't look, just went straight into the side of the trailer. He's why I gave up motorcycling and driving kit cars on the road.

Thing is, my Mundaneo is very easy to keep to speed limits, and I do, religiously, annoying the tailback behind me. The overtaking risks that I've seen are quite unbelievable. Nothing amazes me now, I expect the worst from people.

Surely everybody here, driving a kit car on the road, has exceeded the limit (safely) at some point. It's that kind of car, it's a kind of car that attracts attention, as does a motorcycle, from people (police) that you'd rather not attract the attention of. It's an occupational hazard.

Burn him! He's a witch!

quote:

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Originally posted by Oddified
if cars weren't moving at all then there wouldn't be any collisions between cars-cars or cars-people!.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sam_68

quote:

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Originally posted by onenastyviper
...are you seriously suggesting that we allow everyone to "exercise their judgement"?

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That's what's happening at the moment, to a greater or lesser degree, so yes.

Are you seriously suggesting that everyone currently lives so much in fear of rigorous police enforcement that they drive religiously to the speed limits at all times?

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quote:

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Originally posted by scootz
Burn him! He's a witch!

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Only 85 ??? Clearly need a bigger engine.

quote:

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Originally posted by motorcycle_mayhem
All I would say to all this, quite frankly, is that (whatever) the roads really are no place for any vehicle remotely 'interesting'. The tarmac is an unsafe place, with many drivers distracted, idiotic or just plain uncaring.

I (like many people?) removed my kit car from the road, fitted slicks and never looked back. My desire for a kit car in the first place came from a wish to survive on the highway. Too many hospital visits from motorcycling SMIDSY events.

The last SMIDSY was the youngster who "failed to see" the LWB white transit pulling the huge white BJ racebox. I saw the 'accident' coming like a train crash, the van went past the junction, the trailer followed, the youngster approching didn't even slow down, didn't look, just went straight into the side of the trailer. He's why I gave up motorcycling and driving kit cars on the road.

Thing is, my Mundaneo is very easy to keep to speed limits, and I do, religiously, annoying the tailback behind me. The overtaking risks that I've seen are quite unbelievable. Nothing amazes me now, I expect the worst from people.

Surely everybody here, driving a kit car on the road, has exceeded the limit (safely) at some point. It's that kind of car, it's a kind of car that attracts attention, as does a motorcycle, from people (police) that you'd rather not attract the attention of. It's an occupational hazard.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by onenastyviper
Let me put it like this - would you be happy and comfortable if everyone else was given the same level of freedom to "exercise personal judgement" ?

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quote:

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Originally posted by splitrivet
My point isn't really the undertaking... or breaking the speed limit. I've done both... Its coming on here and saying that you've done it and saying you've had the misfortune to be caught doing it.

---

SMIDSY - Sorry Mate I Didn't See You

quote:

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Originally posted by Sam_68

quote:

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Originally posted by onenastyviper
Let me put it like this - would you be happy and comfortable if everyone else was given the same level of freedom to "exercise personal judgement" ?

---

What a truly odd question - Yes, of course I would!

I'm slightly bemused that you might think me so arrogant and conceited as to suggest that there should be one law for myself and another for 'everyone else'. I don't consider myself anything special either in terms of my driving ability or my personal judgement. Quite the reverse: that's why I'm quite happy that the vast majority of the driving public could be allowed similar latitude to that I've given myself over the years, without it bringing down motoring Armageddon upon us all.

quote:

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Originally posted by splitrivet
My point isn't really the undertaking... or breaking the speed limit. I've done both... Its coming on here and saying that you've done it and saying you've had the misfortune to be caught doing it.

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Dafter than demonstrating your hypocrisy by coming on here admitting that you've done both whilst berating others for doing them, would you say?

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quote:

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Originally posted by BangedupTiger
Only 85 ??? Clearly need a bigger engine.

---

I'd like to criticise the op but having broken the odd limit - we all do a bit of speeding, figure it wouldn't be right given the road etc. Got to admit though, now we are seeing 50 replace the GLF's, I'm speeding more. But not in 30's/40's.

Anyway, "he who throws the first stone" and all that.

As for advice for op, buy a classic Mini and thrash the living day lights out of it, knowing that you'll probably never be going more than about 50 mph Or buy some old dog that you won't mind them crushing.

ATB

Simon

sell the car to your wife they cant crush it then if you driving someone elses car

quote:

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Originally posted by Simon
I'd like to criticise the op but having broken the odd limit - we all do a bit of speeding, figure it wouldn't be right given the road etc. Got to admit though, now we are seeing 50 replace the GLF's, I'm speeding more. But not in 30's/40's.

Anyway, "he who throws the first stone" and all that.

As for advice for op, buy a classic Mini and thrash the living day lights out of it, knowing that you'll probably never be going more than about 50 mph Or buy some old dog that you won't mind them crushing.

ATB

Simon

---

Alternatively, buy a mountain bike (if you don't already ) - get most of my thrills on that now (and get fitter at the same time)

Also just bought a road bike, but that's for the tri I've entered!

ATB

Simon

quote:

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Originally posted by Simon
Alternatively, buy a mountain bike (if you don't already ) - get most of my thrills on that now (and get fitter at the same time)

Also just bought a road bike, but that's for the tri I've entered!

ATB

Simon

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quote:

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Originally posted by ST_eely

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sam_68

quote:

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Originally posted by onenastyviper
Let me put it like this - would you be happy and comfortable if everyone else was given the same level of freedom to "exercise personal judgement" ?

---

What a truly odd question - Yes, of course I would!

I'm slightly bemused that you might think me so arrogant and conceited as to suggest that there should be one law for myself and another for 'everyone else'. I don't consider myself anything special either in terms of my driving ability or my personal judgement. Quite the reverse: that's why I'm quite happy that the vast majority of the driving public could be allowed similar latitude to that I've given myself over the years, without it bringing down motoring Armageddon upon us all.

quote:

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Originally posted by splitrivet
My point isn't really the undertaking... or breaking the speed limit. I've done both... Its coming on here and saying that you've done it and saying you've had the misfortune to be caught doing it.

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Dafter than demonstrating your hypocrisy by coming on here admitting that you've done both whilst berating others for doing them, would you say?

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haha, good point Sam!
I thought the whole point of these forums was to share stories /have the general craic / share build info.
I didn't come on to boast about being caught speeding, I was merely sharing my story Bob. You seem to have the opinion that anyone who doesn't abide to the last letter of the law is some sort of raging mentalist road vigilante! I'm no angel behind the wheel or bars, but Id like to believe that I'm not the only one who has had that "moment" when you thought "f*ck it" and pushed the loud pedal with a massive grin for a short blast, or am I..?

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quote:

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Originally posted by splitrivet

And Chill

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Hey whoa, not me saying anything about hunting anyone down.
Cheers,
Bob

[Edited on 25/3/14 by splitrivet]