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20 year old speeding ticket issue!

Think I possibly got a speeding ticket Friday 29th September it’s now been 17 days what is the likelyhood of receiving a letter now? Going 37 in a 30 zone. I’ve heard of the 14 day rule so any help would be great! (Uk). Also I have only been driving a year and a half so would I qualify for a speed awareness course, I live in the West Midlands and they offer them quite often! Thanks in advance! :smile: (please don’t judge I’ve learnt my lesson by the worry it’s caused I won’t be doing it again! )

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it looks like the 2 week window has passed... you probably got away with it. if you got the 37 mph reading off your own speedometer then it is probably less... maybe 33 mph ?
Original post by Key97
Think I possibly got a speeding ticket Friday 29th September it’s now been 17 days what is the likelyhood of receiving a letter now? Going 37 in a 30 zone. I’ve heard of the 14 day rule so any help would be great! (Uk). Also I have only been driving a year and a half so would I qualify for a speed awareness course, I live in the West Midlands and they offer them quite often! Thanks in advance! :smile: (please don’t judge I’ve learnt my lesson by the worry it’s caused I won’t be doing it again! )


Skin of teeth.

Rule of thumb is speed limit + 10% + 3mph.

The real issue though, is that travelling 7 mph over the 30 limit, means your stopping distance increases by 9 metres or 30 feet.

More importantly, hitting a child at 37 mph increases the risk of fatality to 80% whereas at 30mph 80% will survive.

That's why there is a 30 mph speed limit !
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Key97
Think I possibly got a speeding ticket Friday 29th September it’s now been 17 days what is the likelyhood of receiving a letter now? Going 37 in a 30 zone. I’ve heard of the 14 day rule so any help would be great! (Uk). Also I have only been driving a year and a half so would I qualify for a speed awareness course, I live in the West Midlands and they offer them quite often! Thanks in advance! :smile: (please don’t judge I’ve learnt my lesson by the worry it’s caused I won’t be doing it again! )


The Notice of Intended Prosecution has to be given within 14 days, so you're in the clear.

Take this as a learning curve. Do not speed! The consequences are not fun!

This thread should be in the Cars and motoring forum. I'll just tag @AngryJellyfish to get this moved over there :smile:
Is the speeding ticket 20 years old?
Original post by Key97
Think I possibly got a speeding ticket Friday 29th September it’s now been 17 days what is the likelyhood of receiving a letter now? Going 37 in a 30 zone. I’ve heard of the 14 day rule so any help would be great! (Uk). Also I have only been driving a year and a half so would I qualify for a speed awareness course, I live in the West Midlands and they offer them quite often! Thanks in advance! :smile: (please don’t judge I’ve learnt my lesson by the worry it’s caused I won’t be doing it again! )


Are you the registered keeper of the vehicle in which you were driving? If so, the 14 day applies and unless the letter is lost in the post you will not be receiving an intention to prosecute letter. If you are not the registered keeper, then he/she will receive the letter and in this case the police have six months to trace the driver.

You would be eligible for a speed awareness course if it is offered in your region and if the speed lies in the range qualifying for the course (for a 30 mph zone it is 42 mph or less.

One possibility (if you are the registered keeper) is you were actually travelling on or around 35 mph which is the threshold for a fixed penalty. Bear in mind that the New Drivers Act applies to anyone (at any age) who passed their test within two years. If you accumulate six points or more during this period, the act imposes the penalty of revoking the license.
Original post by moonkatt
Is the speeding ticket 20 years old?


That's how I read it, too. :p:
Reply 7
Avatar for IWMTom
IWMTom
20
Original post by BrasenoseAdm
One possibility (if you are the registered keeper) is you were actually travelling on or around 35 mph which is the threshold for a fixed penalty.


Since when? The threshold for a fixed penalty would be 31mph!
Original post by IWMTom
Since when? The threshold for a fixed penalty would be 31mph!


We do not condone speeding and would advise driving slightly under the limit in a 30 mph zone but the threshold for a fixed penalty or a speed awareness course is 35 mph:

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/road_traffic_offences_guidance_on_fixed_penalty_notices/#speed
Reply 9
Avatar for IWMTom
IWMTom
20
Original post by BrasenoseAdm
We do not condone speeding and would advise driving slightly under the limit in a 30 mph zone but the threshold for a fixed penalty or a speed awareness course is 35 mph:

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/road_traffic_offences_guidance_on_fixed_penalty_notices/#speed


No, they are the ACPO guidelines. In law, the threshold is anything that breaks the posted limit.
Original post by IWMTom
No, they are the ACPO guidelines. In law, the threshold is anything that breaks the posted limit.


Thanks - we stand corrected on that!
Reply 11
Avatar for IWMTom
IWMTom
20
Original post by BrasenoseAdm
Thanks - we stand corrected on that!


Just for the record - in recent years, local forces have decided to come up with their own guidelines in place of the ACPO's, with many forces opting to follow a zero tolerance policy on speeding in an aim to reduce speeding based casualties. More forces are currently adopting a stricter policy than those adopting the ACPO guidelines.

My local force, for example, will and have prosecuted for 31mph in a 30mph zone as indicated by a calibrated measurement device (not a car speedo). In general terms, however, it is at the officer's discretion as to how they deal with it - if you're only a few mph over the speed limit, often not being a **** to the officer when you're pulled over will be enough to get you off with some stern words of advice, rather than a FPN.

Hope this helps! :smile:
Original post by uberteknik
Skin of teeth.

Rule of thumb is speed limit + 10% + 3mph.

The real issue though, is that travelling 7 mph over the 30 limit, means your stopping distance increases by 9 metres or 30 feet.

More importantly, hitting a child at 37 mph increases the risk of fatality to 80% whereas at 30mph 80% will survive.

That's why there is a 30 mph speed limit !


On a level, these distances are outdated as we all aren't driving around in a Ford Anglia anymore and cars have much better brakes nowadays
Reply 13
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by PhilipG1
On a level, these distances are outdated as we all aren't driving around in a Ford Anglia anymore and cars have much better brakes nowadays


Physics hasn't changed though.
The effect of exceeding the speed limit by even a small amount is surprisingly high.

[video="youtube;JTt7j7d4G7E"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTt7j7d4G7E[/video]

And at higher speeds the effect is even greater. Exceeding the 70mph limit by 10mph (i.e doing 80mph) you will hit an object that you would previously stopped short for, at 38mph.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by PhilipG1
On a level, these distances are outdated as we all aren't driving around in a Ford Anglia anymore and cars have much better brakes nowadays


There are zillions of studies that show that most people overestimate their ability to react in time to unexpected situations when driving too fast.
Original post by PhilipG1
On a level, these distances are outdated as we all aren't driving around in a Ford Anglia anymore and cars have much better brakes nowadays


Reaction times have not changed and neither have the laws of physics. Cars have also become much bigger where once a Ford Anglia was the family car, now it's likely to be a Nissan Qashqi.

The kinetic energy involved in a collision is 1.5x higher at 37mph than at 30mph. At 70 mph, the energy involved is 5.5x higher than at 30mph.

Guess which one comes off worse: a) the car b) the child?
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 16
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by uberteknik
Reaction times have not changed


And real world reaction times are slower. The times used in the highway code were averaged from tests done on 19/20 year old soldiers asked to press a button as soon as a light was lit. Ie. No distractions, and knowing something was about to happen.

Real world reactions are much worse...

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by uberteknik

The kinetic energy involved in a collision is 1.5x higher at 37mph than at 30mph. At 70 mph, the energy involved is 5.5x higher than at 30mph.

Guess which one comes off worse: a) the car b) the child?


Personally I avoid this question arising by not driving into children. I find this saves me a lot of paperwork and phone calls to insurance companies too.
Original post by TimmonaPortella
Personally I avoid this question arising by not driving into children. I find this saves me a lot of paperwork and phone calls to insurance companies too.


Which is how it should be.

Jokes aside, unfortunately, children have a habit of being distracted easily and find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Original post by uberteknik
Which is how it should be.

Jokes aside, unfortunately, children have a habit of being distracted easily and find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.


Which is a strong argument for driving slowly in the daytime in residential areas with lots of cars lining the streets. However, there are plenty of not-particularly-residential roads which are wide, clear, and generally safe which nonetheless end up designated 30 zones. For all we know OP's worries relate to such a road, perhaps on a clear night, and in that case the child-death lecture is rather less pertinent.

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