Speed Awareness Course beckons

Nanu

Nanu

Veteran
 Sunderland
Well just been notified that I was caught speeding at the weekend. 58 in a 50 zone of the A1. The annoying thing is, I was accelerating to get out of the way of an Ambulance that was directly behind me on full Blues and Twos just at the same time as I passed a sneakily parked camera van in a layby.

Tried to explain to the Ticket Office but they say tough basically, even though they agree that there was an Ambulance clocked a couple of frames later. Could go to court and hope for an sympathetic Magistrate but that may prove expensive.

From now on I don't move over or get out of the way for the emergency services if it means speeding or there is even a slight chance of breaking the Law. Sounds harsh but at £100 a pop for doing the right thing, it's a harsh lesson.
 
Sounds a bit harsh in my opinion,but as usual no common sense or bend in the rules,just a blanket attitude,doing over limit doesnt matter why give the guy a punishment. :thumbsdown:
 
Very bloody harsh. I had a police van on blues come up behind me at a pedestrian crossing on red last week, I made sure it was clear then slowly moved forward into lane two. Was waiting for them to pull me over instead of continuing to their job, luckily they stuck a thumbs up out the window on the way past. At least there are some out there with common sense
 
A man in a uniform can and often does apply common savvy - A camera can't - then couple that fact with a jobs worth in the Ticket Office ????
 
What a shame that a jobsworth didn't use a bit of common sense. Now you and others reading this, will think twice about moving out of the way for emergency service vehicles, if it means making an illegal maneuver, potentially costing someone their life.
I would hope any decent judge would see exactly what you did and throw the case out, but I also wouldn't gamble on getting a decent judge.
 
firebobby said:
What a shame that a jobsworth didn't use a bit of common sense. Now you and others reading this, will think twice about moving out of the way for emergency service vehicles, if it means making an illegal maneuver, potentially costing someone their life.
I would hope any decent judge would see exactly what you did and throw the case out, but I also wouldn't gamble on getting a decent judge.
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yep my thoughts exactly
 
Has anyone done a course since Covid took over all our lives?

Apparently it’s all online and you can only take it if you have the right IT kit which fortunately I have
 
That's the trouble when you get caught by a camera - there is no discretion.

I think I'd just put it down to experience and take the course.

It might be worth going to court if there was no option of a course and I already had some points though!
 
Sorry about your issue. Lucky here in the states we just have the automatic cameras at most intersections with lights. On the open road we still have the local or state officer in a car with a radar gun. Which gives you a fighting chance as you can have a discussion with them as they attempt to create a ticket. (after they chase you down and pull you over). Usually you wont be bothered if 5- 10 mph over posted unless in a school zone etc. However, for the ones who hide behind trees or bridges to catch you I think that is entrapment.
 
I had to do a ticket school here in the US last January. They literally kept me at my freking PC for 8 hours answering tests and saying yes I'm still here randomly. There was no getting around it. But the class did keep the point off my license. :thumbsup:
 
Nanu said:
Has anyone done a course since Covid took over all our lives?

Apparently it’s all online and you can only take it if you have the right IT kit which fortunately I have
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I did one a few weeks ago, you pick a date and time that suits you, either morning or afternoon, then sit in front of your PC/laptop along with about 8 others, whilst you get a 4 hour talk with a few questions Thrown in, there’s no right or wrong answers as such and you don’t have to pass anything just complete the course.
 
Mr Tidy said:
That's the trouble when you get caught by a camera - there is no discretion.

I think I'd just put it down to experience and take the course.

It might be worth going to court if there was no option of a course and I already had some points though!
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Yep agreed .... but in this case it might be worth the OP writing to the Chief Constable pointing out that the camera is correct then the confirmation that an ambulance was close behind and suggest that he was only doing what any good citizen would reasonably do given his assessment of the the road situation. If the Chief Constable is unable to wave the ticket (and I believe he/she is) then as part of the same letter ask if he would be prostituted for impeding the progress of a vehicle attending an emergency in this situation?

I don't know the answer. I could never find anything that says its illegal to overtake an emergency vehicle showing blue and twos provided you do not break the speed limit or imped their progress but it does say if its an accident; and you block them from getting to it God help you!
 
This is not my response...but the standard response you see almost everywhere from the emergency services is that they will never force you to do anything illegal to allow a vehicle to pass.

Common sense however, is that you just get out of the bloody way in a sensible manner.

You see it in London, where people will block 3 lanes of road and force an ambulance to drive on the pavement rather than enter a camera-monitored box junction, or a bus lane :headbang:

In your case, you'd think the camera operator would user some discretion, but they're probably not a proper copper, more likely a civilian operator with targets to meet.
 
Funny how it is illegal to do move out of the way in the UK whilst in mainland Europe it is illegal to obstruct.
 
mmm-five said:
This is not my response...but the standard response you see almost everywhere from the emergency services is that they will never force you to do anything illegal to allow a vehicle to pass.

Common sense however, is that you just get out of the bloody way in a sensible manner.
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In my Blood Biker role I've recently signed up for and started an IAM course. This topic came up on the forum. (the actually case was crossing a white line in the centre of the road to let a Police car past on B&2's)
However the response was as quoted above, they added that the Emergency vehicle drivers are trained not to put you under pressure and should turn off the sirens/lights if you can't legally get out of the way
This was born out my my son's girlfriend who as a paramedic took the drivers course last month

Your case seems very harsh, like Crazy Harry said, it must be worth an appeal letter at least
Good luck
 
Thanks guys,

All views appear to be that of my own. I have already tried to contact the CC but the email was intercepted by one of his minions and basically dismissed saying plead not guilty at court. They won’t even release the images to me so I can assess how it looks balanced against my recollection until I go to court which is outrageous
 
Does not seem very productive fining people for trying to do the right thing, even if they are technically breaking the law by doing so. Plus reacting to Blues and twos in your rear mirror, is an instinctive, fight or flight reaction, not one you think about first.

Surely there must be an online appeals process like there is for parking fines? Though that is run by the council authority issuing the ticket. It works though I have successfully appealed two parking tickets.

Do speeding fines come under a central body or are they administered locally?
 
Parking is not a criminal offence so the appeal process is very different.

They have made the appeal process for speeding deliberately very dangerous, i.e. accept their offer and you get 3 points and £100 fine. Don't accept the offer and the fine is hugely more (unless you very lucky).
 
Nanu said:
Well just been notified that I was caught speeding at the weekend. 58 in a 50 zone of the A1. The annoying thing is, I was accelerating to get out of the way of an Ambulance that was directly behind me on full Blues and Twos just at the same time as I passed a sneakily parked camera van in a layby.
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Nanu, So that I can fully understand this, were you in the right-hand lane of a dual carriageway? If you were, could you have moved to the left-hand lane instead of accelerating? Was it possible that you could have been more aware of the ambulance earlier before it was directly behind you? I ask as I am trying to understand why this is being pursued. I am not criticising you, just trying to make you aware of questions that may be asked if you went to court.
 
If you can avoid the time off I'd take it to the Magistrates and reference the Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006.

Present the evidence (photos) to the Magistrates and you'll get off.
 
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