Company Speeding Fines

[jo-jo2012]

Not sure if this should be on here or motoring, we had trackers fitted to our company cars about two months ago and where asked to sign a form to say if we were caught doing over 70mph we would be fined first £10 then £25 then £50 i gota letter today they have taken £135 out of my months wages, i know they can do this as i signed, but my overspeed report is one incident 9/6/12 time 18:17 76mph . .18:21 74mph.. .18:20 74mph . .18:22 71 mph so i have been fined 4 times for the same incident all within a 5 minute peroid it is the onlt time i have done this and i think to fine me for doing 71 when it could be said i am decellerating it also state on the overspeed report that it was business use when in fact it was the weekend and it was private use, please someone give me some advice this poor underdog is sick of being walked over.

[dasherman]

I don't want to be too harsh but, you were caught speeding 4 times so you got fined 4 times. If you went through 4 speed cameras within a 5 minute period would you expect to be let off?
You say you were caught at 71mph and you were decelerating, but the legal limit is 70mph!

If you don't want to be fined, don't break the law.

[ChuckFickens]

I'd ask to see the calibration report for the tracker, if they can't produce one then ask how do they know it's accurate to within 1MPH.

[ubasses]

You could try an appeal on the grounds that the short time involved amounted to 1 offence but at the end of the day you signed the agreement. In future set cruise control to the speed limit to stop you slipping over.

[MoonRocker]

The problem here, is, where does one offence end and the next one begin? Suppose you did 85mph constantly for 30 minutes? is than one offence? I'd seek clarification of the rules first, then you can see if they were applied correctly. I think this is also a grey area in the statute speeding law too?

[factor-fiction]

Yes, I would argue it was one offence.
Although you signed the forms I'm not sure about the legality. I'm not sure why the company just doesn't state that you will have to pay any speeding fines issued by the police/speed cameras

[MoonRocker]

....and if they are that anal about it why don't they just fit govenors? Or could this be a revenue raising facility?

[chrissa1]

Does your car have the company's name on it? Back in the 80's we supplied company cars to our salesmen. It was up to them if they speeded and of course if they were caught, they paid the fine not our company.

I can understand it if you're possibly bringing the name of the company into disrepute.

[mccfluff]

thats is really odd - anyone caught speeding in out cars has to pay the fine themselves + points. I would go back argue like hell its one offence and as chuck says ask for the calibration report.

also if we deduct money from someone's wages we have to write to them before we do it and get them to sign - not sure if thats a legality or company policy

[IggyB]

its all a bit irrespective what we write as you have entered into an agreement with your company regarding the use of their vehicles and have agreed to forgo your salary when the tracker shows you speeding (so no calibration report needed I'd say). Presumably the move was designed to reduce the risk of collision and maybe reduce the insurance premiums for the company.

The best advice would be to review this contract you have agreed to and see if the matter of timings between tracker speeds is covered. If it is not you should request this clarification and as the point is not clear request leniency in this instance.

[joko]

how often does the tracker take a reading?

[shoota]

Is the car speedo accurate?
Some are out as much as 10 - 15%. I don't see how they can enforce this ruling until all equipment involved has been certified and the definition of a speeding incident has been decided.

[shoota]

This is one of the times when a good stroppy union rep would be a good thing!

[IggyB]

they can enforce it because their employees have entered into a contract which will have set out when the wages will be withheld e.g. when the tracker shows the vehicle was moving over 70mph. if this issue of timings isn't covered then it should though... and for the record you do obviously have my sympathy as it doesn't seem fair for the fine to be applied so many times in a short such a short period however the arrangements are whatever you agreed to so you should really have confirmed before signing.

[IggyB]

agreed on the stroppy union rep - they can be very useful!

[shoota]

I think that in order to enforce it they would have to prove that the speedo was reading correctly - with a 10% error factor you could be driving along at a safe 65 when in fact you are doing a fineable 72.5.

[woofgang]

If they are GPS trackers, then unless you can HONESTLY say that you thought that you hadn't exceeded the speed limit and therefore the car speedo is wrong, then you are kind of stuffed. You were clocked speeding for 5 minutes so you cant even argue that it was one fast overtake.....

[ojread2]

Why your speeding any of your employers business?
Surely that's between you and the law? I don't even think you would have received a ticket for the speeds you have quoted

[woofgang]

The OP signed an agreement agreeing to make it his employers business....

[ojread2]

Yes, but why is what I meant
Why is it their business or why did they make it so

[woofgang]

presumably because they dont want employees speeding in company vehicles.