Speeding - Speed Awareness Course?

[muchlovex]

Hi all,
I hope you can offer some kind advice.

I have recently moved to Essex and was driving to work. I was caught driving 41 miles per hour, in what I thought was a 40 mile per hour zone. I have now been sent a letter with a photo. Obviously, I admit that I was speeding however, I did not know I was in a 30 zone.

I have checked on the Internet as I would like to attend a Speed Awareness course but they say that you have to have been speeding by a certain percentage.

Does anyone know from experience if I telephoned the Police Station and explained that I thought I was driving in a 40 mile per hour zone. Does anyone think they will allow me to do the SA course?

Thank you for any help given,

[sddsddean]

As Zac says, its up to them to offer you the course as an alternative. I know in Northants if you are doing up to 38 in a 30 you will be offered the course. They did think of going up to 39, but this almost doubled the number of people they would have to admit to the courses and they did not have the resources, so I would imagine you have very little hope of being invited on to one with a speed of 41.

[danchip]

in northumbria your only allowed to be going 5 miles over the limit to be entitled to go on the course

[NORMANTHEDOG]

these courses are a option,not a right of request,you were going too fast to be offered the course.

[dotovaposted]

I have never been one to drive above the speed limit but the number of times, (actually most days), that I feel intinidated and crowded cos i am driving at exactly 30mph is countless.

I love it when I am driving past Wigan Infirmary in the morning and it goes to two lanes up to the lights by Tescos, as soon as the road widens some tosspot speeds past me in the inside lane and shoots off down the hill and around the bend, anmd without fail I cruise up behind them or next to them at the lights lol the lights are only green for 13 seconds there in a morning and so i know they'll catch the lights lol so they've wasted their time and risked a speeding fine for nowt

[TWR]

You may find my answer a bit odd, do you know any HGV Haulage firms around your area? you need a firm with a MOT testing Station, within these stations they have what they call a Rolling Road this is as said a Rolling road that Calibrates HGVs speed, Each time a Lorry comes in for it's test the Taco is Calibrated to the Machine with a printout, If you would be prepared to ask with the cost to Calibrate your car you can then decide whether you want to challenge the speed the police state you were going at, also ask for the police calibration of their device this they have to do & also issue if asked, I do not condone speeding but we all make mistakes (Even the police speed at times but who are we to argue).

[furrycheeky]

I think that you were caught going too fast to be offered a course.
However it strikes me as weird that they only offer courses to people who were only just speeding, and not those who might benefit from it as they go faster.

[dm1982]

TWR your point relies on an extremely unlikely situation, the cars speedometer would have to be proved to have been properly calibrated at the time of the offence and the police speed detection device would need to have been proved not to have been calibrated at the exact time of the offence. hypothetical and extermely unlikely.

[north star]

general guidelines for an SAC is 10% + 6 mph so 39 in a 30. Emphasis on 'general' & guidline, see 3rd post.

[NORMANTHEDOG]

north star,that rubbish is a total myth,i got done for 33 in a 30,so dont talk crap