Whoops ! Maybe Getting 3 Points For Speeding.

[SIRandyraven]

Having driven for 33 years without a single point or endorsement, I have passed a traffic speed camera on the A361 yesterday above the speed limit.
The road goes from 60 to 70 and down to 60 on different stretches.
No excuse I know , but I was doing 68mph (Sat Nav said) when I passed a camera in a 60mph zone.
I never speed , always do 65mph on the motorways for good fuel economy, but I was cruising down hill on this stretch of the A361 and passed this camera.
It was an old type camera and did not flash me.

The question is , I'm due to hire a car in Zurich in July and if I send my license off for the endorsement (points) , then I will be stuffed for hiring the rental car.
- How long do they give you to send your license off to have points added ?
- How quickly do they return the license ?

I'm thinking 15th of June plus 2 weeks to get Notice of Penalty.
So that makes it the 29th of June.
I need to pick up the hire car on the 14th of July.

[albaqwerty]

I'm sure there's a web site somewhere which gives you a list of the 'active' speed cameras (unless I'm getting confused)
You might just be lucky in this instance if you weren't flashed.
Fingers crossed.

[ubasses]

If the camera did not flash you may be lucky. At 8 miles over the speed limit you should be offered a speed awareness course. Accept it and book the course to avoid your holiday, no points and no need to sent your license away

[tonyav]

I'm not sure if the digital type of speed camera do flash, in my area the West Mids ( Black Country Area ) the speed camera's have all been turned off due to the fact that they use wet film that the authorities say is to expensive !.

[cazzz1975]

As a first timer you may have the option to do the speed awareness course which means on completion you wont get the points on your license

[cazzz1975]

sorry ubasses, I didnt see your comment

[sara3]

you might be able to download something for your satnav that warns you of speed cameras.

or not, of course!

[Jemisa]

Nah! You won't hear any more. Most speed-cameras are inactive now most councils have dispenced with 'em now as "Too expensive to run"
They leave 'em in place to scare people like you.

jem

[SIRandyraven]

The SATNAV does warn of them ....but never picked up this one.
Camera was also obscured with a bush/tree behind it.
No excuse ....To be honest I was doodling along at 50MPH and then hit a down hill bit and was in 6th gear and doing 68mph before I knew it.
I should have been paying more attention to my speed. Simple as that.
No excuse.

I would do the speed awareness course if offered.
This was an older type camera , from what I saw when I passed it.

[tonyav]

Was it one of those Yellow box type of camera's ?.

[SIRandyraven]

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Barnstaple&hl=en&ll=50.933297,-3.541905&;spn=0.000835,0.005284&sll=51.315653,-2.207823&sspn=0.02913,0.084543&oq=barnsta&t=h&hnear=Barnstaple,+Devon,+United+Kingdom&;z=18&layer=c&;cbll=50.933432,-3.543097&panoid=C4KbXGAj91b2uagoyz_Phg&;cbp=12,5.66,,0,-0.07


This is it ...via street view

[SIRandyraven]

tonynav it was a large yellow version of the camera.
See via my street view link reply, if your technology allows you.

[BigEv]

According to my friend in the Metropolitan Police, if the camera didn't flash you, then the camera is not working. All rear facing yellow Gatso speed camera's, whether analogue or digital are required to flash by law if activated. Gatso's are operated by either piezoelectric strips embedded in the road; set a predetermined distance apart, which register the time it takes for your wheels to pass over them or by utilising a laser ranging system to measure your speed. Gatso's take a number of pictures, both normal and infra-red, the infra-red picture shows up your registration number regardless of how dirty your number plate is (Anti-speed camera number plates do not work), 2 normal pictures are also taken, usually half a second apart, which is why you see 2 flashes, these allow the police to calculate your speed and they do this by using the white markings painted on the road that are set at a predetermined distance apart. Using a simple formula and the 2 slightly differing pictures, the police can calculate your speed.

Only forward facing Truvelo cameras do not flash so as not to blind oncoming drivers, they also utilize piezoelectric strips embedded in the road and the first thing you know about tripping them is if a letter or fine drops through your letterbox, they also take away all doubt over who was driving at the time as there is less likelihood of contesting the prosecution as the photographic evidence identifies the driver as well as the vehicle.

[237SJ]

I know that road really well. Judging by the way some people drive on it, your 68 mph won`t raise many eyebrows. Really dangerous road IMO.
When I had an SP30 for speeding, it was the paper part of the license that I sent away but when I have hired a car abroad, they only wanted to see the card part so maybe there won`t be a crossover. You could check with the hire company as to which part of the license they need.

[jake-the-peg]

I got an sp30 recently - sorry to tell you they had it over 6 weeks!

Even had a note on the form saying if we send you a threatening letter and you've sent it in then ignore it we've a huge backlog.

I did send for a replacement about 4 months ago and that came in about 2 weeks - you could send for a spare

But that would be very naughty!

[tonyav]

Sorry about getting back to you so late SIRandyraven. That speed camera on the street view looks exactly the same as the ones that have been disabled in my neck of the woods, so I would say that if it didn't flash then your safe.

[ChillDoubt]

This link is 18 months old but is in all probability still relevant, figures-wise.

And as others have said, if it didn't flash the chances are there will be no follow up.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1350881/Speed-cameras-Half-dont-work-1-10-catch-offenders.html

[RATTER15]

I know that camera well, just a few miles away from me, it generally isnt functional, if you were flashed you would almost certainly have noticed it, I have never seen that one activated to be honest.

[saxy_jag]

You don't get the penalty straightaway. They write first so that you can confirm who was driving and so that you can plead guilty or otherwise. Then they write to you with your fine/penalty details. You may be offered the opportunity to attend a speed awareness course in lieu of the points, especially as it's your first 'offence'. It may well cost a little more than the fine (I paid £70 for the course as opposed to £65 for the fine) but worth it to keep your licence clean. If you do that then you don't even need to take your licence out of your wallet.

[Mass_Hysteria]

If you haven't yet received a summons then maybe you won't? If you do you have 28 days to send in your licence(s) and the fine.

I am currently waiting for mine to be returned from Scotland, only had it 2 weeks so far.

Did you know that you cannot do the speed awareness course in Scotland so no choice whether to take the points or not?