speeding doing 35mph in a 30

[red-forest.]

i had notice of intended prosecution for the alleged offence of doing 35 in a 30mph zone i filled that in and sent it off,now got an offer of a speed awareness scheme workshop has anyone here on AB been on one ? what was it like ? i am not sure if i should except this offer or to pay the fixed penalty �60 + 3 points,or to dispute the speed i was doing,as so far i have not been able to except that i was doing more than 30MPH i am sure my speed was approx 27 maybe 28 it was a manned camera,could i be wrong ? how are these mobile manned camera's calibrated ? is the speed displayed always in whole units ie 35MPH what if someone was doing 34.5 would the figue be rounded up or down ? how accurate are these radar guns ? how could and when should i dispute this matter does it have to be in court ? if it went to court what would be the likely outcome ? thanks in advance any help/advise would be appreciated.

[Ice.Maiden]

Read under mobile enforcement...

http://www.safe2travel.co.uk/more_info.asp?cur rent_id=89

The cameras use lasers for calibration, and are seemingly very accurate. You could dispute your speed, but'd probably lose. Perhaps better to attend a workshop. You can lok at this for terms and conditions:
https://www.drivetechsas.com/london/course_terms.htm

[vulcan]

speed cameras are usually pretty accurate but car speedometers are not calibrated and can be out by a few miles.i was once told by a speedcop[ in northern ireland] that for this reason they add 3 miles and then 10%[30+3 +10%=36.3]and then prosecute if the driver is over this speed.perhaps a garage could check your speedometer.
good luck.

[red-forest.]

dont think my speedo out,check it against sat nav the sat nav was much higher i go through a lot of fixed cameras no problem driving an astra i do have a noisey speedo cable but it does not affect displayed speed,since listing my question my access to this site been a problem keeps saying no internet connection avaible so cannot reply quickly.

[trt]

Just pay the fine and move on red, most of us get done for speeding some time or other.

Its not worth the hassle to fight it.

[red-forest.]

i would'nt mind if i thought they were right had one before approx 14 years ago 73 in a 60 was dual carrigeway no doubt about me doing it still remeber it.is 35 the lowest anyone heard of ?

[kempie]

As previously mentioned, your car's speedo is not calibrated whereas state/police operated speed measuring devices have a legal requirement for frequent periodic calibration, therefore its accuracy can be readily checked.

The usual rule of thumb for triggering a camera is;
Speed Limit + 10% + 2 (in this case 30 + 3 + 2 = 35)

but any speed over the posted limit is an absolute offence. Therefore you could be prosecuted for travelling at 31 mph but this is far from usual. Some speed cameras have been reported as being set to 33 mph.

Your speedo appears to under-read your road speed which is actually unacceptable in law (whereas an over-read, with a limit of +10%+2.5mph, is acceptable). This means that when driving at a true 35mph the speedo is allowed to indicate a speed in the range 35 to 41 mph and should never indicate a speed below the true speed.

The apparent under-read is based on your SatNav, which is far more accurate than the speedo, reading (much!) higher and the laws of physics dictating that a noisy speedo cable is very likely indeed to affect (lower) the readout.

[red-forest.]

thank you kempie i ve taken that all in,i think i will check my speedo at low speed against others,although i dont think it will be any different than 1 or 2 mph,my speedo cable makes a noise now and then but it does not effect needle which stays steady and smooth.

[north star]

A speed awareness course is not offered by all scamera partnerships / police forces, but where it is offered it is for excess speeds of 10% of the posted limit + 6 mph eg from 30 - 39 mph in a 30 limit. As it is in lieu of points and a fine people generally grab the opportunity with both hands. You do pay for doing it though. You can only do a SAC if you havent done one in the previous 3 years.

[berniesbargreece]

Ignore the offers from the police. When they offer you an awareness scheme, IGNORE THIS OFFER, (that means no calls, no letters in responce etc) they will write again, IGNORE IT AGAIN, then they will offer you a fixed penalty, IGNORE this too. 99% of people following this advice will NOT END UP IN A COURT OF LAW. Simple fact is they KNOW all about the 10% plus 2 rule. They just hope YOU DONT! if you engage them by phone or by post they WILL convince you to pay. IGNORE THEM!