I have received a NIP after I triggered a Gatso camera whilst travelling at 51mph into a 30mph zone. I had been seeking an exit that would have led me onto the M4 motorway. This occurred when I entered the 30mph zone on a dual carriageway that had been rated at 50mph. There is no excuse for this other than the fact that 48 hours previously I had undertaken an emotional transatlantic flight and had not realised how much this had affected my powers of observation.

I now feel like some kind of common criminal and, far from enhancing my driving skills, the forthcoming threat of prosecution means that I am now driving in hyper-cautious mode, trying to absorb the plethora of road signs and limits whilst simultaneously paying attention to the immediate hazards of the road ahead. So my normal assertive but courteous and observant driving style has been diluted away. I have a clean driving licence but the Safety Camera Partnership have turned down my request to attend a speed awareness course on the grounds of my excessive speed which seems a bizarre kind of logic to me. When this incident occurred it was 22.00 hours on a Saturday evening with no other traffic, pedestrians or obstacles in sight but I guess that is the law and I have transgressed.