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122mph and No Ban - sammy1

A very recent court case of a driver doing 122mph on the M48. He pleaded guilty and gave the excuse that he would loose his job and mental health. He was fined £600 costs and 6points. It makes you wonder why we bother to have laws anymore.

122mph and No Ban - Steveieb

My friend was being followed by a lorry on the M1 which kept nudging him into slower car in front.

I desperation he put his foot down , accelerated past the car in front and got caught doing over 100.

He waited over six months for the case to be heard during which he was banned from driving. Eventually he was fined £600 and six points .

But the stress took its toll, and may have contributed to his recent illness.

122mph and No Ban - Andrew-T

It makes you wonder why we bother to have laws any more.

Does it ? I presume you mean laws which are policed and enforced. Many laws go onto the statute book with little hope or expectation of thorough enforcement. They are more like Rules telling people how they must behave in an ordered society, and there are always quite a lot who know better and do whatever they can get away with. That scope tends to increase as direct policing dwindles.

122mph and No Ban - sammy1

It makes you wonder why we bother to have laws any more.

Does it ? I presume you mean laws which are policed and enforced. Many laws go onto the statute book with little hope or expectation of thorough enforcement. They are more like Rules telling people how they must behave in an ordered society, and there are always quite a lot who know better and do whatever they can get away with. That scope tends to increase as direct policing dwindles.

Well yes the speed limit is largely enforced not banning drivers for ridiculous violation sends out the wrong message. A speed of 122 is blatant not a case of creeping over which happens. May be the court that that if they let him continue driving they could fine him again another £1k when he does it again.

122mph and No Ban - Andrew-T

<< May be the court that that if they let him continue driving they could fine him again another £1k when he does it again. >>

Another argument might be that [a] jail was not a suitable punishment and [b] if he were to reoffend, another 6 points would bring automatic disqualification ? Although one hears of drivers who accumulate a lot more than 12 points without a ban.

122mph and No Ban - gordonbennet

There's more three letter acronym electronics on vehicles these days than you can shake a stick at the whole purpose of which is to control and brake the vehicle if the driver hasn't the capability or nous, despite these things and the unarguable increases in vehicle performance handling and braking competence every single day people are smashing into each other and turning the vehicles over on perfectly straight roads where everyone is going in the same direction, maybe those same systems and automation itself has deskilled drivers.

The average driver could not cope with the responsibility of driving on unrestricted roads, too many slower vehicle drivers cannot judge the approaching speed of other vehicles and pull out regardless even if they've bothered to look and apply any judgment, the speed queens themselves unable to work out where it might be safe or the conditions right to put some speed on, you only have see them perform in slippery conditions or a car park or tight housing estate where mutiple hazards are obvious, not a clue about appropriate speed.

Yes there are competent road users out there, but as is the established norm here lowest common denominator rule applies, because some incompetent clot can't judge anything for themselves it is assumed that no one can...this attitude is systematically destroying business etc in this country and its getting worse, but regarding the roads people prove time and again they can't be trusted so the state applies rules.

122mph and No Ban - corax

There's more three letter acronym electronics on vehicles these days than you can shake a stick at the whole purpose of which is to control and brake the vehicle if the driver hasn't the capability or nous, despite these things and the unarguable increases in vehicle performance handling and braking competence every single day people are smashing into each other and turning the vehicles over on perfectly straight roads where everyone is going in the same direction, maybe those same systems and automation itself has deskilled drivers.

Put them in a rear wheel drive leaf spring Escort and stop gritting the roads, they can have a 'crash' course in proper car handling, plus it will last much longer.

I still like driving cars, but not when I'm around others. People simply cannot drive smoothly now, and I think that the modern car allows them to drive erratically because it is forgiving of any lack of skill. I used to be in a car club, and we used to sometimes go on a days tour around a particular area sightseeing. It was a pleasure to drive with those members because they were all enthusiasts who knew how to make progress smoothly and predictably. Less tiring too.

122mph and No Ban - Bromptonaut

A very recent court case of a driver doing 122mph on the M48. He pleaded guilty and gave the excuse that he would loose his job and mental health. He was fined £600 costs and 6points. It makes you wonder why we bother to have laws anymore.

The Magistrate(s) followed the sentencing guidelines:

www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/magistrates-.../

It's pretty clear that, caught at over 100 on the Motorway, one is facing a serious risk of at least a short ban. There is though another option - 6 points. The job of the sentencing Magistrate (or District Judge) is to weigh up the factors in play, both those that aggravate and those that mitigate. I assume the defendant here pleaded guilty and was appropriately remorseful. If his job and his health were at risk he would need evidence of that from the employer and a Health Care Professional; making excuses of your own bat won't make a bit of difference.

Why do you think the law was not followed?

Edited by Bromptonaut on 02/04/2023 at 21:18