On the way to Court today to defend a speeding case (old fasioned handheld laser).
Unusually found my mind wander from the job in hand (i.e. driving)
as I drifited into the newly arrived 30s where this driver fell foul of the dreaded
device. Mind was partly occupied in how I was going to defend this lad, woke up
from this daydream and found my speed almost matched what he was being done for. I was bloody lucky, but it goes to show.
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Did you get him off, Pug?
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"We find your Client Guilty Mr. Pug Ugly, Fined £60 and 3 penalty points. Next case Clerk."
That bit of mitigation - you put if forward didn't you?- was bound to get nowhere.
DVD.
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Bit paraphrased from the local rag,
"Local councillor got fined for 35 in a 30; Gatso; went to court to have his day; usual arguments; this will reduce safety; everyone will be spending more time looking at speedo than watching the road; early in the morning; no traffic; no pedestrians blah blah blah"
Judgement from the bench "what are you complaining about? We did someone yesterday for 34 in a 30, bang, £60 3 points, next"
I just behave myself 100% its generally a lot less stressful. But I have to say as pug points out 34 in a 30, even with the best and most honourable of intent there but for the grace of God go most of us *every* day and that IS stressful.
Pauses for crazed to come and have his fix!
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If my speedo' tells me that I am doing 30mph and I have no reason to doubt it's accuracy, what then could be my defence if a speed camera clocks me at doing 33mph.
I can imagine that not all speedometers are at all times equally accurate (different manufacturers, quality of parts, different designs etc.), i.e. if mine shows 30mph, another might indicate 28 or 32mph.
Would it be pertinent to enquire of the relevant authorities, if the need ever arose, as to the the age, accuracy and when the last calibration of the camera system (clutching at straws here), frequency of servicing etc. was done and by whom.
Is there any allowance made on a plus or minus basis of say 10% to allow for any possible differential in speedo accuracy. After all, nothing is perfect, not even me!.
Rita
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Rita,
Unless the law has changed (no doubt some one will correct me) there is a 10% allowance on speedo readings.
You should never see any one being booked for doing 33 MPH in a 30 zone or 77 MPH in a 70 zone.
CV
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Rita
Claire is about right though I'm not certain it's enshrined in law. I think there's something else which dictates that speedos can't read low, only high. Something was written in this forum on this a while back - might be worth a search
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Legally, IIRC, speedos must not under-read but may over-read by up to 10%.
So id your speedo says 30 you are doing anything between 27 and 30.
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I've checked several cars with a GPS, and in every case the speedometer was over-reading by between 5 and 12%.
Andy
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Same thing happened to me at the weekend, in a road I knew with a well-marked camera that's been there for ages. I approached it at 40 and it was only seeing the reflection of the flash (off a car coming towards me!) that I looked at the speedo, saw 40 and braked hard.
The camera is near my usual bike shop and, if I'd been on the bike, I doubt that my mind would have wandered. I'd have been more into self-preservation mode! Just selfish, I guess.
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I don't suppose anybody knows how many marker posts you have to *pass* on the motorway to check your car's speedo ?
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The figure 16 ( half furlongs) seems to come fore out of the rust, Mark.
DVD
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None - just drive into the first one. If your spedo reads 'zero' its probably accurate?!!!!
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