DON'T LET ISA DRIVE YOU OFF THE ROAD!

[DonPeffers]

5 minutes ago, Blatman said:

 

If this really was the cause/effect wouldn't the cops forgo the speeding offence and charge everyone with the more serious offence of driving without due care and attention? 

Cop = "Didn't you see the change in speed limit as signified by the signs?"

Driver "No..."

Bingo...

 

Legal cases cost the public pursue whereas speeding fines at £100 (minimum) a pop are a nice little, hassle-free earner.

 

I've long thought there should be countdown signs to speed changes ie.  30mph in 200 yards etc so the driver is given some warning rather than 60 suddenly becoming 40 or 30, especially as some signs are hidden behind overgrown bushes affecting visibility.

[Blatman]

8 minutes ago, DonPeffers said:

Legal cases cost the public pursue

 

Only if the authorities lose, surely. Court costs are usually borne by the losing party.

[DonPeffers]

3 minutes ago, Blatman said:

 

Only if the authorities lose, surely. Court costs are usually borne by the losing party.

 

Nick Freeman (nickname Mr Loophole) has made a good career out of it at £10k per day for celebrity clients.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Freeman

[Blatman]

Exception that proves the rule? Most of "us" know that going to court is an expensive proposition only to be undertaken when confidence of winning is high.

[DonPeffers]

The authorities don't want the cost or complexity of a Court case and rely on Joe public not having the time or confidence to challenge a speeding fine especially if the paperwork arrives 10 days after the event you are to prove wasn't you (say cloned number plate) or you are sure you were withing the speed limit ie. faulty speed recording devices, which have been successfully challenged in the past when not tested within the timescales laid down.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/25/record-two-million-speeding-tickets-handed-last-year-punitive/

 

"A record two million speeding tickets were handed out last year - how punitive are the roads you drive on?"

 

Just imagine if all 2 million wanted to have their day in Court; it would create a bit of a backlog.

[Blatman]

Well yes but that's not what we were discussing. However if all 2 million challenged in court the chances are the courts would make a lot more money as most if those are going to be found for the prosecution. Isn't that why most of us cough up without going to court?

[DonPeffers]

On 25/05/2019 at 12:42, Blatman said:

 However if all 2 million challenged in court the chances are the courts would make a lot more money as most if those are going to be found for the prosecution. Isn't that why most of us cough up without going to court?

 

Probably most cough up as cannot afford a day off work.

If 2 million additional Court cases were brought it would more than double the current caseload and be unworkable.

[Blatman]

9 hours ago, DonPeffers said:

Probably most cough up as cannot afford a day off work.

 

But if the case is won and costs are awarded the day off costs nothing...

There's no doubt if everyone decided to go to court the system would have huge backlogs but that's not the thrust of the debate.

[Lyonspride]

On 24/05/2019 at 15:27, Blatman said:

 

If this really was the cause/effect wouldn't the cops forgo the speeding offence and charge everyone with the more serious offence of driving without due care and attention? 

Cop = "Didn't you see the change in speed limit as signified by the signs?"

Driver "No..."

Bingo...

 

A friend once worked in a Casino, he said that the aim of a Casino is never to take all of a customers money, because then they don't come back, instead you take a small amount again and again over a period of time.
If speeding fines are all about revenue, then it makes no sense to take away a persons driving license, as once that's gone they're no longer a cash cow.

[DonPeffers]

https://www.evo.co.uk/news/18773/uk-speeding-fines-2018-what-are-the-latest-penalties-for-drivers

 

UK speeding fines 2018 – what are the latest penalties for drivers?

 

2018 UK speeding fine bands.  I didn't realise the bands A ,B and C fines were so high; sobering reading.

 

...fines falling under bands B and C  now increased to 150 percent of offender's weekly income.. 

 

[Blatman]

3 hours ago, Lyonspride said:

If speeding fines are all about revenue, then it makes no sense to take away a persons driving license, as once that's gone they're no longer a cash cow.

 

They're not about revenue generation, they're supposed to be a deterrent. With fines now very large I definitely take a bit more care in making sure I know where the speed cameras are  

The revenue generated by speed cameras and fines is (I think...) less than the tax bill paid by just pretty much any of the top 5 or 10 people on Britains rich list on their own.

[Lyonspride]

7 hours ago, Blatman said:

 

They're not about revenue generation, they're supposed to be a deterrent. With fines now very large I definitely take a bit more care in making sure I know where the speed cameras are  

The revenue generated by speed cameras and fines is (I think...) less than the tax bill paid by just pretty much any of the top 5 or 10 people on Britains rich list on their own.

Well i'm not going to get into that age old argument over whether it's about money, but i'll say this....... Of all the dangerous and potentially lethal driving I see on the roads, speeding contributes such a minuscule amount that I find it utterly bizarre that its given such attention.

What I do know about speeding fines, is that the whole speeding awareness course thing is BS, it's public money funnelled into private companies owned or partly owned by public servants or the close friends of, it's about as corrupt as it gets and the Police are set targets for sending people on these courses, even people who quite frankly shouldn't be on the roads at all.

 

[DonPeffers]

19 hours ago, Blatman said:

 

They're not about revenue generation, they're supposed to be a deterrent. With fines now very large I definitely take a bit more care in making sure I know where the speed cameras are  .

 

I have to disagree with the view that speed cameras aren't about revenue generation.  If https://www.evo.co.uk/news/18773/uk-speeding-fines-2018-what-are-the-latest-penalties-for-drivers  has the correct information even doing 100mph in 70 zone may lead to a short ban of 7 to 28 days or 4 to 6 points on licence.

 

I travel along many a country road with bend after bend only to find that when a longer straight section comes into view (thus enabling safe overtaking of slower vehicles) there is a speed camera situated at the roadside, despite the fact that there are no intersections or other dangers and no history of major accidents at that location.

 

This can be especially dangerous if two vehicles try to pass and then the lead car spots the camera and slows down thus leaving less time and road space for the second car to complete its overtake. Of course following an overtake is in itself dangerous but many will do it.

 

Speed cameras on long, straight, downhill sections seem popular too.

 

Intelligent Speed Assistance seems a nice supportive name and much better than Intelligent Speed Surveillance.

 

 

[Lyonspride]

If every car has GPS based systems capable of logging every journey, they won't need cameras any more. There was a suggestion 10+ years ago of fitting GPS loggers to all vehicles and then having the data uploaded at MOT time, speeding fines then issued accordingly.

[Blatman]

On 29/05/2019 at 00:12, Lyonspride said:

it's public money funnelled into private companies owned or partly owned by public servants or the close friends of, it's about as corrupt as it gets and the Police are set targets for sending people on these courses, even people who quite frankly shouldn't be on the roads at all.

 

Got any evidence?

I've done two speed awareness courses. Both were run by BSM instructors. The first one was so hopelessly out of her depth it wasn't even funny. The second one was very engaging but as ever the "shock" tactics of pictures and stories don't really work (on me at least) as I've seen far worse, as I'm sure many of us have. Some of the attendees though, yes they should hav ehad their driving licenses revoked for two reasons. 1, not really understanding the offence and 2, not swotting up on the Highway Code so that when they were asked questions they didn't look like the morons they clearly were. But that's a whole other rant...

 

BSM is owned by the AA which in turn is owned by CVC and Permira who purchased the AA from Centrica.

No doubt there is a politico in there somewhere but the same can be said of almost all multi-billion dollar companies. But they aren't set up solely for the gain of the political classes. And besides, if I could get to that position and earn a shed load of money by being a non-exec, I would, as would the vast majority of people. Nothing wrong with working smarter...