Level crossing stupidity...

[SamThomas]

Couple of years ago I attended a speed awareness course & the instructors made quite a big issue about car & light van speedo's consistantly reading high when compared to LGV & PCV's having calibrated speedo's.

[alastairq]

1 minute ago, SamThomas said:

Couple of years ago I attended a speed awareness course

Last time I gone  pinched for speeding, I avoided the speed awareness course entirely!

The coppah asked me if I could tell him how fast I was going? So, I told him....

I got it right within one mph....thus avoiding the speed awareness course..as I obviously knew almost exactly how fast I was going...

 

That was the last time I received any 'points'.....and the first time, as it happened. Previously I just got endorsements...

Back in those days, one could get an endorsement for overtaking the fella with the red flag....

[LMS2968]

1 hour ago, admiles said:

 

A mere wee slip of a thing.........mine 90 is this year!  (granted not the one I drive daily)

Well, there's the rub, the Prefect is the daily - only - car. I've also had the speedo checked: 2mph slow at 30 but spot on at 40 and 50 mph. But +/-10% was the tolerance in those days; the plus 2 mph was what the police normally allowed, as I heard it in case their speedo was reading wrong. But really the law specifies that your car should not exceed the speed limit, not that the speed shown on your speedo is above.

[PhilJ W]

5 hours ago, 96701 said:

A cowboy tried that - he got done for rustling.

[lmsforever]

I got caught on camera doing 33mph at 4am in the morning following an ambulance with my wife on board in High Wycombe .Went on a course four of us were caught at similar speeds one young woman was on her third course did not seem to be working,

[Ian Smeeton]

Wymondham Level Crossing Traffic Report

 

Night Shift last night.

 

No cars

 

No pedestrians

 

No phone calls

 

1 official email

 

3 Trains

 

1 Chivers Fine Lines LMS Double Bolster  and 2.5 wagon chassis completed.

 

Expected to be busier tonight, but still no cars. (1, perhaps, if it is a busy shift!)

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

 

[Wickham Green too]

16 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

.... my vehicle has the actual manual contained within the entertainment system, ....

So what do you refer to when the entertainment system misbehaves ? 

[62613]

17 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

Triple drift, anyone?

 

On a positive note, it would seem that nobody has done anything daft on a level crossing this afternoon. 

 

John

SSSSSssssshhhhhh!!!

[SamThomas]

14 hours ago, lmsforever said:

I got caught on camera doing 33mph at 4am in the morning following an ambulance with my wife on board in High Wycombe .Went on a course four of us were caught at similar speeds one young woman was on her third course did not seem to be working,

& that is the perfect example of why there should be more manual intervention & not to rely on the "scamera cash cows".

 

Seriously ? - someone with a brain & a bit of common sense should manually check these PCN's.

The again, its Thames Valley (I think) so I'm not surprised.

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, Wickham Green too said:

So what do you refer to when the entertainment system misbehaves ? 

So far after over six years nothing has misbehaved……..

 

But it is available online for downloading onto your tablet or phone apparently.

 

And you get a “quick start” guide with the car but I haven’t even bothered opening that yet 

[Hobby]

1 hour ago, SamThomas said:

& that is the perfect example of why there should be more manual intervention & not to rely on the "scamera cash cows".

 

Are you prepared top pay for the extra costs of the massive increase in traffic police that would entail?

 

(Also I don't agree with the comment re cameras, they are only cash cows for people who don't abide by the limits, I agree that lmsforever was extremely unlucky, but he didn't have to break the limit, following an ambulance doesn't give the right to speed. Just on that did you try an appeal, lmsforever?)

[alastairq]

5 hours ago, Hobby said:

Just on that did you try an appeal, lmsforever?)

There is no recourse to 'appeal' if the offence is proven. 

There is, however, something called 'mitigation!'

In other words, an offender would need to demonstrate to the Court that there was a valid reason for doing what they did.

Or, a valid reason for the Court's punishment to not be what would normally be expected.

[alastairq]

7 hours ago, SamThomas said:

Seriously ? - someone with a brain & a bit of common sense should manually check these PCN's.

The again, its Thames Valley (I think) so I'm not surprised.

 Are you aware of how the offences caught on camera are processed?

 

Each 'ping' is reviewed. 

Also, one man's ''common sense'' is another man's idiocy.

There is a huge gulf twixt reality, and urban myth.

 

Maybe the links below [and others from the same source] might help place the reality?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbdEQwPcasc&list=PLOu1C4wHKjG6o--jcBFLwDOJGOP7N4pCE&index=5

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXEaPp698rg&list=PLOu1C4wHKjG6o--jcBFLwDOJGOP7N4pCE&index=6

 

[SamThomas]

8 hours ago, Hobby said:

 

Are you prepared top pay for the extra costs of the massive increase in traffic police that would entail?

 

(Also I don't agree with the comment re cameras, they are only cash cows for people who don't abide by the limits, I agree that lmsforever was extremely unlucky, but he didn't have to break the limit, following an ambulance doesn't give the right to speed. Just on that did you try an appeal, lmsforever?)

Clearly you did not read my post - where did I say anything about a "massive increase in traffic police " (your words) ?

 

To refresh your memory what I said was "Seriously ? - someone with a brain & a bit of common sense should manually check these PCN's."

 

So, please read posts correctly before commenting.

 

& of course show a little empathy please, but then again you are probably squeky clean. As for your remark about lmsforever appealing maybe with his wife in hospital he had more important things to concern himself with.

[SamThomas]

2 hours ago, alastairq said:

 Each 'ping' is reviewed.

If indeed they are I sand by my comment about brains & common sense.

[Richard E]

2 minutes ago, SamThomas said:

& of course show a little empathy please, but then again you are probably squeky clean. As for your remark about lmsforever appealing maybe with his wife in hospital he had more important things to concern himself with.

 

At which point, these days, you leave yourself open to a charge of driving without due care and attention. Seen it and considered that position myself as well.

[alastairq]

7 minutes ago, SamThomas said:

As for your remark about lmsforever appealing maybe with his wife in hospital he had more important things to concern himself with.

 Everybody has an 'excuse' for breaking the Law.

Personally I'd be thinking just how much 'attention' is the lad paying to safe driving, if distracted by a pregnant wife?

Well, we can all think of do-or-die excuses for ignoring the speed limits.

None of them wash, when it comes to the Court.

As I said, all we have as far as pleading is mitigation. Trying to persuade the Magistrates that whilst one broke the Law, one had a good excuse for doing so. See what happens with regards to the levels of punishment imposed?

 

By the way, nobody is pretending to be squeaky clean...Or even, trying to claim the moral high ground.

There are darned good reasons why speed limits are imposed, and enforced.

Most of which have nothing to do with the individual, and everything to do with the rest of the world out there using the public highway.

Speeding fines are not a tax..unless one wants to describe a fine for flouting the Law of the land as a 'tax?'

 

One way to avoid ever paying this 'tax [fine] is to drive or ride at all times within the speed limit.

Perhaps showing a little bit of respect for hte needs of other road users?

Whether one 'knows' there are road users around, or not. [Let's face it, one only has certainty that a road ahead is 'empty', after the fact. Crystal ball stuff.]

[newbryford]

On 07/03/2022 at 12:01, 96701 said:

 I thought that I was in the "Driving Standards" thread for a minute. (Hint, hint)

Nah  - it's the Forum Jokes thread now for discussing road users

 

[kevinlms]

On 08/03/2022 at 06:17, lmsforever said:

I got caught on camera doing 33mph at 4am in the morning following an ambulance with my wife on board in High Wycombe .Went on a course four of us were caught at similar speeds one young woman was on her third course did not seem to be working,

Fact is there is little point rushing behind an ambulance most of the time. What are you going to do when you arrive, best for the patient to be in capable professional hands, rather than a well meaning spectator.

[Titan]

5 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Fact is there is little point rushing behind an ambulance most of the time. What are you going to do when you arrive, best for the patient to be in capable professional hands, rather than a well meaning spectator.

 

A chance to say your last goodbye which would otherwise be missed?  If they  get them straight in to the operating theatre before you arrive you may have missed your last chance to see them alive?  We all know how psychologically important close contact with friends/relatives are - it can make the difference between life and death in these circumstances.  Even if it is "most of the time"  you won't know that until after it is too late to do anything about it.

Edited March 9, 2022 by Titan

[Hobby]

11 hours ago, SamThomas said:

Clearly you did not read my post - where did I say anything about a "massive increase in traffic police " (your words) ?

 

To refresh your memory what I said was "Seriously ? - someone with a brain & a bit of common sense should manually check these PCN's."

 

So, please read posts correctly before commenting.

 

& of course show a little empathy please, but then again you are probably squeky clean. As for your remark about lmsforever appealing maybe with his wife in hospital he had more important things to concern himself with.

 

Yes I did read your post and simply looking at the photos (manually checking!) would not do anything as all you see is a still photo of a vehicle breaking the limit, nothing else. So you have to look at the only real alternative which  is a police presence which as I said would involve a massive increase in spending. Hence my comment, which i feel is a valid observation from your post.

 

Neither of us know why he was following the car but to say that I didn't show empathy is taking my comment out of context, speeding notices don't arrive on the day but come several weeks after the event, so it could be that whatever involved the trip had been sorted before he received the notice and he could have considered going to court as I understand Alastair said that has to be done to review it. My comment simply pointed out that it can be taken further if necessary. Your dig at me I feel was OTT.

[SamThomas]

12 hours ago, alastairq said:

 There are darned good reasons why speed limits are imposed, and enforced.

There are indeed Alastair, but the point (& the only point) I am trying to put over is that there is a vast different between being over the speed linit by 3mph at 04:00H & say 09:00H.

I am not condoning speeding & lets face it many, many of our speed limits realisticly could do with being revised - some up & some down.

 

& I bet not many of us here could put there hand on their hearts & say they have never driven when being distracted by (insert favourite pet hate distraction here). I can't & I have far better driving qualifications than passing a basic car driving test.

 

Luck of the game - sometimes you "get away" with minor transgressions, sometimes you don't, but thios is where the brain & common sense come back into play.

[SamThomas]

6 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Fact is there is little point rushing behind an ambulance most of the time. What are you going to do when you arrive, best for the patient to be in capable professional hands, rather than a well meaning spectator.

It's human nature, especially when it concerns a loved one.

 

Seems like you are a very caring person.

[ejstubbs]

1 hour ago, Hobby said:

speeding notices don't arrive on the day but come several weeks after the event

 

AIUI the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) has to be delivered within 14 days.  Or at least, it has to be posted within a period of time after the offence which would reasonably be expected to mean that it would arrive within 14 days; they don't use any kind of expedited or recorded delivery, it's just normal first class post.  So, for example, if the NIP is posted through your door within 14 days of the offence but you happen to be on holiday at the time, that doesn't invalidate the NIP.  And as you say, the appeal process on receipt of a NIP is to opt to have the case heard in court, which is where you have the opportunity to present your mitigation if that's the approach you wish to take.  However, it's best to be pretty sure of your defence because if you lose, it can result in a higher fine/more points.

Edited March 9, 2022 by ejstubbs

[SamThomas]

1 hour ago, Hobby said:

 

Yes I did read your post and simply looking at the photos (manually checking!) would not do anything as all you see is a still photo of a vehicle breaking the limit, nothing else. So you have to look at the only real alternative which  is a police presence which as I said would involve a massive increase in spending. Hence my comment, which i feel is a valid observation from your post.

 

Neither of us know why he was following the car but to say that I didn't show empathy is taking my comment out of context, speeding notices don't arrive on the day but come several weeks after the event, so it could be that whatever involved the trip had been sorted before he received the notice and he could have considered going to court as I understand Alastair said that has to be done to review it. My comment simply pointed out that it can be taken further if necessary. Your dig at me I feel was OTT.

Manually checking the images would show a vehicle exceeding the speed limit (in this case) by 3mph at 4:00H - that's right 3mph over the limit @ 04:00H.

 

Yes, lets have more police patrols on the road - a higher profile will go a long way into improving driving standards & detection vehicles &/or drivers that should not be on the roads.

If there were more police patrols there would be far less high speed chases & less need for the amount of very high performance police cars which are not cheap to run, but lets not go down that road.

The extra costs will be offset by the long term savings of dealing with "accidents", not only the direct causes but the after effects.

 

We know exactly wjy the member in question was travelling at 33mph.

&, FYI PCN's &/or NIP's must be posted to the registered keeper of the vehicle within 14 days of the alleged offence***. Of course having empathy I realise that the member in question may have had more important things on his mind than a plain brown paper envelope on his doormat.

 

As you showed little or no empathy for the circumstances of the member in question then I stand by my remarks. In future please feel free to ignore my posts if you don't like the fact that I do sometimes bite back.

 

*** ejstubbs beat me to that.

Edited March 9, 2022 by SamThomas