Only 5% of drivers who crash were breaking the speed limit

[AtW]

Dieing and being greeted by Chico...

[BoredBloke]

" If you contest the speed you have no alternative but to say that you were driving under the limit. Eg if you have a ticket for 35mph in a 30 zone, if will still be fined if you admit you were doing 31mph, it’s daft. You have to lie and say you were doing 29mph to get off"

But surely you could argue that you were doing the speed limit. If the limit is 30, you can do a maximum of 30 - why argue you were doing less. So the guy I know (don't know if he challenged it) could argue that his needle was pointing at 30 and that this indicated to him that he was driving at the correct speed for the road.

Are there any tests for the speedo on the car? The police claim that the cameras get calibrated, but when do the speedos, other than when they are made/fitted.

[Paddy]

" If you contest the speed you have no alternative but to say that you were driving under the limit. Eg if you have a ticket for 35mph in a 30 zone, if will still be fined if you admit you were doing 31mph, it’s daft. You have to lie and say you were doing 29mph to get off"

But surely you could argue that you were doing the speed limit. If the limit is 30, you can do a maximum of 30 - why argue you were doing less. So the guy I know (don't know if he challenged it) could argue that his needle was pointing at 30 and that this indicated to him that he was driving at the correct speed for the road.

Are there any tests for the speedo on the car? The police claim that the cameras get calibrated, but when do the speedos, other than when they are made/fitted.

I’ve done many hours of work on the subject for a forthcoming case. The cameras are calibrated by the manufacture every year; but in the factory. They rely on correct installation that often is not done correctly. Eg the lines and sensors in the correct position.

Also there are a number of other factors such as the local authority applying the correct Road Order, putting the CORRECT signs and MAINTAINING them, also the road markings must be correct. I have found about one in four is incorrect. On another subject I have found that about two third of the parking restrictions are invalid. In fact in my home City none of them bar the pay meters are valid. One example is never ending single and double lines without T bars and no notices with the restricted details.

[ASB]

" If you contest the speed you have no alternative but to say that you were driving under the limit. Eg if you have a ticket for 35mph in a 30 zone, if will still be fined if you admit you were doing 31mph, it’s daft. You have to lie and say you were doing 29mph to get off"

But surely you could argue that you were doing the speed limit. If the limit is 30, you can do a maximum of 30 - why argue you were doing less. So the guy I know (don't know if he challenged it) could argue that his needle was pointing at 30 and that this indicated to him that he was driving at the correct speed for the road.

Are there any tests for the speedo on the car? The police claim that the cameras get calibrated, but when do the speedos, other than when they are made/fitted.

Strictly calibration of a police car speedo is NOT required. However this is only really relevant for serious cases (e.g. whether you were doing 110 or 112). Looking it up the precedent for this is Nicholas v Penny 1950.

However, where evidence of a speedometer reading is used in court it is generally necessary to establish it has been recently calibrated in accordance with home office guidelines. These are supposed to be daily (I believe) and entered in the vehicles log - as should the calibration of all the other devices.

A number of cases have been won where calibration has been contested.

[ASB]

Also there are a number of other factors such as the local authority applying the correct Road Order, putting the CORRECT signs and MAINTAINING them, also the road markings must be correct. I have found about one in four is incorrect. On another subject I have found that about two third of the parking restrictions are invalid. In fact in my home City none of them bar the pay meters are valid. One example is never ending single and double lines without T bars and no notices with the restricted details.

Not if Brunstum (?) gets his way. He wants the fact that the signage is wrong etc not matter.

[BoredBloke]

No, the point I was making was....

Your speedo says you are doing 30, but the camera flashes you doing say 33.

Has anybody ever fought and won a case when they showed that their only means of gauging their speed was giving them incorrect readings. Are there any routine checks on your speedo accuracy?

[darmstadt]

If you have an accident at speed over 130 kmh (85 mph?) then you are going to be dead...

One of the members of the BMW family had a crash in his Maclaren just up the road from me a little while back at excessive speeds and walked away. The best one though was a big Mercedes travelling at high speed which hit a Trabant. The Merc was a write-off yet the Trabbie could still drive

The worst people on the roads here are East Europeans, cars packed full to the gills with crap, poodling along in the middle lane and then pull over.

I drive up and down the A5 between Frankfurt and Darmstadt which is 4 lanes and is reputed to be the fastest and busiest motorway, especially during rush hour. In the fast lane everyone is doing speeds of over 100mph with only a few meters between each other and nary an accident. The accidents that you do see are in the slower lanes or when someone who can't judge the speed pulls out. I had an accident at around 90 mph, on a motorbike, and I'm still alive.

[ASB]

No, the point I was making was....

Your speedo says you are doing 30, but the camera flashes you doing say 33.

Has anybody ever fought and won a case when they showed that their only means of gauging their speed was giving them incorrect readings. Are there any routine checks on your speedo accuracy?

Doubt it. You've normally just committed 2 offences instead of 1. The defective spedo is an offence under the construction and use regulations - but should only result in a defect notice. There are limited calls for speedo accuracy to be part of the MOT though.

However it is possible to get an absolute discharge (having been found guilty).

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hors180.pdf (page 56)

[Bernard Common]

Here's a Novel idea, how about staying within the speed limit?

[darmstadt]

Here's a Novel idea, how about staying within the speed limit?

novel