What can my dad do?

[[TW]Fox]

I hardly think going a few mph over the limit is unsafe,

Nope, neither will anyone else here think that, however what IS unsafe is being so in-attentative you manage to completely miss huge great yellow speed cameras - once is a mistake, twice, yea, it happens three times at a push but come on, he's facing 21 points - he CONSTANTLY drives through speed cameras with a complete inability to a) notice them and b) slow down and speed up the other side.

Not bothered about the speeding, more the fact he doesn't seem to be able to keep his eyes on whats going on around him. This is dangerous.

misjudging when a red light is going to change by a split second isn't that unsafe

Do you know how traffic lights work? Clearly not, let me refresh your memory:

Green: This means go.

Amber: This is the one your Dad doesn't seem to get. It doesn't mean drop a cog and floor it, you can make it. Sure, usually you can but if its been amber a while, guess what happens next? Yup thats right! It goes red.

Red: Don't go. That means don't go tanking past in your van becuase guess what, you'll get nicked if you are lucky and if you are unlucky you'll cause an accident.

He can't be that bad if he drives about 30,000 miles a year, has been driving for 30 years or so and has never been in a crash or been in danger of crashing, I think that says he is a good driver to me.

It says absolutely nothing other than he's been lucky - it's no judge of driving ability. Inability to stop at red traffic lights and notice GATSO's, however..

 

[JRS]

I think that says he is a good driver to me but then what do I know, he has only been driving me around for 20 years as well so I can see what his driving is like.

Think on that the only real information we have about his driving is the fact that he's facing 21 points and has ran at least 2 red lights.

Alright, so he hasn't had an accident yet. Is that down to luck or down to judgement? And on the face of it (21 points etc) I'd say luck.

 

[JRS]

Should just point out that the speed camera is on the approach to London, either on or just off the A13 can't remember the exact location, I don't think it's possible to speed in central London anyway

Yeah, it is - been in a car doing 45mph in Central London. It's not clever, but it is possible.

 

[Cyanide]

Like them or not, speed limits are the law.

I'm not saying I don't speed, I occasionally break the limit on the motorway when Born to be Wild comes on, but in general I stick to the limit as I know the roads around me are patrolled a lot.

And as for speed cameras... Not many people seem to like them, but all they're doing is taking pictures of speeding cars. Stick to the limit and you're ok. You can't miss them, they're 10 feet tall and bright yellow. A police van is a different matter, but we're not talking about that here.

If you knowingly break the law and get caught you can't complain - it's your own fault.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Like them or not, speed limits are the law. Break them and you're a criminal.

Errr, no.

 

[Cyanide]

Errr, no.

Since when are speed limits not the law?

 

[JRS]

Stick to the limit and you're ok.

Well done folks. We got this far into the thread before this pearl of wisdom got trotted out yet again.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Since when are speed limits not the law?

Since when is exceeding the posted speed limit a *criminal* offence?

 

[Cyanide]

Since when is exceeding the posted speed limit a *criminal* offence?

Very true... I apologise.

Though it depends how fast you're going, I'm sure they could slap a criminal offence in if you were doing double the limit

 

[Shootist]

I'm already on 3 points for speeding, so I could do without another 9 thank you lol, my mum isn't insured on the van so that's out

That's ok, she can take a driving without insurance too

It's a shame he's been caught though because he is a good driver and can read the road really well, never had a crash etc.

Obviously can't read the road well enough.


Seriously though, if he's doing 35 in a 30 he may get a warning (30 + 10% + 5mph = 38 so a slight margin there) but running a red light camera more than once in the same place, no excuses there.

Needing a vehicle for work may just work but I'd be sceptical about that (unless he can dig some dirt on the magistrate sharpish)

 

[Sirrel Squirrel]

Something very strange going on here, my dad has only just recieved an NIP and the two tickets for speeding and are dated as the 28th June and 2nd July, they were posted on the 27th July, is that safe to say he is in the clear, the van is leased but it is registered in his name so I'm assuming that means if the police looked up his number plate then it would have his name and address on it rather than the lease company.

 

[The Running Man]

i think your dad seriously needs to take a re-test. he is clearly unable to control himself/the vehicle like the rest of normal folk out there and could end up causing somebody some damage.

 

[JRS]

Something very strange going on here, my dad has only just recieved an NIP and the two tickets for speeding and are dated as the 28th June and 2nd July, they were posted on the 27th July, is that safe to say he is in the clear, the van is leased but it is registered in his name so I'm assuming that means if the police looked up his number plate then it would have his name and address on it rather than the lease company.

What's the rule guys? 14 days from the offense is the limit for when they can send it (not receive, it can take as long as it likes to get to you once they send it out)?

If he gets out of it on a technicality like that.....*sigh* You sure they were dated as being sent on the 27th?

 

[OllyM]

If it's a contract hire van, it isn't going to be registered with the DVLA in your dad's name... it'll be in the name of the contract hire company.

Does he have the V5 for it?

They will have received the NIP's, and named him as the person who uses the vehicle, so the 14 day rule won't apply.

 

[JRS]

They will have received the NIP's, and named him as the person who uses the vehicle, so the 14 day rule won't apply.

Figured it might work like that in this kind of situation.

 

[Morba]

I'm already on 3 points for speeding, so I could do without another 9 thank you lol, my mum isn't insured on the van so that's out, hopefully the cameras were out of film or something, another way he might get round it, is that the road with the cameras on used to be a 40 but it's now a 30 but then that doesn't excuse the fact that 30mph signs are all over the road.

It's a shame he's been caught though because he is a good driver and can read the road really well, never had a crash etc. Just taking chances with lights that are on amber as he approaches and trys to make it but flash, on two occasions.

Anyways think I'll tell him to get a bike.

rofl

He's still a safe driver though, never had a crash and he works in London so that's saying something.

But anyways I let everyone know what happens if he gets a pile of NIPs through the door.

major rofl

If he wasn't suited for the roads he wouldn't be able to drive round London, he'd bash into things, hold up traffic, drive dangerously by undertaking and overtaking dangerously, drive without insurance, tax or MOT, tailgate people, take out his anger on other cars and be a menace to the roads.

Just because he gets caught going through some speed cameras and a red light camera because he goes thorugh whilst its amber but changes to red does not make him unsuitable for the roads no matter how stupid he was in getting caught.

more rofl!
sorry but how do you know he doesnt hit things, he doesnt undertake and drive dangerously?
cameras pick up one thing only, if he gets so many points so easily by cameras i wouldnt like ot think just how many he would get for his driving that isnt caught on camera!

going over the limit doesnt make it unsafe i agree, however it is illegal. we all know this and take our chances, if caught we accept it (most of us anyway!)

 

[Oakesy2001uk]

easy, dont jump red lights, and if you do get caught by a scamera, remember where it is so you can slow down next time.

Personally if I had 9 points id buy a speed camera detector, and kurb my speed a bit until a few of them had come off my license. I wouldent be jumping lights!

 

[Adam_151]

Safe drivers dont go through red lights.

I belive its quite possible for most drivers to end up doing it by accident where the junction is complex or there are road works happening at a junction, etc, and because you end up reading the wrong signals, or in the case of the roadworks, 'switch off' to the real lights which are deactivated because you are following temporary ones while looking out for construction crew and cones while trying to work out whats happing to your lane, then you realise as you cross the line just on the edge of the dug up area that they have left one group in operation

 

[Morba]

I belive its quite possible for most drivers to end up doing it by accident where the junction is complex or there are road works happening at a junction, etc, and because you end up reading the wrong signals, or in the case of the roadworks, 'switch off' to the real lights which are deactivated because you are following temporary ones while looking out for construction crew and cones while trying to work out whats happing to your lane, then you realise as you cross the line just on the edge of the dug up area that they have left one group in operation

thats different, SS is saying that his dad likes to gamble at the lights.

 

[Oakesy2001uk]

I belive its quite possible for most drivers to end up doing it by accident where the junction is complex or there are road works happening at a junction, etc, and because you end up reading the wrong signals, or in the case of the roadworks, 'switch off' to the real lights which are deactivated because you are following temporary ones while looking out for construction crew and cones while trying to work out whats happing to your lane, then you realise as you cross the line just on the edge of the dug up area that they have left one group in operation

but the same one twice??? followed by the same scamera twice???

either blind and really not paying much attention, or dosent care about his license.