62mph, with that traffic!?!?!
Were you in the exige or on the bike?
Anyone who lives in London knows it is easy to speed along that section of the embankment. It looks like there is a lot of traffic, but there are lots of lights and very little traffic joins from the tributaries so when the lights change there is 1/2 a mile of open dual carriageway. I’m not advocating it, and I’m not saying I would do it but it would be relatively easy to do off the lights.
I have so often seem them stopping people there or at the approach to Battersea Bridge (by Chelsea Flower Show place) that I always check my speed along there.
Sorry to hear about your troubles, as I said as a Londoner I can relate - for those that don’t know that stretch of road, the 30mph limit there is not like a 30mph limit through a village guys. Good luck.
I’m no lawyer, but i wouldn’t bother with those pics to aid your defence
Good luck with it though all the same .
Tim.
I’m with both of those last two comments.
The problem with that bit of road is you have to be so agressive just to make progress, with cabs and coaches switching lanes to get in to the right lane for turning off. If you can jump away from the lights and get in front of stuff you just do. Still, no defence, and that’s probably why the (City of London) police (read army) sit there, but I can understand it a bit more.
I doubt they’re going to accept you need your car for work, due to 1) the type of car and 2) the fact that there’s a perfectly good (read bad) public transport system in London.
Ian
i think i’ll try the “plead guilty and hope for the best” tactic
no previous convictions might help me, and if i can get away with less than 1 months ban then i’ll be satisfied, and have learnt a valuable lesson
That sounds wise.
Can you appeal a verdict? That might be a better place to put your efforts if you feel you don’t get a fair punishment.
Ian
i’ve been told i can, but also that the initial verdict stands while the appeal is on going. So worst case scenario would be make-example-of-young-hooligan with a 1 year ban, and then see the appeal drag out for 6 months
…i’ll be satisfied, and have learnt a valuable lesson
I’m not going to apologise for my earlier comment … but you appear to have the right attitude so good luck.
If your not intending to be represented & are fearful of a lengthy ban it may be a good idea to write down a pre-prepared statement…
- accept the blame, & maybe don’t offer an excuse unless you’ve a very good one (a close relative dying or similar)
- Maybe say that you realise that with your car you should actually be setting an example to others(you showing responsibility…they’ll like that)
- Say that it’s out of character, stating your unblemished licinse & insurance record.
4 Offer to pay a larger fine if this would assist offsetting a lengthy ban (ask a Lawyer what to expect first though, just in case).
I’m sure alot of us here have been sped in similar circumstances & ‘got lucky’, so very best wishes for a reasonable outcome.
Tim.
I Had a similar (many similar !) problem some years ago. I have had a clean license for some 7 years but got caught in my Exige by a camera van hidding in bushes in the central reservation of a dual cariageway after a bend last month. I had no chance. 3 points.
Anyway I have a lot of experience of your situation in years gone by. Tried Lawyers, tried representing myself, tried appealing.
Believe me the biggest factor is the Magistrate on the day.
You have to endear yourself to them.
They probably won’t know what an Exige is, your just another speeder who needs to be punished.
So go smartly dressed but not “too” smart (Conservative)
Get a letter from your employer (get some headed paper and prepare it yourself but I didn’t say that) and submit this to the magistrates as part of your presentation. “You are a valuable person to the company who has to visit customers regulary and need his licence for work. If licence lost his job and future career prospects could be severely damaged” You can use your imagination to produce a tastful letter but not too over the top.
Explain a little about your personal circumstances (good steady job but not too good so you can’t pay a �5,000 fine)
Explain about your previous good driving history.
You need to explain in your own words that your not a hooligan boy racer but a respectable person who just got carried away on the day.
You have saved a long time to get your car and that you are very proud of it and normally drive it with the greatest of care.
You were in an unfamiliar part of London and you are really devasted by what has happened as is your family.
If you can present above in a non contrived and believable way you should be O.K.
60 in a 30 is a bit naughty but I can see you have learned your lesson and I think a rap accross the nuckles in this case would be more appropriate than throwing the book at you.
I would leave the lawyer at home as it makes you look like a serial speeder who knows what to do. I tried different lawyers on several occasions but got best result with above approach.
No point appealing. As you will plead guilty you can only appeal against scentence. Even if you get a very harsh sentence you can only appeal on the grounds that they did not consider an alternative lesser sentence. Very hard to prove and they will just say they did but decided to give you what they did.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Ex77
thanks for all the advice - i’ll let you know how i get on
what should i expect insurance to do? double? triple?
Can’t help you there. I always had a company car during my heavily pointed and Banned years.
That was a long time ago now !
EX77
thanks for all the advice - i’ll let you know how i get on
what should i expect insurance to do? double? triple?
Hopefully none of those.
I was insured by Aon (still am), but when banned i had to cancel the policy Thankfully, Footman James agreed to cover the car offroad only for the period of the ban (6 months). Once the ban ended AON were happy to start a policy again at a virtually identical price (second car with agreed mileage).
If yours is an only car it may be different.
The refreshing attitude of some insurance companies is that ‘everyone speeds & some get caught’ If all these peeps were uninsurable they’d have no business.
Tim.