PePiPoo: Case File 13

Helping the motorist get justice

Case File 13

Ms. B., Lancashire

Ms B., who had held a clean driving licence for 22 years, had received a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for driving at 36 mph in a 30 mph limit and two months later she received a second for driving 35 mph in a 30 mph.

Ms B. was so incensed by what she considered to be persecution by Lancashire Constabulary that she decided to contest the second offence and, with our assistance she successfully escaped prosecution.

Lancashire Constabulary have introduced a speed awareness programme that they offer to some drivers who are caught speeding.
The posted limit was 30 mph and Ms B. was being accused of driving at 35 mph.
Ms B. negotiated with Lancashire Constabulary and agreed to attended the speed awareness course.
The course costs £95 but the participating motorists avoids prosecution for speeding, 3 points and a £60 fine.
It appears that Lancashire Constabulary do not offer the speed awareness training to anyone who was driving at more than 35 mph. This would appear to be somewhat perverse because, if you read Ms B's. account of the training day, it sounds like a very worthwhile experience.

You will also note that the Advanced Driving Instructors, who run the programme, would not be drawn or comment on current speed limit enforcement policy - we wonder why that could be?!

Note by Ms B.

I went on my speed awareness course last Friday 30th August. The morning was spent in discussing why the 16 present speeded and the consequences and presented by Bill Bott, an Advanced Driving Instructor.

The afternoon was 3 hours of me and another "punter" out in a car with another Advanced Driver - Harry Dunne. We did most of the driving and answered questions at the same time, like what speed are you doing? What's this hazard on the left, what was that traffic sign.

The people presenting the course make sure you know that they are not Police and therefore cannot discuss the rights and wrongs of your conviction.

Apparently Lancashire Constabulary don't 'do' anyone for less than 35 mph, and all those doing 35 mph are offered this course. They are full until end of October and then they are doubling up and the money collected, approx £3k last Friday (2 courses) is being used for road safety improvements including another 100 speed cameras in the next year. The idea is that they are going to make speeding as socially unacceptable and drink driving.

It smacks of control freak to me.

You may not be surprised by this article on the BBC New website:

County's speed camera success - "Figures released by the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety show that 127,000 people were caught breaking the speed limit last year - an increase of 600%."