My Diary Entry today simply said 'Bugger'.

andyglym

Shiny Dust Caps Make Your Zed Go Faster.
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Moresby, West Cumbria, England
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First motoring offence in 41 years of driving :arghh: On the upside, no points. The irony of the 'course' being on Zoom is not lost on me. Not on my bike or my Z3 but in the Yeti :whistle:
Screenshot_20260119-192735_Chrome.jpg
 

Pond

Zorg Guru (III)
British Zeds
Joined
Dec 26, 2016
Points
144
Location
Spaldingski, Lincs
Model of Z
3 litre Z3 pretending to be Italian exotica. Two previous E89 Z4s.
First motoring offence in 41 years of driving :arghh: On the upside, no points. The irony of the 'course' being on Zoom is not lost on me. Not on my bike or my Z3 but in the Yeti :whistle:
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I would take the points. I wouldn't do well with some muppet droning on about 'the dangers of speed' for an hour. I would, at some point, tell them to feck off.
 

AleNod

Zorg Guru (III)
British Zeds
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Dec 19, 2018
Points
145
Location
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Model of Z
Z4 E89 20i sdrive roadster
I feel for you bud . . . .

I got one ticket probably 20 years ago and had to take the points, no option. But I was driving a company car only so didnt care in those days . . .

Herself did a course in person a couple of years ago. As the talk started, a flustered woman came in absolutely spitting feathers. She was rushing to the speed awareness course and just got another ticket.

Now thats irony . . .
 

andyglym

Shiny Dust Caps Make Your Zed Go Faster.
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British Zeds
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Feb 20, 2015
Points
231
Location
Moresby, West Cumbria, England
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2.8 Roadster
I feel for you bud . . . .

I got one ticket probably 20 years ago and had to take the points, no option. But I was driving a company car only so didnt care in those days . . .

Herself did a course in person a couple of years ago. As the talk started, a flustered woman came in absolutely spitting feathers. She was rushing to the speed awareness course and just got another ticket.

Now thats irony . . .
Chatting at work today, the camera in question is new and even has its own FB page 🙃 One lad and his Mrs went out, he drove there and she drove back, both got one 😳
 

Duncodin

Zorg Guru (IV)
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163
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Pontrhydyrun - in Crow Valley
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I would take the points. I wouldn't do well with some muppet droning on about 'the dangers of speed' for an hour. I would, at some point, tell them to feck off.
Yes. That's exactly what its like. Muppets.

They call it a speed awareness course. But most of the course is spent teaching you how to know what the speed limit is. So it's not 'speed awareness'. It's a 'speed limit awareness course'. Because, in fact, most speeders are not mindless hooligans. They're law abiding citizens caught out by cryptic speed limits.

For example you're out in the middle of nowhere. it's middle of the night and theres not a building in sight but you go past a street light that you didn't see because its dark and the light wasn't lit then, because of street lights, it's classed as a built up area and 30mph limit applies. Ching ching.

That's just one of them. There's other 'clues' telling you what the speed limit is and the muppet will tell you all about them till you want to stand up and shout "For *'s sake. Why all the cryptic '*ing clues. Just put some *ing speed limit signs up and half of us wouldn't be *ing sat here".
 

Pond

Zorg Guru (III)
British Zeds
Joined
Dec 26, 2016
Points
144
Location
Spaldingski, Lincs
Model of Z
3 litre Z3 pretending to be Italian exotica. Two previous E89 Z4s.
Yes. That's exactly what its like. Muppets.

They call it a speed awareness course. But most of the course is spent teaching you how to know what the speed limit is. So it's not 'speed awareness'. It's a 'speed limit awareness course'. Because, in fact, most speeders are not mindless hooligans. They're law abiding citizens caught out by cryptic speed limits.

For example you're out in the middle of nowhere. it's middle of the night and theres not a building in sight but you go past a street light that you didn't see because its dark and the light wasn't lit then, because of street lights, it's classed as a built up area and 30mph limit applies. Ching ching.

That's just one of them. There's other 'clues' telling you what the speed limit is and the muppet will tell you all about them till you want to stand up and shout "For *'s sake. Why all the cryptic '*ing clues. Just put some *ing speed limit signs up and half of us wouldn't be *ing sat here".
TBH I have only ever had one speeding ticket and points in 2011. 3am, no other traffic around, driven from Cardiff and wanted to get home, A road, 40 limit through a 'village' (a pub and three houses). Speed camera at 44 in a 40.

I have had a few others but argued all those and they were rescinded. Don't know about these days, but back then if you gave them a hard time and challenged speeding fines, they would often be cancelled. I put it down to the authorities just going for the easy money.
 

Gatsoburner

Zorg Addict
British Zeds
Joined
Dec 16, 2025
Points
53
Location
North West of UK
Model of Z
3.0i
Things have changed and not in a good way. All about the money I'm afraid which I'm certain you're all aware.
I can tell you where what percentages of the 95 quid goes but the thought Police will be on my door (again), disappointed just doesn't cover it.

When I was on traffic we had ' discretion ' and it was used more than the pen. Right attitude and understanding worked better than a letter.

When I did speeders years back I made it easy. Park side on so the Battenburg livery was unmissable with a clear view of me, used the laser out the NS window whilst sat in the drivers seat. 30 limit and my leniency was 44 and above got you a ticket. 36 to 44 got a tug and advice.

When you've been to fatalities and seen it's pure speed that killed the other person you get a bit p***** about it, knocking on NOK, truely saddening and something that never leaves you.

Sadly Policing and politics are hand in hand, and we all know how poisonous Politicians are.
 

Pond

Zorg Guru (III)
British Zeds
Joined
Dec 26, 2016
Points
144
Location
Spaldingski, Lincs
Model of Z
3 litre Z3 pretending to be Italian exotica. Two previous E89 Z4s.
When you've been to fatalities and seen it's pure speed that killed the other person
Speed never killed anyone. It's the stopping quickly when hitting something that does the damage. ;)
 

1955Davidr

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Fylde Coast
Before Christmas we looked after a friends dog while she was put through one of these courses. We have just had a new bypass built and the old road is still there in part, one stretch of it had a speed camera in a 40 zone and after 35 years of respecting it she told me that it had been made a 30 zone. This is a road that used to carry the main traffic from Preston to Fleetwood and is now quiet compared to what it used to be. The day after she took her punishment I got the dreaded letter for doing 36 in that zone, and am doing my course a week on Friday. In our family I am the one that knows and respects the limits, son and wife ignore them and never get caught. This stretch of road goes through a residential area where they have raised the limit to 40 only to drop it to 30 when it goes into a sparsely occupied country road, all I can say is Barstewards !!! No logic to it at all.
 

KASPar

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Z3 2.8 M52 1998
Pity the SAC isn't in person, you could get more reaction that way. When I did one was told in no uncertain terms if you didn't actively engage in the discussions and subjects you would be failed and get done for the points.

The course leader made the statement 'speed kills'. I actively engaged by asking if that was the case how come with 1 exception, the space shuttle travelling at 17,000mph didn't kill everyone on board, as that is massively faster than the 70mph max limit on UK roads? The 1 exception was when they let the girl drive the space shuttle!!

Further, if going above 70 would kill you in the UK. Then you drive at 70 down to the ferry, cross the channel and drive on the right in a RHD car at 85, any slower you get fined for going too slowly, but you don't die!!

There was an old black and white film showing jam sandwiches crashing into plastic cones to illustrate how speeding makes you lose control and crash, but modern cars have ABS that allows you to steer under braking and avoid the cones!!

Another was about a bus stopping in a 30 limit to allow passengers to alight. What speed should you drive at? Why the f would you overtake a bus letting passengers alight??

Loads of other idiotic stuff was discussed with lots of challenge. So much the lecturers were glad it was over at the end. Still they got paid, whereas the attendees had to pay. All about the money.
 

Mazza

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I have done two of these courses, ( both from being in the Kia ) , but went in person rather than the online option as could never trust my internet not to crash out :banghead: …. as if it does, you dont complete the course and then get points anyway🤬.

Both times it was noticeable that 90% of the ’audience‘ were old farts like me 😂.
 

Synclare

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Under Construction and Use regulations manufacturers were allowed a 10% limit on speedometer accuracy readings. Guess that was before electronic speedos.
Assuming that to still be the case, can you legitimately get away doing 33mph in a 30 limit?
Anyone know at what speed over the limit the fine 'kicks in'?
 

Gatsoburner

Zorg Addict
British Zeds
Joined
Dec 16, 2025
Points
53
Location
North West of UK
Model of Z
3.0i
Under Construction and Use regulations manufacturers were allowed a 10% limit on speedometer accuracy readings. Guess that was before electronic speedos.
Assuming that to still be the case, can you legitimately get away doing 33mph in a 30 limit?
Anyone know at what speed over the limit the fine 'kicks in'?
Each force has its own targets.
Welsh Wales are strictest I last heard, 31 and you get a ticket. I think personally they'll be a drop in offences due to the new camera's as they can be watched live from the office, phones seat belt stuff, same civvi staff who'd be out with a camera van
 

mmm-five

Zorg Legend
British Zeds
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
Points
75
Location
Liverpool
Model of Z
E86 Z4MC
Under Construction and Use regulations manufacturers were allowed a 10% limit on speedometer accuracy readings. Guess that was before electronic speedos.
Assuming that to still be the case, can you legitimately get away doing 33mph in a 30 limit?
Anyone know at what speed over the limit the fine 'kicks in'?
Speedometers are allowed to over-read by upto 10%, but are NOT allowed to under-read at all...and most are at their most accurate at 30mph to avoid the argument.

Now that the Z4M has 265/40r18 rears, the speedo is <2% out all the way up to 167mph (previously it was about 5% out).

The Alfa 147 JTD was showing 130mph on the autobahn, when the sat-nav was showing 115mph (and its official top speed was 117mph). I quickly realised the standard brakes are simply not up to slowing a diesel 147 down from anywhere over 100mph.
 

Pond

Zorg Guru (III)
British Zeds
Joined
Dec 26, 2016
Points
144
Location
Spaldingski, Lincs
Model of Z
3 litre Z3 pretending to be Italian exotica. Two previous E89 Z4s.
The Alfa 147 JTD was showing 130mph on the autobahn, when the sat-nav was showing 115mph (and its official top speed was 117mph).
I had a 2016 Mazda6 with an analogue speedo and a digital HUD directly above the speedo. They read different speeds all the time. It was quite annoying but the advantage was you could pick whichever one you wanted to take notice of! ;)
 
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