What is Speeding?
If you asked most people, What is speeding? Most would probably answer you by saying that speeding is going over the limit set by the authorities.
I doubt anyone would argue with that statement, but let’s look at the types of speeding and lets look at what we mean by speeding.
Excessive Speed
This is very clear in that the speed of your vehicle exceeded the limit which has been posted by the authorities for that stretch of road you are on.
If you are caught doing this, then it is likely you will be awarded points on your licence and met with a fine. Normally a fixed penalty ticket will be issued. For more serious cases of exceeding the speed limit then it may result in you being taken to court. A court can then decide on the level of punishment to be awarded, which will be after the judge has heard your defence.
Excessive speed is usually captured by means of speed measuring devices, the most common one being speed cameras. Usually a fixed penalty ticket is sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle, but where it is registered to say a company, then a request to the company will be sent to identify the driver at that time. Then the fixed penalty notice can be sent to the drivers home address.
There are many types of speed cameras in operation today, For a more comprehensive explanation of them please visit http://www.saferroadsderbyshire.org.uk/safety_cameras/default.asp
Knowing the limit is the drivers responsibility. Most drivers look upon being caught as just unlucky. It could be said that basically the driver has subscribed to it. After all no one put a gun to your head and made you speed. The driver chose to break the law and so must expect there to be consequences. Being involved in a collision can cause death or injury to yourself or others. It is a limit, not a Target
In some cases where it is a drivers first speeding offence, local authorities are conducting speed awareness courses in which the driver is given an option to avoid penalty points on their licence, by paying to go on these courses. These are seen as educating the driver and hopefully getting the driver to change their driving practices.
If you have recently passed your driving test then you will be under the New Drivers Act.
If you reach 6 penalty points within the first two years of passing your test, then your licence will be revoked. You will need to apply for your provisional licence again, resit your theory test again, and then retake your driving test again. All the hard work and money you spent getting your full licence would have been wasted.
Inappropriate Speed
Inappropriate speeding is a driver who is driving within the signed speed limit, however they are driving too fast for the road and traffic conditions at that time. The faster you go, the more information your brain has to process. Urban roads will often be subjected to 30mph, these may be high streets in which the probability of pedestrians crossing the road are great. They could be near schools, hospitals, there could be lots of parked vehicles masking pedestrians and cyclists. These types of roads really do require the driver to take in to consideration all the factors and drive at a speed appropriate to the conditions.
Driving at an inappropriate speed on rural roads can be a real problem as well. On these type of roads the national speed limit may apply, and often exceeding that may be difficult due to bends and brow of hills ect. However it is still very possible to be driving too fast for the road conditions without exceeding the limit. The weather conditions or time of day or night, could be a factor as to what speed is inappropriate.
During your lessons I shall be teaching you all about speed, speed limits, and driving safety within the conditions we can see to be clear. Whilst Emergency stops are apart of the syllabus, a good thinking driver should rarely have to do an Emergency stop.
Remember Speeding Is Not Compulsory
Speed is a major cause of Collisions.
