Don't ruin your holiday with a speeding fine and losing your licence

Here are the main reasons given by drivers who are caught speeding."I thought it was 40 miles an hour here, not 30""I was just setting out and feeling good""I felt happy and the road was clear""I just forgot, and never noticed my speed""I could not see the speed limit signs""I was no danger to anyone""Other cars were going faster"None of them will cut any ice with a traffic cop. Not at all. You'll get done. This is what to do if you are done.The best way of avoiding speeding fines is not to exceed the limit. Pretty crap advice really.Two kinds of in-car assistance will help you. The most important is a Cruise control fitted to the car, and it is important to use this in speed restricted areas in Towns and not just on Motorways. The other is a gps system which indicates where are the cameras. A gps system which also indicates what the speed limit is where you are travelling at that moment is very useful. Where the cameras are sited.On main roads going in to Towns, and on exit roads out of Towns.They are often positioned near schools, or at busy road junctions. They will not be positioned where they are likely to cause an accident if drivers see them.Some cities with busy circular roads, will flash special speed limits depending upon the weight of traffic. It is very dangerous to get caught by these, follow the limits carefully. This is where the traffic authorities make their money from the fines.Nasty cameras will be positioned at long road works on freeways. These time your car in to the restriction area and time it out again, and they will catch you for your average speed. If the road is clear at roadworks take especial care not to exceed the temporary speed restrictions.Laser gun cameras. These are operated by special road police units, and often at the request of local residents complaining about speeding in their village. Country roads are especially vulnerable to hand operated laser speed cameras.Lasers are difficult to use and need a long straight stretch of road. They will not be sited on bands, nor at any point where they might cause an accident if the motorists spots them.Police cars can record your speed from in front of you as well as behind and they use video cameras to do so. Again, they are anxious not to be the cause of any accident if you stop suddenly, so you may find that it is easier to catch you speeding on an empty motorway at 1.00am, than it is during the rush hour.At nightNearly all cameras can operate at night using a flash illumination. A few tips if stopped by traffic policeIt is cameras that are going to do the damage to-day rather than police officers. Don’t argue with any policeman who stops you, but you must not admit the offence even if guilty. Any admission, however slight, and you are lost in Court. Just say your legal adviser tells you always to say nothing until he is present.If you upset them by vigorous argument, they could look round your vehicle and check your tyres, or brakes. If your tyres are poor, you could get another three points in the UK and probably in other countries. For each tyre. This 12 points loses your British licence on its own. Don’t upset the police.The traffic police will always do you. Don't admit anything to them.On the other hand if the policeman is on his own, and particularly if he is not a specialised traffic policeman, then I have always found it better to get out of the car, hold up my hands and say something like “That was the worst driving I’ve done in years Officer” A senior police officer friend of mine has the same view. It is a judgement call.John

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