Driver of just 15 caught speeding 96mph on the M2

The teenager was recorded on the 13th of this month by the PSNI’s Road Policing Unit who later tweeted an image of the speed gun reading, adding: “This speed was recorded on the M2 today by road policing officers. Driver was just 15 years of age.”

This speed was recorded on the M2 today by Road Policing officers. Driver was just 15 yrs of age.#KeepingPeopleSafe pic.twitter.com/jT6mX00NmK

— PSNI Road Policing (@PSNITraffic) May 13, 2015

MLA Trevor Clarke, whose constituency takes in a large part of the M2, said: “There are very serious questions to be asked about how someone of this age came into possession of a car.”

"A car is as deadly as a loaded gun, especially at 96 miles per hour. I want to commend the PSNI for stopping this young man before he injured himself or anyone else."

"Doing that kind of speed on a motorway is an accident waiting to happen. The last thing any of us want to see is another fatality."

It is illegal for a 15-year-old to drive, even as a learner. Normally, the earliest date a provisional licence can become valid is when the holder turns 17. But learner drivers are not permitted on motorways.

Four people were caught driving at speeds of over 120mph on roads in Wales last year

Four people were caught driving at speeds of over 120mph on roads in Wales last year - with one topping 136mph, the Institute of Advanced Motorists has revealed.

Three of the worst speeders were caught on the A5 in north Wales, while the other was on the M4 in south Wales.

It said the 136mph driver broke the 60mph limit in Conwy by 76mph and was one of the worst cases in Britain.

The figures for 2014 were released following a freedom of information request from IAM to the welsh forces. The figures showed Wales' worst speeder was recorded by North Wales Police at 136mph on the A5 Ty Nant to Dinmael road in Conwy.

 The A5 also saw two further instances of over 120mph speeding recorded; 122mph on the Ty Nant-Cerrigydrudion stretch in Conwy; and 121mph at Halton, Wrexham. The final case of 120mph being exceeded was captured by South Wales Police: 125mph on the M4 between Junction 35 Pencoed and Junction 34 Miskin, where a 70mph limit is in force.

The charity is campaigning for an increase in visible policing to deter excessive speeders.

Ferrari Driver Arrested for doing 150mph on M25 in Surrey

A 25 year old driver was arrested by Surrey Police for driving his Ferrari California doing 150 along the M25 between junction 8 and 10. The driver was arrested and his car seized by police.

 A brand new California will set you back a massive £150,000. It has a top speed of 193 mph a figure the driver was doubt testing when he was caught by police.

The rumor mill suggests that the police caught up to the driver in two BMW 530s, which, according to BMW have a top speed of 155 mph.

Pictures from Surrey Police.

Caught the Stig!

Driving selfishly? You could be next!

Fed up of getting stuck behind a tractor on a long and winding country lane? been soaked by a motorist driving through a puddle? you may finally have a reason to celebrate.

New figures show the police have handed out around 10,000 on-the-spot fines in one year under new laws which allow them to give £100 tickets to inconsiderate or careless drivers.

The crackdown on anti-social driving has seen people performing the following actions given fines and given three penalty points on their licence.

• Tailgating
• Middle lane hogging
• Undertaking
• Wheel spins
• Handbrake turns
• Driving down roads closed for repairs
• Soaking pedestrians with puddles
• Tractor drivers not pulling over & letting traffic by
• Dirty windscreens
• Driving with a obstacles blocking view on passenger seat

The figures show 9,852 penalty notices were handed out for the careless driving crimes in the 12-months after the new powers came into force in August 2013, The Sunday Telegraph reported. Before then, the offence could only be dealt with in court and many drivers escaped punishment because of the bureaucracy involved.

The figures show that some forces are using the new powers more than others. Gwent Police handed out 608 of the tickets - compared to Essex where not one motorist was fined on-the-spot for careless driving. The most tickets - 1,397 - were given out by the Metropolitan Police.

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said he was happy to see the powers being used but hoped they would be used consistently across the country. He said: 'As with using mobiles at the wheel and drink-driving, it is not enough to outlaw anti-social behaviour on the roads. People need to believe they will get caught. These figures suggest in several areas they won’t.' But road safety minister Robert Goodwill welcomed the figures, adding: 'Careless driving can risk lives, and I am glad to see police tackling these offences at the roadside. 'This is exactly why this government brought in a fixed penalty notice so officers can deal with offenders on the spot rather than having to prosecute offenders through the courts.'

Prize for most ironic bumper sticker on seized Ferrari

Before getting behind the wheel of a £200,000, 200mph sports car, you might think it advisable to learn how to drive and get your license? 

The driver of this Ferrari supercar obviously thought that that was a waste of time as police discovered that he didn't have a valid driving licence.

The grey Ferrari 458 was stopped on the M40 near Bicester, Oxfordshire, after a member of the public reported a sports car driving over the speed limit.

The driver who was using a German number plate was taken to the 'nearest point of safety'. The car was last spotted being loaded onto a flatbed truck for the long, slow journey to the car pound, going considerably slower than its top speed of 202mph.

Perhaps most ironically the Ferrari was decorated with a novelty bumper sticker pronouncing it an 'official speed camera testing vehicle'.

Driver caught speeding at 95mph on M6 toll road 'was late for speed awareness course'

A driver caught travelling at nearly 100mph Last Wednesday told police he was late... for his speed awareness course.

The man was stopped by officers who were conducting speed checks on the M6 Toll between Lichfield and Burntwood in Staffordshire after clocked him doing nearly 95mph in his Nissan Pathfinder 

The man in his 50s has been reported for summons. Another driver was also stopped who was clocking up nearly 128mph. 

Speed awareness courses are offered as an alternative to a speeding fine and penalty points.

The course, usually of four hours duration, aims to help drivers to gain a fuller understanding of why people drive above the speed limit and the potential consequences of speeding.

Police Officer Jailed for Trying to Dodge Speeding Ticket - by Swapping Car Number Plates

Anthony Rees-Thompson a police officer, who tried to dodge a speeding ticket faces being sacked and losing more than £100,000 in pension rights.

The cheating police officer has been jailed for three months for swapping his car number plates in order to dodge a £60 speeding ticket. He also faces being sacked and losing more than £100,000 in pension rights.

A court heard the undercover detective fitted the new registration plates to avoid a fine and three points on his license.
Rees-Thompson then wrote to the speed camera unit saying there had been a technical error or another similar car was using the same registration number.

The father-of-four sent in photographs of his silver Vauxhall Corsa with new plates, bought for £21 online.

Speed camera officials compared the photographs and noticed the plates had the same digits but the new ones had been customised with a blue GB sign and the Welsh flag.

But the court heard Rees-Thompson forgot that his car was being filmed every day as he drove it into police headquarters in Bridgend – and his force’s own HQ CCTV was used to catch him.

Prosecutor Meirion Davies said: “He chose to cheat the legal process with a deliberate deception.
“He fitted different plates and took photographs to deliberately mislead those who were investigating the speeding offence.”

Rees-Thompson had denied perverting the course of justice claiming he changed the plates because they were damaged. If he had paid the fixed penalty notice after being caught on a speed camera doing 35mph in a 30mph zone it would have cost him just £60.

Jonathan Elystan Rees, defending, asked for him to receive a suspended prison sentence to avoid being attacked in prison.  “He has served 11 years as a police officer of an impeccable record. As a former serving police officer he can be expected to be a risk in all sorts of ways while serving in custody – threats to his mental and also his physical wellbeing.”

Jailing him for three months at Newport Crown Court, Judge David Wynn Morgan told Rees-Thompson: “This type of offence strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system. The purpose of the points system is those who drive badly get punished and it discourages bad driving. The system depends on the honest completion of the relevant forms and the dishonest completion of forms is all to easy to do.

“Yours wasn’t a panic reaction – it was a carefully considered and thought out course of action. The alteration of this vehicles appearance and correspondence that went with it was a calculated demonstration of your bare-faced dishonesty and arrogant belief that you could get away with it. Nevertheless, this is a tragedy. You have lost your employment, your reputation and because your self esteem is evidently based on your occupation and profession you obviously have suffered a huge blow.”

He will now lose his job in the covert management department of South Wales Police and his pension rights.

As he was taken down, Judge Morgan told the prison officers: “Police officers are not to escape offences of this nature.

“But I do ask that all appropriate precautions are taken for his safety in custody.”
Anthony-Rees Thompson will now face a “fast track” disciplinary hearing.

Speaking after the case, Tim Jones, Head of Professional Standards at South Wales Police, said: “We note the sentencing of Detective Constable Anthony Rees-Thompson and the decision of the court today.

“DC Rees-Thompson will now be subject to a fast track gross misconduct process chaired by the Chief Constable.

“South Wales Police Anti-Corruption unit fully investigated the fraudulent activities of DC Rees-Thompson which led to his conviction.

“We expect the highest standards of professional conduct from all members of staff, and will not tolerate individuals who undermine the committed public service of their professional colleagues.”

Police Beg Villagers to Stop Clocking Speeding Drivers - Because They're Creating too Much Paperwork

Police have asked villagers in Ticknall, Derbyshire, armed with a speed gun to stop clocking drivers breaking the law - because they can't cope with the paperwork.

Residents were given the gun by officers to catch speeding motorists who break the 30mph limit through their village. 

So far the volunteers have carried out 10 speeding operations on the A514 main road through the village clocking a total of around 200 motorists. Police have told the group its operations are netting so many motorists they can't cope - so they'll have to stop clocking speeding drivers.

They have announced a new crackdown in the area as part of a new road safety scheme  - and told them they can stand down.

Drivers caught by the speed gun are sent warning letters from force saying they have breached the limit and if they do it again they risk prosecution. (The drivers are given allowed 6mph leeway over the limit). 

A Derbyshire Police spokesman said: 'Community speedwatch events are an extremely valuable resource of information for us, as they help to illustrate the volume of speeding in certain areas.

'This allows us to focus our efforts on areas that we know are a problem or could become one.

The A514 through Ticknall has been identified as one of 100 roads across the county that we will be focusing on over the coming year, and that is partly down to the work of local residents carrying out the speed watches.

'However, the watches do result in increased workload for police staff, as every driver seen speeding receives a letter and this has to be processed. That is why we ask residents to be reasonable with the frequency and length of time spent recording details.'

 

Motorbike Rider Busted for Speeding & Wheelie by Mounted Police in Central London

Have you ever had a mounted policeman stop you for speeding (ok it was also because the guy pulled a wheelie) Anyway I digress. I think it was only this guys manners that meant that the policeman did not cease the camera for evidence, he knew what he saw!

Having said that it would have been hard to calibrate the horses speedo to give chase! ;)

Speed Camera Loophole Spotted by Welsh Driver?

Ive come across this news story "Speed Camera Loophole Spotted by Welsh Driver" which is circulating the internet at the minute, because it seemed to me to be something that probably was not accurate I have done a search and information like this has been circulating the internet since at least 2003.

Extract from The Western Mail

Magistrates' courts could grind to a halt if thousands of motorists exploit a legal loophole unwittingly exposed by a Welsh driver. 

Magistrates had no choice but to find Phillip Dennis, of Whitford, Flintshire, not guilty of speeding when his case was heard on Thursday.

He had omitted to sign the standard form which is sent to the owner of each vehicle caught by a speed camera - and Mold magistrates said they couldn't accept the form as evidence.

Police have no power to compel car owners to sign the form and have been expecting someone to spot the loophole.

Yesterday the Association of British Drivers, representing about 2,500 motorists, predicted drivers would soon get wind of the court case. 

"Motorists are always very quick to seek any way to avoid paying for their speeding ticket, particularly when they've been caught by cameras because they resent very much the way the cameras operate," said spokesman Tony Vickers 

"The cameras have very much reduced public respect for the police and local authorities.

"People are only too glad to find a way to beat the system." 

He said motorists who receive a speeding ticket after being caught on camera could opt to have their case heard in court, rather than pay the fine without quibble.

"If a lot of people take up this option it will have another side-effect, which will be to clog up the magistrates' courts with hundreds or thousands of motorists all trying to avoid paying the fine. 

"The implications for the legal system are interesting, to say the least."

Although the ABD did not condone breaking the highway laws, it said it would place details of the loophole on its own website for other drivers to read.

"I'm sure a lot of people will try it on and see whether it gets them anywhere."

The prospect of using the loophole could look especially appealing to people who already had endorsements on their licences, said Mr Vickers.

I also came across this from "stu675" on http://www.675.cc/675/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=23283  which I think tells the real truth of the matter:

"A guy from Aldershot, whose name I can't remember, took this as far as the European Court and lost - about 6 or 7 years ago. The argument revolved around self-incrimination, as signing the form was, and is, taken by the Police, CPS and the courtd, as an admission of guilt. You can't be forced to do that. It was absolutely cast-iron, as far as I and many others were concerned but the system had too much to lose, so the case never stood a chance of success. So, if you don't sign, you will get charged with failure to provide information and you may get done for speeding as well."

So it looks like they will find a way to get you but possibly on a different charge, be wary if you think you might try see if not signing the form works!

FATAL 4 Operation Catches 42 Motorists

The FATAL4 ‘clinics’ are designed to reinforce concerns about 

• speeding
• using mobile phones behind the wheel
• not wearing seatbelts
• drink driving. 

On Friday, October 17, officers positioned themselves on the A6 Leicester Road for the latest FATAL4 operation. Some were plain clothes  officers who would radio ahead to uniformed officers to stop people in the checkpoint area

A 42 offences were recorded in total:

• 23 drivers using mobile phones
• 16 not wearing a seatbelt 
• 2 with no insurance
• 1 drink driving arrest.

Sergeant Simon Blincow said
“FATAL4 is an ongoing national operation to try and tackle the main four things that kill people on the roads.We want to influence and educate people because we see the other side of it. We go to the fatal collisions and see the bodies, we deal with the relatives, we see the tragic repercussions, that’s why we are so serious about trying to stop it.”

 

Surrey Traffic Police List 'top' Excuses for Speeding

Surrey Police have heard some "weird and wonderful" excuses for speeding including Nagging wives and toilet dashes,

one driver even said his wife had run off with a police officer and he was trying to flee from the police car in case the officer was returning her. (ive seen that on an image somewhere on pinterest im sure)

Another said they had to find a toilet after eating "dodgy fried chicken".

One driver that decided that honesty was the best policy and went with "I was trying to get away from the cops."

And another motorist who was stopped for traveling at 130mph said: "My passenger has drunk too much and I don't want her being sick in the car."

Traffic police disclosed the most absurd excuses as part of a road safety campaign targeting speeding in Surrey. They added "Although these excuses might seem amusing, the simple truth is speed kills." Insp Mallett said: "It is heart-breaking to see the impact on families when we have to tell them that a loved one has been killed or hurt. There is no excuse for speeding and there is no excuse for trying to shirk responsibility for your actions."

The road safety campaign is being carried out as part of the county's Drive Smart campaign which was launched in 2009 after residents highlighted anti-social driving as a major concern.