Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Speeding Fine!

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
I've had one through for 52mph on the M6 near Coventry on a smart motorway showing 40mph. The thing is, I'm sure that the matrix signs were showing 50. However, I wasn't quick enough to think to press the horn and keep the video. My advice would be that if you get flashed on a smart motorway, press the horn and review the footage when it is safe to do so. Without the video, I'm not brave enough to challenge, so I opted for the motorway speed awareness course via Zoom in Jan.

Since then, I have noticed that the speed display in the car seems to be spot on. When I pass other cars, where you can see their speed displayed, mine is always lower even though I'm passing. Made me think that the old days of the displayed speed being higher than actual are gone.

My cause wasn't helped when I then got another on the M1 near Sheffield for doing 65 in a smart motorway 60mph limit. I'll be taking the three points for that one. Stupid boy! 😧
 
Option 2 and get on with life
Had one a few years ago when they were doing them at Nettle Hill near Ansty - lovely surroundings, good coffee.

That was where I learned my favourite bit of motoring trivia - the same year (1935) saw the introduction of the driving test, the Belisha beacon and the 30mph urban speed limit.
Transferring to my M3 from ICE it took a while to get used to judging speed by eye rather than using engine note. Six months on I'll look down to check my speed and I'm pretty much spot on.
 
I've had one through for 52mph on the M6 near Coventry on a smart motorway showing 40mph. The thing is, I'm sure that the matrix signs were showing 50. However, I wasn't quick enough to think to press the horn and keep the video. My advice would be that if you get flashed on a smart motorway, press the horn and review the footage when it is safe to do so. Without the video, I'm not brave enough to challenge, so I opted for the motorway speed awareness course via Zoom in Jan.

Since then, I have noticed that the speed display in the car seems to be spot on. When I pass other cars, where you can see their speed displayed, mine is always lower even though I'm passing. Made me think that the old days of the displayed speed being higher than actual are gone.

My cause wasn't helped when I then got another on the M1 near Sheffield for doing 65 in a smart motorway 60mph limit. I'll be taking the three points for that one. Stupid boy! 😧
The speed camera installations on motorways are usually the HADECS variety now and have camera(s) on a pole just before the gantry displaying the temporary limit which takes a photo of what's displayed. You can request to see that, which doesn't help you now I realise but if anyone is in any doubt about the speed they were doing when caught with any fixed or mobile camera just ask to see the evidence.

It is always worth challenging anything you truly believe is unjust as mistakes are made and prosecutions overturned all the time.

Another point worth mentioning which doesn't seem to be widely understood is that when the variable speed limit changes on the motorway gantries, there is an allowance (usually 1 minute) between the change appearing and that limit being enforced by the speed camera, so you don't need to jam on the brakes if you're approaching a VSL and see it changing just before you get to it.

As said earlier, there's no point relying on TeslaFi data as the sampling rate is too low to be of any use.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Tinca
I've heard the speed awareness courses are actually very useful in brushing up on a few things.
Either way, you were doing 31 - you were clearly going over the speed limit. The limit is an upper limit, not a target. Aim to do 25mph in 30 zones and you'll be fine. The 5mph difference won't make any difference to how soon you get to your destination. In fact, driving a bit slower often gives you more room to react to obstructions up ahead, and means you get a higher average speed overall.
This.

I attended a course and decided that as I'd paid £80 for it I might as well engage and learn something, which I did. A pity, then, that I was the only person in the room to do so. What a bunch of surly gits, made me feel like "teacher's pet". But, I learned quite a bit. You should do Option 2 and try to pick up some knowledge.
 
We have something similar and one time I opted for the "Comedy Driving School" in the hopes that it would be at least an amusing way to pass the time.

Unfortunately, it turned out that getting a diagnosis for an incurable disease would have been funnier than their lame "jokes" and lamer videos. I would rather have taken a beating down a back alley - at least it would be over with fairly quickly

Another time that I took one they actually said that if someone was tailgating you, the best course of action was to "lightly press on the brakes" so that they'd back off!!! No seriously, that was the official suggestion. This one was on line so I was unable to raise an objection, but had it been in the classroom I would have pointed out that (1) this is Texas and the place is bristling with guns, so you'll probably end up dead and (2) how about you just get the **** out of the guy's way instead?

Oh here's another (and yes I can see what this sounds like) one: They stress keeping the two second gap between you and the car in front. Good idea and I try to do that where possible, BUT ... in heavy traffic it just means that someone will enter that space and then ... you'll no longer be two seconds behind the vehicle in front of you! In fact it's mathematically possible that you could end up going backwards if you do this

So as for "learning" from the courses ... let's say I'd like to, but I don't think ours are set up for that
 
Oh wait - regarding cameras: we used to have them until people complained that they were an "invasion of privacy". Personally I thought they were a pretty good idea because running red lights here is a BIG problem

Anyway, the wife got one and they include a url to link to a video if you want to see the evidence with your own eyes. I watched it and the camera was so crap that the red light appeared to be an orangey sort of colour. I figured I'd take this to court, even got paint samples of red and orange to hold up next to the film in court, but she just paid the fine. I was a bit disappointed tbh. I'd been practicing my courtroom delivery "Thank you officer, now will you please read out the names on the back of these two paint cards" etc
 
  • Funny
  • Like
Reactions: Big Earl and init6
The judge may want to see the entire Teslafi log and not just the 31 MPH moment. If that log shows speeding in other parts of the log, I am not sure to open up a can of worms.
I doubt a judge in the UK would even accept TeslaFi Log as legitimate evidence tbh.
 
I've had one through for 52mph on the M6 near Coventry on a smart motorway showing 40mph. The thing is, I'm sure that the matrix signs were showing 50. However, I wasn't quick enough to think to press the horn and keep the video. My advice would be that if you get flashed on a smart motorway, press the horn and review the footage when it is safe to do so. Without the video, I'm not brave enough to challenge, so I opted for the motorway speed awareness course via Zoom in Jan.

Since then, I have noticed that the speed display in the car seems to be spot on. When I pass other cars, where you can see their speed displayed, mine is always lower even though I'm passing. Made me think that the old days of the displayed speed being higher than actual are gone.

My cause wasn't helped when I then got another on the M1 near Sheffield for doing 65 in a smart motorway 60mph limit. I'll be taking the three points for that one. Stupid boy! 😧
And ironically the Sheffield cameras are to support air quality by reducing the speed.
 
  • Funny
Reactions: Tinca
I’ve just received a speeding fine stating my speed was 35 MPH in a 30 zone. Checked TeslaFi which shows max speed for the journey was 31 MPH. Does anyone know the accuracy of the Tesla speed monitoring system?
I was under the impression that the police system allowed for a 10% discrepancy.
I’ve been given three options:
1) Pay £100 fine and get 3 points on your licence.
2) Attend a “National Speed Awareness Workshop”, pay a course fee, but no points on licence.
3) Dispute the alleged offence and attend a court hearing.

The easiest option for me is to attend the course, but if TeslaFi and the data that it’s handling is accurate then it’s an unjust accusation.
Any comments?
Option 2 is the smart choice. But if you are feeling lucky, plead not guilty, notify the court you have your own speed evidence and invite the prosecution to take it to trial and prove their case. There is a decent chance they will drop the case in favour of a more important case. Their time is very limited and there are more cases than they are going to be able to run.

If you do go to trial you will lose, and get a slightly more severe sentence. But, PROBABLY, the crown will drop it.

Your choice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rooster6655
Option 2 is the smart choice. But if you are feeling lucky, plead not guilty, notify the court you have your own speed evidence and invite the prosecution to take it to trial and prove their case. There is a decent chance they will drop the case in favour of a more important case. Their time is very limited and there are more cases than they are going to be able to run.

If you do go to trial you will lose, and get a slightly more severe sentence. But, PROBABLY, the crown will drop it.

Your choice.
I presume you're advising he tries to call their bluff and hope they never ask to see the evidence? His own evidence shows that he was speeding and the law is quite clear that the limit is the limit. The OP was mistaken in thinking that the decision to prosecute had some wiggle room, and in some cases it does, but once a decision has been made to prosecute, all bets are off.
 
that's as maybe, but if you're accused of crime X and you show that you couldn't possibly have done crime X because you were doing crime Y at the time wouldn't they have to refile to do you for crime Y

I mean if you were up for murder and your defense was that you were somewhere else blagging a post office, they couldn't just say "Well we'll do you for that then instead"
 
I mean if you were up for murder and your defense was that you were somewhere else blagging a post office, they couldn't just say "Well we'll do you for that then instead"
Are you seriously suggesting they wouldn't charge you with the robbery after they dropped the murder case? :)
The only chance the OP will have of showing their evidence is at the court hearing. But by then it will be too late.

I'm pretty sure as others have said that the police will have evidence of the OP going at 35mph. Even a clunky SR+ can get from 31-35mph in under half a second, so unless the OP has data in half second intervals, it's not going overturn any other evidence.
 
I got a ticket up in the Lakes once

Cost me thirty five quid IIRC, just for the rental car company to notify me!

The good news is that I'd rented on my American license so the scuffers just threw the ticket in the bin and I never heard about it again
You must have paid cash. I rented a car with credit a card in Scotland, got photo ticketed for speed, and received a subsequent credit card charge for the fine plus VAT!
 
You must have paid cash. I rented a car with credit a card in Scotland, got photo ticketed for speed, and received a subsequent credit card charge for the fine plus VAT!

how much was it? I got an extra ding on the credit card but it was just to "process" the paperwork. thirtyfive of some currency units IIRC. The fine would have been extra had it come to that

I'm not sure how they could pay your fine as they'd have to admit your guilt