scooby seb

iTrader: (1)

No 2 ways about it fella get a solicitor they won't see you wrong and they know what their doing in court, if you represent yourself you could accidently drop yourself in it???

aXeL

I've been down this road unfortunately. I overtook an unmarked while doing 90 on a dual carriage way (Doh!). Had a clean license and still got a 3 month ban despite all my homework and legal advice.

Get a solicitor. At 73 in a 40, you ARE going to lose your license. If they have video evidence then right now they've got you for any of:

Speeding.
Driving without due care and attention.
Motor racing on a public highway.
Reckless driving.

Since the CPS works on KPIs they'll pick one or two most likely to get a conviction. I would be worried about the speeding one. If the 40mph was in an urban area, given your history and depending on the weight they ascribe to the other offences, they may consider a custodial sentence. If it was a 30mph you would definitely be going to prison but at 40mph I think you may well escape with a ban/suspended sentence.

Make no mistake, unlike your previous offences, you're in very serious trouble this time.

DCI Gene Hunt

What like a little drive in the country watching the world go by .... and stopping to admire some scenery?

Yep, he's a ****.

None of what? someone passing you ...... that sounds like you were going to, dare I say it "race him...."

So if he was driving like a **** you both must have been pushing it a lot more in order to catch him up (which is again racing).

Have you learn't your lesson... probably not, will you get banned..... hopefully for a long time, and long enough so you can't afford to insure another fast car for 3 - 5 years. You're a ******* accident statistic waiting to happen and its people like you that spoil it for real enthusiasts by giving us all a bad name with the general driving populace as well as the police

scooby1doo1

iTrader: (7)

Above is very true, why bother?? at the end of the day it's a frigin vectra.

oj_wrx

thanks for all the good advice guys

8 years ncb never had a crash, accident statistic hmmm...
in all fairness i get most of your points, and i understand that the chin is where im going to have to take this one. i may have put it slightly exaggerated in my first post, but dont get me wrong, at no point was i racing or was that entering my mind. maybe when i was 19 i would have tried fully catching up the vectra and doing him, but i dont race on the road these days. as i've said, i stayed well behind my friend and the vectra, and not because my car wasnt up to the job. Although, i do admit to speeding.

custodial sentence... wow, scary. it is an urban area, but it is a dual carriage way with central reservation and no pavements or anything like that either side.

when you say suspended sentence, what exactly does that mean?
cheers for the good advice

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

I was thinking that too. Some boring rep mobile wouldn't be my first choice if I was to "race" etc.

VXR perhaps?

Dan W

I think there is a few points to think about really.

Firstly being a member of this car forum you are with like minded individuals hence the reason for seeking our thoughts on the pickle you in. Speeding isnt crime of the century but it can be very frowned upon depending where its done obviously.

Some members on here wont take kindly to you doing it nor admitting that you are a bit of a speed freak. But at least your honest and you aint exactly bragging about it.

You ended up in a right pickle in a bit of banter with a Vectra. A vectra? I really do appreciate that its always tempting to have a bit of fun with other road users so I totally understand how things get a bit out of hand.

I beleive you when you say you werent racing but sadly its the Law that needs convincing and all too often they think if you got a fast car you must like a race.

No you are in the pickle if I were you i wouls say nothing. Don't incriminate yourself or your mate. The police have to prove your guilt. You do not have to prove your innocence.

If they dont have video evidence then they cant nick you for racing.

Where is the proof? The cops need evidence. Do they have any?

You say they measured your speed at 73MPH. Presumably using a speed detection device. That is then evidence of speeding. Not racing.

Just because all three of you were hitting high speeds I cant see how they will prove you were actually racing.

I might be wrong though.

mattvortex

Maybe 3 points -if- he actually got you officilly at that speed. A few years back when i actually had an impreza, i had a play with and overtook, a black 5 series. Turns out after id clocked there uniforms, it was an unmarked out, i guess on pursuit training!! Once i clocked them i held back, they passed me- with the police sign now up in the back window- and i thought id had it! Never heard anything in the end as they probably never had the vascar on me!

MrLouKnee

i have no sympathy for you, getting banned for racing a vectra is like getting dumped by your wife cos u got caught ******* a fat slapper horror when u was drunk, it wasnt worth getting caught for

war1974

well i have been through similar when younger and far dafter i went to a solicitor who told me to expect a min 12month ban and he would be happy with that??
i decided to get some reference letters from places i had driven for stating this was out of character (you may struggle with this with 9 points already!) went and represented myself, let them prove you were racing deny it but again history will work against you.
as for definatly getting a ban this is not the case i got off (literally) with 6points and a 400 fine, the main difference is i learned my lesson and keep it to sensible speeds this is what will work against you the most!

and to be honest i think a ban is likely and it has been done before where 1 car has got 2 or more cars in a video!

scooby L

I can see why you both had the red mist when the **** in the Vectra undertook you... we all get that "oh look at this idiot undertaking and trying to jump in" attitude...

Hard to ignore, but at the end of the day he'd only get to the rear of the next car 0.5 seconds before you..

I don't usually agree with DCI, but in this case your initial post infers you had in fact started to race and then had backed off.. plod may have witnessed the initial act and taken that long to radio for backup and catch you all up remember.. Also, they may have taken down other car's reg numbers during the incident, these other people could be summoned to give evidence at any future hearing.

oj_wrx

Once again thanks for all the great advice on this guys

At the end of the day there is not a lot i can do until the court summons comes through the post and hopefully that will give me a bit more info on the situation im in.

I'll keep this thread updated as and when i find out more information. Cheers everyone, much appreciated

DCI Gene Hunt

Well done for taking it like a man

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

AGT law in Leeds, ask to speak directly with Andrew Thompson, specialist and a half in traffic offences
John Josephs used to be the favourite on pepipoo but I'm not sure these days

good luck, but sadly I think you may end up being dry humped every which way but loose

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

from what you say you were both in the outide lane, and the vectra undertook you indicating that the inside lane was clear? If the police saw this then I suppose they could say you were racing as you were in the "overtaking" lane.
Good luck though

oj_wrx

update on this, had my court case the other day, ended up with a 47 day driving ban and a £250 fine. opinions?

madscoob

iTrader: (3)

good value if no more point where given, cos its the point that shaft you on renewal time . its like being fined all over again . personally i would of said from tghe offset i wasnt racing officer i was trying tio get the vectras number plate as his driving was so bad i was going to report him , may of gained you brown nose points with the plod

sharpy2010

iTrader: (1)

I think you had a result. If I was you, I'd probably be dancing in the street lol!

Norman Dog

iTrader: (1)

What did your mate and the Vectra driver get?

oj_wrx

The guy in the vectra wasn't my mate, but i was told he got a 6 month ban, but dont know about his fine. My mate who was in the evo got a 40 day ban and £450 fine, but he earns a fair amount more than me which is why his fine was higher, though i have no idea why my ban is a week longer than his :S

forgot to say, the charge was only for speeding in the end, not racing.

dan83590

Completely agree. 70 odd in a 40 is stupid plain and simple. And looking at your history you obviously do not give a ****. A lengthy ban is the only option for you my friend IMHO. It would do the rest of us a favour.

Smell the coffee dude, you ARE in the wrong.

Why Why Why chase someone who is driving like a ****! That makes you a **** too.

dan83590

I didnt see that coming. You got off lightly there. Remember that the ban will be on your licence for a while so insurance is going to *** rape you.

Hopefully you will only be able to insure a fiesta 1.1 til you grow up.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

**** all this namby pamby sugar coated crap, tell him what you really think

Wagon_Pete

IMO you were lucky, damn lucky. You will be punnished again come renewal time as you will have yet another driving conviction on your name. Just so happens that last night I was driving into town when a BMW 3 series pulled out behind me, raced up to inspect the contents of my boot and then floored it past me in a residential area, must have been doing about 60ish slammed on the breaks for the speed camera then chose to attempt some drifiting around a roundabout. This is where I passed him (please note I didnt go above 30mph) the reason I passed him was because he'd planted his passenger side rear wheel on the curb leaving it roughtly 45 degrees to the rest of the car.
Just deserts? I dont think so, the road he blasted down has a School, pub, shops and a number of restaurants all at the roadside.
I took his reg, phoned the police and advised the mto get the CCTV from the Shell garage on the roundabout.
Job done.

Oh and as for having 8 years no claims, I would say that proves nothing, just means that you can afford to pay for any damages from your own pocket.

Norman Dog

iTrader: (1)

scoobiesteve103

ive always loved the feel of the scoobs power but i gotta admit im not a racer but have drivin fast in the past so im not innocent like meny others but a few months back a silver vectra v6 was out racing everything going and overtook and undertook in a "**** you and race me" i was one of these but i kept my sences (thanks 2 my gf) and two weeks later he had a bad crash while racing another car killing my brothers best friend.luke(my bros mate) was in the passenger seat and there was a girl in the back.the driver had lost controll of the car hitting a signpost.luke went through the windscreen and was crushed as the car rolled over him.the car was dodgy and the seat belt had broke on impact luckly the girls belt was ok and she broke her arm while he walked away without a scratch and left lukes family in bits and have since split.his passing was a shock 2 most and his funeral was a town affair but we still have d1cks racing the link road every day/nite and i see this most times as its where the gym i go 2 is located.
the driver who called himself the stig got away with a small ban and fine but will never set foot near this town again.not saying you was racing but it does give you some insight 2 what can happen when it goes wrong.

Tidgy

while im not condoning speeding racing etc, there are certain roads where a 40 limit is pointless (example below), so all i'll say is take into account situation before totaly condeming it.

i know a road thats 40mph, duel carrage way, crash barrier and 100 foot + cliffs on each side of the road. back in the day you used to see mod'd cars doing over 100mph along regularly without any issues, so why does it need to be 40?

hope this link works, the cones are from when the barrier went in

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...,80.98,,0,7.63

EH52WRX

iTrader: (16)

Your a very lucky boy.

scoobyross

"Remember that the ban will be on your licence for a while so insurance is going to *** rape you."

Made no difference to my insurance at all, tried it with and without and the price did not change - odd. Anyway it is off my insurance now as was over 5 years ago

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

70 in a 40 is 6 points isn't it?

A SP10 ranges from 3 to 6 points anyway. With 9 points already, a ban via totting up was inevitable.

Fine was lenient, but I guess this reflects it being a barriered dual carriageway with no footpath and weather/traffic conditions at the time.