h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

... by the side of the A303, in the vicinity of Ilchester, was a talivan owned and operated by Avon and Somerset Police.

I didn't clock the sly f*cker until I was almost on top of him - so no chance of knocking some speed off. And anyway what would it matter if I had knocked a few off in the last few seconds: the grubby little scrote would have been spying on me with his pin-sharp laser through the undergrowth for a good 200 yards before I could have ever spotted him.

Heigh-ho... Well that's going to be sixty-quid towards the Chief Constable's gin & tonic fund and three points on my licence. Blehhh

Which direction were you going? I ask only because my Dad would have been travelling up the A303 yesterday, and he always tears along that bit.

Mind you, I'm not sure if he's actually going that way at the moment as the road's closed over the Blackdowns.

If he was deep in the bushes and illegally parked, then you can probably fight it. I know someone who knew someone who got off because of that - could be urban legend of course.

Otherwise Google - there are apparently lots of sites out there that tell you how to *legally* fight them with a kind of passive resistance.

I should point out that I totally disaprove of speeding.

GD: aren't you the king of not paying parking fines? I seem to remember a thread on that subject a while ago. It's only a short step to avoid paying speeding fines

I'm with Mina on the moral high ground btw

Cheque's in the post, GD

That one got you, too?

Him indoors was tearing along there in the van yesterday- not sure if it flashed him or the car in front.

Small world, isn't it?

PF, KA - I was heading westwards when I got spotted.

FB - speeding stuff is way harder to get away with than parking. The later is run by NCP ie some dumb arse company. The former is run by the police and they're just a little tougher...

Bastards!

The 'Notice of Intended Prosecution' dropped through my letter box about 10 minutes ago. It tells me oh so sweetly that I was spotted doing 81mph and that that did exceed the 70mph speed limit on a dual carriageway.

Bastards!

So that's £60 and 3 points on my licence.

There's always a bright side GD. At least you get your post nice and early!!!!! As to the fine, hard lines, but nearly everyone on the road speeds even those who claim the moral high ground! You now know one more danger spot that you won't get caught near. My opinion is that the fines should be targetted at those who speed near schools as they deserve everything they get!
SBE

Speeding near schools? I wouldn't disagree with you there, SBE.


I've done a little diging around, and I've come up with some traffic figures for the section where I was caught. The maths is really rather illuminating!

Average traffic flow = 24,000 vehicles per day.
Increased traffic flow during 4 summer months = 50%

Therefore annual traffic flow = (365 x 24,000) + (4 x 30 x 12,000) = 10,200,000

Accident statistics are available for the previous 7 years in which time there have been a total of 6 deaths or serious injuries.

Probability of dying or being injured = 6/(7 x 10,200,000) = 1 in 11,900,000

Which equates quite nicely to one's chances of winning the National Lottery at 1 in 13,900,000.

So it's an accident black spot is it? Well I'll pay my quid, and I'll take my chances. Bleeugh!

That's not how averages work, GD, if you've got the mean there rather than the mode. The higher summer flow is already taken into account. The traffic flow might also be getting higher (since that's the usual claim). In which case you would need the right figures for each year before you do the next bit of your risk estimate. Also deaths and serious injuries don't cover all the accident damage.

Whoops GD!