worriedMan
We can and will try to help and advise all that we can, but if this becomes a legal situation you really must seek proper legal advice. Some of the users here are Magistrates or Police, who can advise from personal or professional experience (and they are badged accordingly). I appreciate that you have not 'stated this as fact' but be aware that claiming on a public forum that you might have been 'travelling above the posted limit' is not always wise.
Without doubling up on what others have already stated ...
What you relate is really quite troubling, if this is the standard that is being currently taught. Who was it that taught you to drive ? (Do send a PM (Private Message) if you prefer.)
It is very unwise to 'be a sheep' on the roads by following everyone else, far better to ensure that you know all the facts and information for yourself, making the best judgements possible and managing risk as well as you possibly can.
At the end of the day it will never be the 'other drivers' who might have to stand in front of a judge, but the motorist who, for whatever reason, finds themselves in Court.
Purely as a matter of interest, have you been on many dual carriageways prior to this new situation? In some ways driving at 70 on a dual carriageway (DC) can see a few principal similarities to Motorway driving. For example, the vehicles are all travelling in the same direction on your side of the carriageway, you can travel up to 70mph (cars/motorbikes) and use L2 (lane two) for overtaking, pulling back in to L1 afterwards, some also have many similar gantry signs although not identical.
I can understand the financial burden that you are already in, and were this to end up in front of a Judge then a clear 'statement of means' will likely show that you could only afford a small sum each month for quite some time, if it came to this.
Motorway Signs: Full Sign manual
Here here here and pdf doc
here - pg 13 and M/way Laws
here and
here.
Electronic Signs (Messages & speed limits)
here.
Active Traffic management
here (signs & meanings, Plus a graphic 'drive through' also explaining signs)
here- section 2.3 (M42 Project) and
here (M42 J5 Report).
The advisory [url]Motorways sign[/url] (amber flashing lights) is different from the enforceable one (red ring), but any police patrol can always decide to book you for going above the speed posted limit if they so decide (e.g. 31 in a 30), but this is rare. Police usually take the ACPO guidance of 10%+2 (so 35 and above in a 30mph).
Whilst I cannot verify the 5 minute leeway mentioned previously, (although it makes sense) there is not anything in Law that I can find (yet) to back this up. DoktorMandrake have you got a reference to this ?
I cannot be too sure that I'd rely on looking for a antenna to ensure the presence of a camera or not, not that I am implying that anyone is or might consider, travelling over the posted limit! (Motorway cameras -
here.)
worriedMan wrote:
If one of the cameras actually showed me I got in trouble then I would not have repeated the offence a further 30+ times, I was just igronent of what the speed signs meant and was more worried about the other cars around me and where they was and what they was doing. I was busy making sure i was doing enough speed to stay 3 car lengths ahead so that I avoided being tail gated.
Sadly in law ignorance is no defense.
I am curious though if your theory test was only 3 yrs ago, have you really forgotten so much already ? Have you only recently been driving since you passed ?
Trying to 'outrun' those who are behind you is unwise, and I can only reiterate what others here have stated, pull over, and always allow closely following cars (or badly driven one's) to pass you, far better to have them in front than bothering you from behind.
This is also where gaining valuable experience gives you confidence and a developing ability & skill, and by using confident sensible manoeuvres known to be legal you can grow and learn. Some 'A (DC) roads' would be good training ground and every Learner should have some hours of training on them, and/ or a few follow up hours of Motorway training after passing the driving test. I know some learner centres that have done just this.
worriedMan wrote:
All my driving instructor told me about motorways is that you look out for other cars and keep a consistent speed, letting others enter the motorway from the left, I never knew you had to change your speed in other zones on the motorway. It might have been in my theory test but that was 3 years back.
Your speed should always be in accordance to conditions, and so you should expect it to fluctuate readily. As you gain more experience you will realise that motorway traffic is in little 'bunches' so choosing to travel in the clear sections affords you a massive safety advantage (when traffic is not all stopped or very busy). All Motorway signs should be understood and observed, and if you are unsure slow to the observed sign until you
know otherwise. By coming here, you are learning as well as tapping into a vast wealth of knowledge and experience from many corners of the the Globe.