As the Title.

 A pilot scheme first then to be introduced.  (no idea why, just introduce it)

Police Scotland are to have the powers to give a Warning to drivers caught just over the speed limit,

meaning no Prosecution, fine, points, insurance increase etc.

 

Seems fair to me.

But the Media and others seem to think there is an issue, Big Brother and all that jazz,

because this will mean that the numbers 

of those being stopped and warned will be taken down in the Statistics, classed as more offences etc.

(can not be an offence if no action is taken other than a warning, must just possibly have been an offence, 

but i suppose you have to admit you were over the speed limit to accept a warning for being over the speed limit.)

 

To me i know if i am over the NSL then i am over it, and its my choice to risk being caught.

I do not think any more that it is only 5 mph more so 10% and 2 mph so its OK or anything like.

So have become a NSL observer and make every attemp to stay in the limits even when travelling where over traffic 

around is ignoring the NSL.

Difficult at times when getting passed Agricultural Vehicles, HGV's etc @ their NSL on straights or safe passes requires getting a shift on. (& at the end of the Straight is a 'Safety Partnership Mobile Camera Van.)

 

So many routes in Scotland are now covered by Average Speed Cameras and Fixed Cameras and Marked & Unmarked cars & Safety Partnership Mobile Camera Vans

that i use Cruise Control more now than i ever have in years of driving.

Even then i am thinking that i might just have a NIP coming through the door. (again.)

Edited 7 July, 201510 yr by goneoffSKi

I really don't understand this.

 

Police officers have always had a degree of flexibility about whether to hand out a friendly b*ll*cking or something more.  If the media are getting excited about it there can't be much real news about.

Maybe in England & Wales and under the Legal System in England & Wales.

 

This is New Powers for Officers of Police Scotland in Scotland.

So the difference might be not following 'Guidelines' on 10% & 2 mph over, and going for Stopping Drivers, 

giving warnings and not accepting just over the limit as acceptable or safe behaviour.

 

Like with Drink Driving, different Rule of Law can apply North of the Border,

and what is being deemed as acceptable is being changed by Politicians & the Police in Scotland,

and its being done for the good of the public many of whom are not car drivers or if they are do stick to 

going at or below the NSL's that apply.

Edited 7 July, 201510 yr by goneoffSKi

What are the new powers they are getting?  Nothing you've described so far is anything different to the current powers they have, although ACPO/ACPOS are both gone their guidelines were only ever just that and they didn't have to follow them.

 

John

It will be Scottish Officers given the powers of Formal Roadside warnings which are being formally Logged I would imagine, best to read the press releases to see what is changing and why any Conservative MSP would be calling it Big Brother. 55 in 50 or 66 in a 60 or even 78 on a 70 and you can expect to be stopped looks like the message that they intend giving.

Edited 7 July, 201510 yr by goneoffSKi

An interesting development, Is this an attempt to clamp down harder on motorists or the opposite ? If the trial fails to bring forth the desired results do they then start prosecuting for 32 mph in a 30 or 42 in a 40 ? I thought this an interesting comment "a driver who already has a formal warning on his record would be more likely to be fined than one who did not". The article says police are worried because there are more die on the roads than are murdered but fail to say homicide rates are at an all time low. It could be they are worried by the numbers being fined and realise they risk bringing Scotland to a halt ? I wonder what effect the reduced drink drive limit has had so far ? Is this also taking extra folks of the road ? 

"The new national force had come under fire in its first year for the sheer scale of tickets issued for seatbelt and mobile phone offences and speeding."  :sun:

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/crime-courts/police-get-new-powers-as-they-set-sights-on-drivers-just-over-speed-limit.131045059

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/scotland-s-murder-rate-down-to-record-low-1-3629245

I think domestic abuse and violence is being addressed as well,

all part of the plans that the Scottish Government were bringing forward with their minimum cost of alcohol 

& the new drink driving limit and other measures.

 

http://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-33164471

 

http://autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/92125/what-is-the-drink-drive-limit-should-it-be-lowered

Edited 7 July, 201510 yr by goneoffSKi

Having known several serving (current) & ex police both up here & down south it depends on the copper...............one of them used to take great delight in booking people even 5mpg over in a 60 zone................some of the others would only do you if you are driving like a **** e.g. racing in & out bad conditions on road etc.................

 

It used to be on the ACPO website & well know that the recommended was 10% plus 5mph..................so 38mph in a 30 zone, 49mph in 40 zone, 72 in a 60 zone. Then is was down to 5% plus 5mph.............now with various speed cameras & van hiding on certain roads you just can't over take safely with out seriously breaking the speed limit, so you end up stuck behind 40 & 50mph traffic in a 60 zone! Then you have the added bonus of the specs cameras down the A9...................thank god for standard fit radar controlled cruise control that's all I can say!.................

 

It's got stupid, there are soo many reports which basically state that "excess speed" in NOT responsible for the majority of accidents..........................BAD driving is! I have seen the general standard of driving get worse each year....................peole doing 40mph & weaving down the road in a 60 zone....................."drunk".....where's the road patrol units?....................cut way back to 1/2 they were 15yrs ago up here.....................

Urban myths and old wives tales abound again.  It has never been 10% plus 5mph and it has never been 5% plus 5mph not in England.

 

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/road_traffic_offences_guidance_on_fixed_penalty_notices/#speed

Urban myths and old wives tales abound again.  It has never been 10% plus 5mph and it has never been 5% plus 5mph not in England.

 

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/road_traffic_offences_guidance_on_fixed_penalty_notices/#speed

 

Sorry but you are wrong as not old wives tales.....................

 

I got the exact numbers wrong correct info here with linky to cps

 

Speed Enforcement

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has issued speed enforcement policy guidance, which suggests that enforcement will normally occur when a driver exceeds the speed limit by a particular margin. This is normally 10 per cent over the speed limit plus 2 mph. It also sets guidelines for when it would not be appropriate to issue a fixed penalty notice but to issue a summons instead (see below). Note that these are guidelines and that a police officer has discretion to act outside of them providing he acts fairly, consistently and proportionately.

Speed limit: 20 mph

ACPO charging threshold: 24 mph

Summons: 35 mph

Speed limit: 30 mph

ACPO charging threshold: 35 mph

Summons: 50 mph

Speed limit: 40 mph

ACPO charging threshold: 46 mph

Summons: 66 mph

Speed limit: 50 mph

ACPO charging threshold: 57 mph

Summons: 76 mph

Speed limit: 60 mph

ACPO charging threshold: 68 mph

Summons: 86 mph

Speed limit: 70 mph

ACPO charging threshold: 79 mph

Summons: 96 mph

 

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/road_traffic_offences_guidance_on_fixed_penalty_notices/

 

 

It is 10% plus 2mph....they reduced the MPH aspect down from 5mph ages ago to 2mph................so 10% plus 2MPH................as quoted from the CPS website....................re-read it please as not "old wives tales" as I said I know several current police & several ex police...................& have had various discussions with them on this & they have provided the correct info to me in the past.........................so I just re-found it.................but as it states that those are guidelines & like I said one ex copper I know used to do people even within the ACPO guidelines....................because he was that way inclined!

It was 10% plus 2mph in 1971 when I joined as per the ACPO guidelines you and I have linked to. That is what I am getting at. So I don't actually see how my post is wrong. Main thing is not to give out information that is incorrect and could mislead.

It was 10% plus 2mph in 1971 when I joined as per the ACPO guidelines you and I have linked to. That is what I am getting at. So I don't actually see how my post is wrong. Main thing is not to give out information that is incorrect and could mislead.

 

In your post you at no point stated the correct figure of 10% plus 2mph........& stated my half incorrect ones & "Urban myths & old wife's tales abound".....................intimating that there has never been any leeway in the ACPO guidelines......................you just decided to not disclose all the facts.........

 

.......I was at least 50% correct with the 10% & knew that something had been reduced ages ago.................the 5mph was from a discussion years ago I had with an older ex copper, so might have been before your time........anyway not 100% certain of that..........................anyway at least the correct facts are now "out"......................which is 10% plus 2MPH..................

No I didn't but I put the link to the ACPO guidlines from the CPS site which clearly states the facts.  No matter and nothing to fall out about. Also the but about urban myth/old wives tails was not directed at you just a generalism for the whole thing about speeding that occurs every so many weeks on here and other forums where wrong information is posted that could lead people into thinking they are OK doing something when in fact they are not.

 

As I say nothing to fall out about and we seem to have got there in the end.  Oh and my first post had much more info in it originally but my fat fingers deleted it all and for some reason it was not auto-saved so I just put a VERY abbreviated version.