tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294928770519722820.post70922372487815985..comments2024-03-08T14:35:24.649+00:00Comments on The Justice of the Peace Blog: SPEEDING AT 100+ SHOULD MEAN DISQUALIFICATIONThe Justice of the Peacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05795957459681808206noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294928770519722820.post-79177290411356748522015-12-07T13:30:00.980+00:002015-12-07T13:30:00.980+00:00Agreed that general driving conditions may be cons...Agreed that general driving conditions may be considered, however a blown tyre (for example) cannot be predicted and, at such high speed could easily, even probably, result in complete loss of control. <br /><br />The defence that the speedometer was calibrated in KPH is laughable. Take a look at the speedo on your own vehicle. You'll see that although the main speed display is given in MPH, there are further, smaller number indications given in KPH. In other words, even though his car's speedo was calibrated in KPH it would still be marked with the MPH designations in smaller characters. Was no one on the bench a motorist? Quite aside from this, anyone driving at 163KPH (which is 101MPH) knows very well that they are travelling well in excess of the speed limit.<br /><br />As you say, we need to be careful about criticising the bench when we weren't present to hear all that was said. However if we accept the KPH thing as being the main defence then it should have been thrown out and a disqualification given along with a fine (even if any monitary penalty would be meaningless to a professional bag of wind kicker).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294928770519722820.post-63256780759602701962015-12-07T11:51:09.273+00:002015-12-07T11:51:09.273+00:00It's always a bad idea to criticise a bench wh...It's always a bad idea to criticise a bench when one wasn't there to hear what was said. 101 mph per say does not mean an automatic ban: parliament gave magistrates a discretionary power to ban speeding drivers. Other factors, such as traffic and weather conditions, are as important as the speed driven. 71 mph in fog/snow/rain can be more dangerous than 101 on an empty motorway in good weather.<br /><br />My only worry is this quote: "The 32-year-old footballer did not attend the hearing..." Why not?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294928770519722820.post-52924261310140848712015-12-06T11:32:21.482+00:002015-12-06T11:32:21.482+00:00How long would you ban for? What consequence would...How long would you ban for? What consequence would that be to someone who can easily afford a driver? Is 1/2-way to a 6 month ban a better measure?<br />Whilst turning up suitably contrite might help make any mitigation more convincing, the idea that someone would be penalised for sending a legal representative is somewhat perverse, when the law specifically allows it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294928770519722820.post-87536953847452530102015-12-05T15:25:27.010+00:002015-12-05T15:25:27.010+00:00How can members of this bench have been properly a...How can members of this bench have been properly appraised if this is how they deal with routine offences such as this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1294928770519722820.post-21003799750583640992015-12-04T14:13:24.859+00:002015-12-04T14:13:24.859+00:00Sounds like a load of bollocks to me, to be perfec...Sounds like a load of bollocks to me, to be perfectly frank. Doing over a hundred counts as "Well over the national speed limit", and really any driver should be thinking "Slightly over is points, well over is disqualification". At those sorts of speeds, it doesn't really matter all that much if the speed was 95, 100, 105 or whatever; the roads aren't designed with sightlines to allow those speeds.<br /><br />If the defendant can't even be bothered to turn up to face the music and give his version of events, then that compounds the matter. That is a failure to show the court the proper respect; even turning up looking scruffy when one has the clothes and ability to do otherwise is chancing one's luck to my mind. Sad to say, but appearance and a proper deference to authority counts for quite a lot.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02618328278732100203noreply@blogger.com