Q. I’ve been a biker for the final 40-odd years and had all types through the years from BSAs to VFRs. Now I’m a bit older and have a bit extra money, I entered the Gold Wing period of my life about two years in the past. It was one thing I believed I’d by no means do! Nevertheless, a mate lent me his and I immediately received it. It was like using on a floating armchair. After that, it turned an costly 12 months as I bought a brand new Gold Wing together with a trailer that I had sprayed to match. I additionally received concerned with an area group who do lots of meet-ups and ride-outs, and so on. While I used to be out with these guys heading to a tenting weekend, we had been cruising down the motorway after we got here throughout the basic center lane hogger.
I perceive our experience chief flashed him to get out of the best way, however he merely sat there plodding alongside at round 65mph. Ultimately, our experience chief pulled out into the skin lane and wagged his finger at him as he handed and waved the remainder of our group to observe him. It’s honest to say that wound up the center lane hogger and as our group of eight or 10 bikes handed him (at round 70mph, so not rushing) he was sticking his fingers up, as was his teenage child within the again. As my meant viewers of the occupants of the automobile was out of listening to vary, I duly replied with a one-handed gesture as I handed him. The fool. I didn’t assume an excessive amount of about it.
Nevertheless, I’ve now obtained a Discover of Meant Prosecution for driving within the offside lane of a motorway while towing a trailer (I had my tenting equipment within the again). The Police have additionally despatched images, presumably taken from the center lane hogger’s dashcam, of me on my bike within the exterior lane. I’m pondering of defending it on the premise that I used to be compelled to overhaul the center lane hogger by his actions and in addition as a result of it might have been harmful to carry up the remainder of my group. Alternatively, our experience chief (a retired insurance coverage loss adjuster who is aware of his stuff) mentioned I may merely ignore the police letter requesting the rider’s particulars, and it’ll in all probability simply go away. What do you assume I ought to do?
A. Overlook George Orwell’s dystopian 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-4 and the ever present slogan, ‘Huge Brother is watching you’. As an alternative, we, the individuals, seem like taking nice self-righteous enjoyment of videoing and reporting one another day by day and doing the Police’s job for them and/or placing it on social media for ‘likes.’. Parking that ‘phenomena’ for now, it seems the center lane hogger has uploaded his video to the Police’s system. Simply by means of background, there’s something known as ‘Operation SNAP’, which permits the general public to submit video and photographic proof regarding driving offences that they’ve witnessed.
As for what to do, I’m afraid your options will not be authorized defences and your experience chief is incorrect. So you might be conscious, an individual convicted of failing to supply data could be fined as much as £1000 and both have their licence endorsed with six penalty factors or be disqualified from driving. Subsequently, you might be suggested to return the driving force identification questionnaire inside any time interval specified by the authorities. Following that, I think you can be provided a set penalty provide of three factors and a superb for £100 for using with a trailer within the exterior line of a motorway as a result of it’s unlawful. My recommendation is that while it might be a bitter capsule to swallow, you must settle for the fastened penalty provide since you are responsible of the offence. Lastly, with out wanting to evangelise, the velocity restrict for towing a trailer on the motorway is 60mph, not 70mph, so that you must watch out sooner or later if you’re attempting to maintain up along with your group.
Recommendation from our specialist motoring solicitor Andrew Prendergast from White Dalton Bike Solicitors (www.whitedalton.com) guides readers via their authorized trials and troubles
