Hi, not been on the forum in a while but thought I would come and hopefully get some advice!

I was out last night driving home slowly/crusing about a bit and went into a roundabout a bit quick, the back end came right out and i went pretty much 75 degrees around one end of an oval roundabout. I saw a car on the next exit (quite a far way up as it is a long oval) waiting for me to pass as I did a loop back around the rounabout who then followed me down the road to another roundabout where I drove all the way round at medium speed (no sliding) then off in my original direction. The car from the first roundabout must have hung back a long way then suddenly caught me up (I was driving pretty slowly) then the blue lights came on from inside the grill!

I pulled over and a copper got out and came to open my door. He said "in the back of my car - now".

I admitted the slide straight away and was reasonable and honest, he was ok with me but said he couldn't give me an on the spot penalty he would have to write a statement about my "careless driving" and let the courts decide$ he said I'd get 6 point minimum or a ban maximum but because I had a clean license and was a respectable guy i should probably be looked on favourably.

I tried to talk him round and said obviously I would never drive like that again and i am normally a very careful driving, I'm stupid bla bla but he said it was too dangerous for him to let me go.

Has anyone been in this position before, anything I can do? He said he would explain to the courts what he saw and the fact I drove round 2 roundabout "trying to powerslide". Does it make a difference that I was in a fwd car??

I have spoken to a traffic lawyer this morning and he said I should be OK for around 6 points considering I have been driving for 6 years, have no points, no criminal record and a respectable job, for which I need my car etc.

Feel free to slate me for what I have done....I know I am an idiot...

Any advice would be appreciated!

Sorry for my bad typing!

Edited 28 August, 201115 yr by Lyons

You cant help but do it round here, the tarmac on the roundabouts is so slippy in the wet its like driving on ice.

you can claim that you were driving responsibly and the poor quality of tarmac/something on the road caused it.

unless you have admitted going too fast just say you must of hit a patch of diesel.

I guess that if you had just driven round the one and taken a different exit you could of claimed that it must of been diesel on the road or some thing and what the officer actually saw was you lose control and then correct it, but whether you were or weren't it does sound like you were just driving around them trying to go sideways.

The car being fwd will be irrelevant, its just as easy to get a fwd car very side ways with a bit of lift off over steer. I can't see there being a lot you can do other than admit that it was a stupid mistake and hope that they take into account your good record ect and are easy on you.

yes I think the excuses are bit weak to be honest, looks like I am going to have to admit it all...anybody got experience of a likely punishment? I check insurance with 9 points and its over £2k - meaning fiesta tdci time I could live with 6 points but it would still be bloody expensive!

Although I have done a wrong, I feel it would be a little harsh to ban me, there was literally nobody around until the copper turned up about 30metres away at the other end of the round about and it was all quite slow pace <30mph, even if I had crash I would only have hurt myself...

Yeah does seem a bit harsh but I guess they have to draw the line some where. its a chance you take tho, he could of been a laid back copper and just let you off with a warning or he could of been a 'by the book' copper and taken it to court like he seems to of done. It's his job at the end of the day so you can't really blame him for doing it, you did wrong and unfortunately got caught so there's not a lot left to do but take it on the chin and learn from the mistake.

say u were tryig to avoid the worm in the road 'if u make em laugh they cant do shit

should have told the police the back end slipped out by no fault of your own and you corrected it,would have let you go and you would have learnt a lesson not to drive like an idiot

but instead of that you told the copper you wont do it again,pleaded guilty right there..

so you now get a lesson and possible points

say u were tryig to avoid the worm in the road 'if u make em laugh they cant do shit

there wont be a next time, but if there was, I would be using that one!

cheers for the help guys - clubpolo is still a friendly old place! Might be re-joining the club with some kind of slow-ass diesel polo soon!

should have told the police the back end slipped out by no fault of your own and you corrected it,would have let you go and you would have learnt a lesson not to drive like an idiot

but instead of that you told the copper you wont do it again,pleaded guilty right there..

so you now get a lesson and possible points

Yep, probably right, you don't think straight in that situation unfortunately!

Well for a start you can't 'powerslide' a fwd car, its either lift-off oversteer (which involves coming off the power) or understeer.

I'd say in court due to the conditions you applied steady power round the roundabout, the front end of the car started to loose traction so you lifted off the power.

This in-turn caused the rear of the car to lighten up and for the rear wheels to break traction, causing the slide that was seen.

I'd then say you followed the highway code in order to fix the slide (which is clutch in and steer into the slide)

Then once the car had regained traction you continued on your way.

Well for a start you can't 'powerslide' a fwd car, its either lift-off oversteer (which involves coming off the power) or understeer.

I'd say in court due to the conditions you applied steady power round the roundabout, the front end of the car started to loose traction so you lifted off the power.

This in-turn caused the rear of the car to lighten up and for the rear wheels to break traction, causing the slide that was seen.

I'd then say you followed the highway code in order to fix the slide (which is clutch in and steer into the slide)

Then once the car had regained traction you continued on your way.

I have a feeling this is where the problem lies and is going to cause the most issue with the above suggestion:

I did a loop back around the roundabout

If there had have been an oil/diesel spill as someone else suggested, or you lost control due to lifting off, you wouldn't go back round would you?

Although maybe I'm misinterpreting the OP's sentence?

Edited 28 August, 201115 yr by AMD_Man

Yeah that's what I was on about further up, its the fact you seemed to be repeatedly driving around the round about's that's going to go against you I think. It still maybe worth a try but if they then decide that you had done it on purpose and were trying to worm out of it it may very well go against you.

It's down to you to decide which root to take tho mate as its your licence on the line, probably best to have another word with the solicitor you spoke to and see what he thinks is the best root to take

I was stopped by the police once for bombing over a level crossing slamming the anchors on and turning into a train station infront of the police.

I felt like a right prick and I had mates in the car too, I knew I was fucked so off went the engine and I got out and the pulled me to one side had a serious chat in the van took a statement in which I had admitted it was me being an Immature and that its not usually how I drive etc. they gave the car a once over told me it was going to court and I would get 6 points and at 18 that was a ban. however because I had no previous and I was very remorseful they sent me a letter saying it was a warning.

if I got off that lightly in such dangerous circumstances as well as being 18 you may be ok too.

for the recordm that put a stop to my "I'm Invincible" driving and haven't had any more driving related issues since.

Well for a start you can't 'powerslide' a fwd car, its either lift-off oversteer (which involves coming off the power) or understeer.

I'd say in court due to the conditions you applied steady power round the roundabout, the front end of the car started to loose traction so you lifted off the power.

This in-turn caused the rear of the car to lighten up and for the rear wheels to break traction, causing the slide that was seen.

I'd then say you followed the highway code in order to fix the slide (which is clutch in and steer into the slide)

Then once the car had regained traction you continued on your way.

I have a feeling this is where the problem lies and is going to cause the most issue with the above suggestion:

I did a loop back around the roundabout

If there had have been an oil/diesel spill as someone else suggested, or you lost control due to lifting off, you wouldn't go back round would you?

Although maybe I'm misinterpreting the OP's sentence?

Good point, unless controlling the slide mean't he had missed his junction and had to go round again to get to it.

Just out of interest was it traffic or beat that pulled you?

I think you'll just have to wait and see, sounds like you'll get six points though.

I think the fact you were doing laps of roundabouts (which isn't normal driving) and also it sounds like you may have admitted guilt while talking to the coppers at the time means you're not going to be able to talk your way out of it now. Or it's going to be very hard to.

Cheers for the advice guys, it was a different round about further down the road that I went round. I didn't go around the same one twice.

I would be lying to say I wasn't driving carelessly so guess I will have to pay the legal fees and beg for forgiveness. I know it doesn't count for a lot but I didn't break the speed limit and nobody was around apart from the unmarked car (who was bloody miles away). I believe it was a traffic cop, unmarked mondeo, but I'm not sure to be honest..?

was this on the 'majic roundabout' near Sale? if so, its a haven for drifters so I'm not suprised you got collared there. I forever see drift marks from people whenever I drive past there

so guess I will have to pay the legal fees and beg for forgiveness.

if you admitted guilt while talking to them in the car then this would just be a waste of more money. You'd be best to just accept the fine &/or points. The law doesn't favour the honest.

I know it doesn't count for a lot but I didn't break the speed limit and nobody was around apart from the unmarked car (who was bloody miles away). I believe it was a traffic cop, unmarked mondeo, but I'm not sure to be honest..?

Had to laugh at your statement there, the speed limit means sod all outside a 30mph zone to traffic cops to be honest.

I got pulled once for taking a roundabout in a national speed zone at 40mph.

It was traffic that pulled me for it and they said to me "the car was heavily banked and 'looked' out of control"

To which I replied "Well how do you know what control I have over the car, and besides I was well below the speed limit"

They came back with "Oh so its a target now is it?"

I managed to get away with nothing from that though as I didn't admit to the 'dangerous driving' they accused me of and they didn't have enough video evidence to prove otherwise.

I'd never admit to anything in the back of a Police car unless it was blindingly obvious I'd done something wrong. As Hayesey said, the law doesn't favour the honest.

"Oh so its a target now is it?"

If it's not a target (i know it isn't) then why is it shaped and coloured like a target??

The speed limit is exactly that, the Maximum speed deemed safe for that stretch of road, it's obviously been deemed safe to travel at 60, you were doing below that speed... i see no problems (but that's if you think like I do... lol)