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Original poster

will I have been caught speeding?

58 replies

paxman · 04/08/2021 10:04

Is it just an urban myth that there is a 10 percent lee-way? I'm really cross with myself as the cruise control was on 44 on a dual where there is a temporary 40 and there was a squad car and two officers doing the pointing and writing.
What happens when you are caught speeding?

OP posts:
thanksforyourcommentrandomman · 04/08/2021 10:07

Hopefully you will be penalised. Don't want to get caught, don't speed

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 04/08/2021 10:08

Hi OP. Ive been caught speeding a load of times over the years.

The 10% rule depends on what county you're in.

What do you mean by 'pointing and writing'? You can only get caught speeding by an officially licensed speed camera - mobile (usually in a marked van), static (at the side of the road) or handheld (not commonly used).

All that being said, id be very suprised if you got caught going at 44 in a 40.

budgun · 04/08/2021 10:09

A squad car Grin

Why you set your cruise control to 44 if the limit is 40?

Original poster
paxman · 04/08/2021 10:10

one police officer holding something, assume camera, and one writing things on a pad of paper. I thought it was odd to be using a pen and paper roadside when the other has a camera.

OP posts:
Letsallscreamatthesistene · 04/08/2021 10:11

Ah, I didnt actually answer your question!

If you're caught the county you've been caught in have 2 weeks to get the charge to you. It'll come via post. The letter will give you options to either accept the charge or dispute it. It'll also give you your sanction, which will be points and a fine, a speed awareness course (and potentially also a fine) or a court appearance.

You have a 2 week wait on your hands!

BarbaraofSeville · 04/08/2021 10:12

If your speedo was showing 44, you will have been doing 40 or 41 at most and the 10% over isn't an urban myth, its association of chief police officers guidance.

If they pulled over everyone who was doing 41-43 MPH they'd be too busy to do anything else and it wouldn't increase road safety as everyone would be concentrating more on what their speedo said than what was happening on the road in front of them.

Original poster
paxman · 04/08/2021 10:12

It's a bit of road where everyone appears to speed maybe because it is temporary and there have never been any roadworks. I usually do the 40 and set the cruise on that and everyone normally spins past and I feel like I'm driving Miss Daisy.
Are they not called squad cars then?

OP posts:
thanksforyourcommentrandomman · 04/08/2021 10:21

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

Hi OP. Ive been caught speeding a load of times over the years.

The 10% rule depends on what county you're in.

What do you mean by 'pointing and writing'? You can only get caught speeding by an officially licensed speed camera - mobile (usually in a marked van), static (at the side of the road) or handheld (not commonly used).

All that being said, id be very suprised if you got caught going at 44 in a 40.

Why do you speed?
Coogee · 04/08/2021 10:21

Although it is likely, it isn’t guaranteed that your speedometer over reads. Mine doesn’t, as I found to my cost.

However, most police forces seem to follow the 10% + 2mph guidance. So, you would need to be going at 46 mph to be ticketed.

TheBurmundseyIndustrialEstate · 04/08/2021 10:24

You will get a letter within two weeks, if you were over.
First offence you will probably be offered a speed awareness course rather than 3 points , but there is still a fine (around £100).

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 10:27

I'm a police officer and don't tend to stop anybody unless they're going at least 10+mph over the limit, and don't ticket anybody unless they're 15+mph over (tue exception being they are extremely argumentative and rude!!). I don't have the time to pull people over all day for going a tiny bit over.

Don't take that as gospel of course as there is no official guidance- you can technically be prosecuted for driving 1mph over the speed limit but that's unlikely going to be in the public interest. Each officer is going to have a different tolerance. It's down to individual discretion.

If you didn't get stopped there and then don't worry about it.

Original poster
paxman · 04/08/2021 10:30

thank you for replies,
Is there a chance that they weren't doing a speed check and that it was insurance or MOT checks?
I don't think they could have pulled anyone over as the two officers were stood at the back of their car and not by a lay-by where they could gesture at people to get them to pull in.
I'm still puzzled by the officer writing things down though!

OP posts:
brittleheadgirl · 04/08/2021 10:32

@Wiltshire90

I'm a police officer and don't tend to stop anybody unless they're going at least 10+mph over the limit, and don't ticket anybody unless they're 15+mph over (tue exception being they are extremely argumentative and rude!!). I don't have the time to pull people over all day for going a tiny bit over.

Don't take that as gospel of course as there is no official guidance- you can technically be prosecuted for driving 1mph over the speed limit but that's unlikely going to be in the public interest. Each officer is going to have a different tolerance. It's down to individual discretion.

If you didn't get stopped there and then don't worry about it.

God how depressing/worrying. Are you really a police officer? If so, I presume you've attended a rta in which injuries are much more serious or fatal because someone was driving 40 in a 30 zone? I'm staggered and saddened to read your attitude to speeding, just a few miles extra speed can mean the difference between life and death, particularly if it's a child that's hit Sad
PostMenWithACat · 04/08/2021 10:34

I got caught at 36mph on camera in a 30mph limit. Did a speed awareness course and it was remarkably good and well worth doing. The chaps former policemen running it said it was unlikely anyone would be sanctioned unless they were doing well over 34/5. My penalty letter said 36mph and I'm pretty sure my speedo would have been closer to 40, remembering the occasion.

On that particular stretch of road I wonder how the 90% who regularly exceed 40mph get away with it though.

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 10:35

@paxman if they were "pointing and writing" they are doing speed checks. They could have had an unmarked car parked further up and can use the radio to tell them who to pull over. I expect they were noting the speeds down. Generally if there's lots of complaints about speeding, officers will go out and see how fast people are actually going to see if it is a genuine issue or not.

MsMiaWallace · 04/08/2021 10:38

Sounds like they were doing 'speed watch'.
You may be lucky & just get a letter through making you aware.
If not & they are ticketing, generally it's 10% plus 2. Depending on Force.

But as said previously technically 1mph over is speeding....

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 10:39

@brittleheadgirl Hi, yes I am really a police officer. Unfortunately there are so few of us low level speeding simply can't be a priority anymore. For example, we have had shifts in my city this month where there had been a SINGLE police officer to start the shift. They have to respond to 999, 101 calls, do the hours of paperwork that is associated with those calls, and also carry sometimes 20+ slow time investigations which involve court files, interviews, statements, and all have a victim at the end.

I'm sorry you find this depressing (so do I!) but we have to be realistic. We simply don't have time to be pulling every driver over for low-level speeding. The only answer is more officers on the roads but sadly I don't think that will happen quickly. I haven't had any spare time to do speed checks for at least 12 months now.

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 04/08/2021 10:41

@thanksforyourcommentrandomman because I was a twat when I was younger. You've assumed its something I still do. Its something ive grown out of. I have 0 points on my license.

PostMenWithACat · 04/08/2021 10:52

@Wiltshire90 out of interest I drove through a SW London suburb yesterday and part of the road was cordoned off with what must have been 20/30 policemen and 8/10 cars behind cones who seemed to have pulled over one or two people. I see that every two/three months around Surrey/SW London. What are they doing - is it tax/insurance checks or stolen cars or something.

FWIW DH has a very high performance car and a police car once followed my tail for about 25 miles (I did 70mph on the dot) and then turned off behind me for another 5/6 miles on an A road before turning off. TBF it felt rathler like harassment but may have been because I am a woman and the car is registered in DH's name and they were checking out the car/us. Have always wondered.

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 10:59

@PostMenWithACat sorry not a clue what they were doing - sounds like a gucci Met department with decent funding! 😬 my guess would be intel on the vehicles involving county lines drugs and firearms for that many officers.

As for following you for 25 miles - it takes less than a minute to check the car and who's on the insurance (if the computer systems are working, which sometimes they aren't), so I expect they were just going the same way as you. If they were going to pull you over they would have done it rather than follow you for 25 miles! I have often driven behind the same car going the same way and felt awkward as they probably felt they were being followed when I had 0 interest in them! Smile

thanksforyourcommentrandomman · 04/08/2021 10:59

[quote Letsallscreamatthesistene]@thanksforyourcommentrandomman because I was a twat when I was younger. You've assumed its something I still do. Its something ive grown out of. I have 0 points on my license.[/quote]
I didn't assume anything, I just read your post and nowhere does it say it was when you were younger or isn't something you still do.

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 04/08/2021 11:07

@thanksforyourcommentrandomman and nowhere does it say its something I currently do. So, yes, you assumed.

YouReallyAre · 04/08/2021 11:08

I'm glad you've asked this op because I had a similar situation this week. The officer was dressed all in black leathers next to a plain black motorbike. He had a small square black camera in his hand and behind him were 2 police cars and officers with their pads out. They had pulled someone over so I am hoping it was just vehicle checks and not speeding as I was going over the temporary 30mph on a duel carriage way by about 5 mph.

Would they still send a letter in the post despite having officers at the roadside?

MWNA · 04/08/2021 11:09

@budgun

A squad car Grin

Why you set your cruise control to 44 if the limit is 40?

🤣
MWNA · 04/08/2021 11:10

@paxman

It's a bit of road where everyone appears to speed maybe because it is temporary and there have never been any roadworks. I usually do the 40 and set the cruise on that and everyone normally spins past and I feel like I'm driving Miss Daisy. Are they not called squad cars then?
I guess they are if you're in the United States of Amerikee.