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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:

brittleheadgirl · 04/08/2021 11:17

[quote Wiltshire90]@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.[/quote]
Thanks for responding.
Hats off to you, I thought my job was tough/thankless at times (education) but yours sounds absolutely impossible!

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 11:19

@YouReallyAre the black camera means yes they were doing speed checks. If you are going to get a letter it will be within two weeks and is called a Notice of Intended Prosecution. However, it's unlikely for 35 in a 30. If it was a static safety camera you might do but in this case it's the officer's discretion and as I've said they have bigger fish to fry and limited time and resources!

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 11:20

@brittleheadgirl no problem - I think we're both in the thick of it with our careers eh!!

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 04/08/2021 11:22

@thanksforyourcommentrandomman

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

Oh my, OP, you've been caught by the thread police, you may get away with the genuine lot as that speed wasn't excessive as you'll see from the post from somebody actually in the Force.

Ignore the dyspeptic knobs, they're everywhere today...

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 04/08/2021 11:23

Just to clarify, the police officers posting are not in the 'knob class'.

thanksforyourcommentrandomman · 04/08/2021 11:58

So because I have an issue with people speeding, that makes me a knob...seriously?

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 04/08/2021 12:05

No, it's your delivery and the way you jumped onto the thread to castigate the OP.

Speeding is policed and quite rightly. I imagine - as has actually been pointed out on the thread by 'proper coppers', that they assess speed differential and it's quite a different prospect being a few mph over than tearing up the roads. Most people know this and all drivers do.

OP wasn't glossing over the speeding, just asked a question and you jumped in with pointless and impotent judgement.

PostMenWithACat · 04/08/2021 12:06

I hear what you say @Wiltshire90 but the bit I still don't understand is why they didn't put their foot down and overtake me at 74/75mph rather than staying on my tail at the prescribed distance. I still think they got a bit of a kick out of it.

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 04/08/2021 12:07

@thanksforyourcommentrandomman

So because I have an issue with people speeding, that makes me a knob...seriously?

You do come across as overly aggressive tbh

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 12:12

@PostMenWithACat because then they would have been speeding! honestly, don't think twice about it. We have to sit behind SOMEONE in a marked car and most people are going to be nervous about it. We are also going to be listening to what's going on on radio, chatting to our colleague, making plans to meet up and carry out warrants or arrest attempts, or getting intel on the job we are going to whilst driving. We really aren't just concentrating whichever poor sod happens to be in front of us for the whole 25 miles - I promise!

MrsEricBana · 04/08/2021 12:13

@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.

If this is real it's pretty unhelpful /irresponsible to let people think going 10mph+ over the limit is ok

FAQs · 04/08/2021 12:14

@PostMenWithACat why should they speed up to overtake you? They probably didn’t give a damn re your car as long as it was legal.

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 12:15

Hi @MrsEricBana - have a look at some of my other posts to see the reasons why we can't afford to pull everybody over for low-level speeding. It's not about thinking its "okay", it's about being realistic with the resources and time we have.

DGRossetti · 04/08/2021 12:22

When I did a SAC, one person was done for 31 in a 30.

MrsEricBana · 04/08/2021 12:24

@Wiltshire90

Hi *@MrsEricBana* - have a look at some of my other posts to see the reasons why we can't afford to pull everybody over for low-level speeding. It's not about thinking its "okay", it's about being realistic with the resources and time we have.

I know, sorry, I didn't mean to be snippy. I just think that you using your professional judgement in context is good but a serving police officer suggesting that 10mph+ over won't be penalised isn't ideal on a public forum.

MrsEricBana · 04/08/2021 12:25

And no I'm not a "knob" before anyone tries that one.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 04/08/2021 12:31

[quote Wiltshire90]@PostMenWithACat because then they would have been speeding! honestly, don't think twice about it. We have to sit behind SOMEONE in a marked car and most people are going to be nervous about it. We are also going to be listening to what's going on on radio, chatting to our colleague, making plans to meet up and carry out warrants or arrest attempts, or getting intel on the job we are going to whilst driving. We really aren't just concentrating whichever poor sod happens to be in front of us for the whole 25 miles - I promise![/quote]
Wiltshire90 and all the other police officers on the boards.. thanks for all you do. I know that hearing sirens and seeing your presence makes me feel safer, so thanks! :)

I wanted to know (as I've often been the car in front of your marked car), do you notice the driver in front of you driving super-perfectly, or worse? I'm always afraid to sing or do anything to attract any attention at all. It's reassuring to read that you're focused on other things than Joe Bloggs in front of you.

Do you do automatic checks of the vehicle in front, tax, licence, etc.? That's fine by me, I'm all covered. Just wondered if you did it?

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 12:33

@MrsEricBana that's okay. I didn't say thay they wouldn't be penalised, and I'm only speaking from my experience from a country of 120k+ officers with varying workloads, thresholds and resources, so it's up to anybody reading it if they want to run the risks!

PostMenWithACat · 04/08/2021 12:40

County lines wouldn't surprise me based on where I've witnessed this. And yes will have been the Met.

Wiltshire90 · 04/08/2021 12:44

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe I'm often singing in my police car too 😂

Some of the cars have automatic numberplate recognition and will automatically check the car in front and passing car, and there will be an alert if it's uninsured, untaxed, or there's a marker on it. Otherwise it's up to us to use our "spidey senses" and do a manual check. I would check cars that are displaying a poor standard of driving, look badly kept (think lots of dents and things hanging off), or look out of place in an area (for example very expensive car in a very poor area at 4am or car with tinted windows at 4am). If it's a hire car it's even more likely to get pulled over unless you're in a tourist hotspot. Any car 3+ up at night would pique my interest -although often that's just 18 year olds going for a late night McDonalds trip 😬! But it could be poachers or drug dealers. Criminals also go through different phases and fashions of preferred vehicles so I would be more likely to look at whatever they're using at the time.

As I said before, often we're not concentrating on the other cars at all and just thinking about what's going on and what I'm going to next.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 04/08/2021 12:57

Thanks Wiltshire90, that is a fascinating insight. You ought to do an AMA thread.

I will feel free to sing my heart out now then... with the windows closed though, otherwise I would most definitely be arrested for assaulting the ears of the general public.

YouReallyAre · 04/08/2021 13:25

Thank you @Wiltshire90 I am desperately hoping not to get a letter

Grinch48 · 04/08/2021 14:07

I got caught speeding 37 on a 30 dual carriageway type rd
The police officer was really nice and said they catch a lot as it’s used to be 40 😂
It i was 35 and under I would have been fine

WTFuckery · 04/08/2021 14:57

My husband was doing 33 in a 30. Flashed by van. He was offered the option of a speed awareness course which he's done. I didn't know the county has two weeks to charge you though, his letter came through about two months after.

Grinch48 · 04/08/2021 22:21

@WTFuckery
Your husband was lucky
Normally if you don’t reply to the NIP you get a court summons where if you don’t know what your doing can end up with 6 points on your licence because you failed to respond and a big fine .
It’s a legal requirement to respond and down to you to explain why you didn’t respond .
The courts will rarely accept that you didn’t get the letter unless you can prove that you have had problems with your mail and it’s virtually impossible to prove that you didn’t get a letter .
It why every single year I make a complaint to Royal Mail about not receiving mail and keep a copy of my complaint 😂 just in case

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