Speeding under 77 in a 70 is still liable to a fine, yes?!

[BettyBoomerangBoo]

Please settle argument with friend.

He reckons if you do a little over 70 on the motorway you don't get fined - he reckons you get a bit of leeway and only get fined if you're doing more than 10% over.

So 22 in a 20 zone, no fine. 33 in a 30, ok.

YANBU, he's wrong. You can get fined for doing anything over the speed limit

YABU - he's right. A little over never results in a fine.

Depends on the police force I think. In our area it's 10% plus one mile over before any enforcement.

Depends where you are and the circumstances.

As an example page, this gives you more info about speed camera thresholds: www.confused.com/car-insurance/guides/speed-camera-tolerances

I believe (and I could be wrong) that a) car speedometers are set a little higher than they actually are, so if it says 30 you’re probably only doing 27/28, and also they tend not to fine if you’re less than 10% over. These two things combined mean you’re unlikely to be fined if you’re less than 10% over.

i was told all this almost 20’years who though so it could easily be wrong! It’s generally the rule I live by and I have yet to receive a fine, though I do slow down if I see an actual camera…(and this post has probably jinxed it and I’ll get a fine next week!!)

In central London, you can be fined for being 1mph over the speed limit.

Depends on the area but in Yorkshire you can do 79 before being fined, then I think 79-86 you get the option of a speed awareness course instead which follows the general 10%+2 rule lots of areas have.

You absolutely can be done for going even 1mph over the limit.

But the 10% is to allow for inaccuracies in your vehicle's speedometer. You might think you are doing 73 but actually doing 78 and therefore could be prosecuted. Probably a historical thing that isn't quite right now with improvement in technology they should be more accurate now.

Should have added I know that from when DP got a letter for doing 81 in a 70 last year, it explained in the letter.

This is exactly how it was explained on a speed awareness course to me. Speedometers varied in accuracy in past times, which was where the difficulty in accurately measuring speed came from, so there was a margin of error.

With todays speedometers being digital, they are
accurate and precise so the margin of (measurement) error has been removed.

Yes the 10% is a thing due to speedo's not being calibrated regularly so may be slightly out. Speed cameras are calibrated regularly so are accurate. Its best not to use it as a target though, stick to the speed limit then you dont have to worry about it

Speedos are not allowed to over-read. You can be doing 77 on your speedo but only be doing 70mph but it is illegal for your speedo to show 70 and you be doing 77mph.

I got a ticket last year in Yorkshire and the ticket stated they fine when your speed is:

speed limit + 10% +2

So in a 30 zone they ticket at 35 (which was my speed), 40 zone would be 46, etc.

Ah, interesting. Thanks, All.

DH got done doing 32 in a 30 zone (fixed camera). As others have said, speedometers overstated your speed (it is illegal for them to understate it so they err on the side of caution), so his would probably have said 35 - ie he should have not been going that fast in a 30.

This was north Wales.

I don’t think a traffic officer would pull you over on the motorway unless you were doing 80+, but that’s a hunch based on the fact they must save their efforts for the worst offenders.

Legally a speedometer cannot under report your speed, which is why they tend to be calibrated to read a little over to give a margin of error.

A car speedo, unless there is something fundamentally broken will never, ever give a speed slower than what you are actually travelling.

I’ve been fined for doing 52 on a 50 mph road!

😮😯😲

The 10% in reality is a bit of a myth, yeah it's used by some forces but I'd never use it as a given as you can be fined for 1mph over.

Basically don't speed, I'm getting concerned by the speeding is ok threads on here.

Yes from my many hours sat watching police interceptors and traffic cops they don't seem too bothered as long as you are doing under 90! Not recommending anyone puts that to the test though

Didn't they change the rules a while ago, so it changed from 3 pts and 60 quid, (if you were doing 10%+1) to a sliding scale of fine depending on how much you're over? Or did I imagine that?

Where? Virtually every region in England operates to to 10% plus 1 or 2mph.

Not worth the risk is it. The speed limit is there for a reason and if the officer asks what speed you're doing and you say 76mph you'll look a right idiot if you start arguing it's less than 10% over.

Two police officer friends have said 10% +2 for our area.

It's true in my car. The actual speed is 5mph lower than what the speedo tells me. So on there I'd be doing 75 but in reality it would be 70.

It’s neither.

The police won’t usually bother unless you’re doing 10 over the limit.

But, if they feel like it they may do. They fined my friend for doing 36 in a 30 zone. We don’t know why. She had to do a 2 day speed awareness course to avoid points on licence. 😐