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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Been caught speeding

315 replies

speedy49 · 31/01/2023 01:00

Help sorry I know this isn't AIBU but traffic

Tonight literally 15 mins ago so 00:40 ish I was driving home about a 10 minute journey on a road with a 60mph limit.
I was doing about 80. Yes I know I was in the wrong please dont bash me.
Then I got to my turning, turned in, and realise there was a police car behind me pretty much the whole time.
Now I'm freaking out because I know I was speeding and I know they were behind me. But they could have pulled me over and didn't, didn't even flash me?
I don't have any points, never paid any fine, never taken a speed awareness course.
Has anyone ever had a similar experience, if so did it end in a ticket or not?
Very worried, please be kind I know I was in the wrong

OP posts:
OldSkoolLikeHappyShopper · 31/01/2023 01:02

You won’t get a ticket. They would have had to have pulled you over, or you’d have been caught by a speed trap/camera if not pulled over to get a ticket.

TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl · 31/01/2023 01:03

This happened to me once and they just followed me for a bit, they didn’t stop me. I’m pretty sure they have to have evidence of exactly how fast you were going to issue a ticket. Only a speed gun and speed camera can register a speed

TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl · 31/01/2023 01:03

And I was going 90 in a 60 that night I was followed 😬

Original poster
speedy49 · 31/01/2023 01:04

I thought that too but I googled it and read this

www.quora.com/Does-a-police-car-have-to-pull-you-over-for-speeding-in-the-UK?top_ans=357325543

So I assumed that police cars have speed cameras in the actual car?

OP posts:
Kanaloa · 31/01/2023 01:06

I know you’re bleating about ‘please be kind’ and ‘I know I was wrong’ but well that’s life. You say you know you were wrong, driving far over the speed limit illegally. If you do things that are wrong/illegal, you will have to face the consequences of those things. That’s not ‘unkind’ it’s fair.

Think if it another way - if someone mowed a loved one of yours down speeding at 80 miles per hour you wouldn’t be saying ‘oh be kind, they know it was wrong.’ If anything surely knowing it’s wrong but not caring unless you’re caught is worse than not knowing it’s wrong.

Kanaloa · 31/01/2023 01:06

So like I’m not sure what you’re ‘very worried’ about. You were happy to speed 80 mph, presumably you knew it was illegal, so what’s to worry about now?

randomusername2020 · 31/01/2023 01:08

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn at the poster's request due to privacy concerns.

TeamHerbivore · 31/01/2023 01:11

I hope you get fined and points. Please be kind, ffs, how about please don’t speed. 🙄

Lysianthus · 31/01/2023 01:16

What PPs have said.

But I'll also add that the fact that you didn't once check your rear view, or side mirror, is really concerning. What else did you miss? Or could you have missed. Give your head a wobble. You sound like a shite driver, and perhaps this was your last chance; next time you (or some unfortunate person) might not be so lucky.

Original poster
speedy49 · 31/01/2023 01:24

Lysianthus · 31/01/2023 01:16

What PPs have said.

But I'll also add that the fact that you didn't once check your rear view, or side mirror, is really concerning. What else did you miss? Or could you have missed. Give your head a wobble. You sound like a shite driver, and perhaps this was your last chance; next time you (or some unfortunate person) might not be so lucky.

Of course I knew there was a car behind me, but when it's dark you can't tell what colour it is because of the headlights facing you. It was only when we got to nearish home with lots of streetlights I saw it was yellow and blue.

And I do not believe that any of you have never ever broken the speed limit

OP posts:
Kanaloa · 31/01/2023 01:29

speedy49 · 31/01/2023 01:24

Of course I knew there was a car behind me, but when it's dark you can't tell what colour it is because of the headlights facing you. It was only when we got to nearish home with lots of streetlights I saw it was yellow and blue.

And I do not believe that any of you have never ever broken the speed limit

Show quote history

People on here always spout this nonsense as if it’s impossible to drive within the speed limit. You knew it was wrong to drive 80mph, you chose to do it anyway, you now care because you may have been caught. For what it’s worth, I do not drive 20 miles over the speed limit. I drive within the speed limit. It simply isn’t in my mind to ever think of just ignoring it and then panicking that I might get caught. We did have a close family member badly injured (left permanently damaged) by a speeding driver so perhaps that’s why I don’t feel people should ‘be kind’ to me if I choose to speed.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 31/01/2023 01:29

You were doing 90 in a 60? Yep, expect that ticket. And slow down!

I was done for doing 34 in a 30. So good luck with that.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 31/01/2023 01:29

Sorry, just realised it was 80. But still...

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 31/01/2023 01:32

They will have checked your reg, insurance and MOT. They don't have to pull you over. But you will be getting a brown envelope through the door...

SavoirFlair · 31/01/2023 01:33

And I do not believe that any of you have never ever broken the speed limit

Ah this old one again… weirdly enough I don’t do 20mph more than the speed limit; or even 10mph more. I need my licence for work. I don’t want to hit people or risk hurting them. Ever.

look, I’m not going to bash you for speeding, others have and will…

but I can’t get past your total lack of self awareness about why it’s important not to speed.

Your focus seems to be solely on if you’ll get fined. If there was no police car behind you, would you have even given it a second thought?

HirplesWithHaggis · 31/01/2023 01:39

I'm not convinced that every police car is equipped with the necessary to issue you a ticket. They may have followed you (at the same speed) but there are specific rules around the calibration of speed-measuring devices unlikely to be met by a random patrol car. Sleep easy OP but think of this as a wrist slap.

Floralnomad · 31/01/2023 01:42

And I do not believe that any of you have never ever broken the speed limit
This is always the response of people on speeding threads , loads of people don’t break the speed limit and if they do it’s literally by a couple of mph ( not 20 ) .

Thebestwaytoscareatory · 31/01/2023 01:43

SavoirFlair · 31/01/2023 01:33

And I do not believe that any of you have never ever broken the speed limit

Ah this old one again… weirdly enough I don’t do 20mph more than the speed limit; or even 10mph more. I need my licence for work. I don’t want to hit people or risk hurting them. Ever.

look, I’m not going to bash you for speeding, others have and will…

but I can’t get past your total lack of self awareness about why it’s important not to speed.

Your focus seems to be solely on if you’ll get fined. If there was no police car behind you, would you have even given it a second thought?

I don’t want to hit people or risk hurting them. Ever.

Probably shouldn't drive then. Ever. Or at the very least I hope you check your lights, indicators, horn, wipers, washers, heater blower, tyre pressure, tyre tread, tyre walls (inner and outer) before you set off on any journey.

Original poster
speedy49 · 31/01/2023 01:50

With respect, this thread isn't about how bad of a crime (legally or morally) speeding is. It was about whether others have had a similar experience and what the outcome was.

Thanks to those who have actually replied with something helpful 🙏🏼

OP posts:
SherlockStones · 31/01/2023 01:52

speedy49 · 31/01/2023 01:50

With respect, this thread isn't about how bad of a crime (legally or morally) speeding is. It was about whether others have had a similar experience and what the outcome was.

Thanks to those who have actually replied with something helpful 🙏🏼

With respect I hope you get fined along with the points penalty.

FanGurrl · 31/01/2023 02:01

I'm sorry but I truly can't believe all the holier than thou attitudes on here. The majority of drivers don't stick to the speed limit all the time. You only have to travel on any motorway to see that. Driving slowly does not necessarily make you a better or safer driver!
OP I hope you don't get a fine this time. This experience has probably made you more vigilant of your speed anyway!

honeyytoast · 31/01/2023 02:36

When you say most people have sped at some point I’d be inclined to agree, but I’m talking a few mph over in exceptional circumstances... not a good 20 over, that’s crazy

Quveas · 31/01/2023 02:41

SherlockStones · 31/01/2023 01:52

With respect I hope you get fined along with the points penalty.

Show quote history

Me too. Because the OP clearly hasn't learned anything other than to check the car behind them out better. The OP had made it clear that they care neither about the law nor morals - they don't care about the lives of others either.

Quveas · 31/01/2023 02:43

FanGurrl · 31/01/2023 02:01

I'm sorry but I truly can't believe all the holier than thou attitudes on here. The majority of drivers don't stick to the speed limit all the time. You only have to travel on any motorway to see that. Driving slowly does not necessarily make you a better or safer driver!
OP I hope you don't get a fine this time. This experience has probably made you more vigilant of your speed anyway!

Driving at the speed limit or below is not driving slowly. It is driving within the law. Very few people drive at 20 mph above the limit, and those that do are putting others at risk.

chupachump · 31/01/2023 03:00

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