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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:
WestBridgewater · 31/01/2023 06:28

If they were going to prosecute you they would have pulled you over. They probably ran your registration through the police National computer saw everything was in order and as it was late followed you to make sure you got home safe or they just happened to be going in the same direction. Either way it sounds like you need to be checking your mirrors a bit more often when you’re driving as well as slowing down.

Barleycat · 31/01/2023 06:32

Presumably this was on a rural road with a speed limit of 60 as you have said there were no lights? You're lucky you didn't end up wrapped round a tree, it would probably be safer for the rest of us if you had tbh. I hope you do get a fine, and points.

Thefaceofboe · 31/01/2023 06:33

My cousin and his dog got killed by a speeding car just before Christmas while he was out on a walk. Bit sad you’re only concerned about a fine

CosyFanTucci · 31/01/2023 06:34

It would be nice to see the speed limits in this country enforced and for people like the OP to lose their licence, if only for a few months. Doing 65 in a 60 is about 10% over the limit but doing 80 is more than 30% and would make a massive difference to hazard perception, response time and braking distance. It doesn’t sound like this was a one-off, only that there may have been a police car around this time. People who have lost loved ones to dangerous drivers aren’t inclined to ‘be kind’ to them.

WestBridgewater · 31/01/2023 06:39

Think of it this way, you were driving 1/3 rd, 33% over the limit. Would you drive at 40 in a 30 not expect to be prosecuted?
I think you have had a lucky escape.

BibbleandSqwauk · 31/01/2023 06:40

@Oblomov22 my son was hit by a car. His fault, he ran out from behind a parked car. Very very luckily, the small car was being driven at about 20mph. If it had been going at 34 he'd be dead and the drivers in jail. So maybe we should stop thinking it's "easy" to go over the limit. It's also easy not to. its what speedometers are for.

TheEmbargoedHedgehog · 31/01/2023 06:45

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SilentNightDancer · 31/01/2023 06:49

I'm terrified of driving on country roads because of people who drive on them far too fast.

I don't see what the issue is. If you speed, you might get a fine, points or a speed awareness course. Presumably anyone who drives 20mph over the limit is comfortable with all of those potential outcomes, otherwise they wouldn't speed.

And no, I've never driven at 80 in a 60 zone. Can't say that I've never nudged over the speed limit, but certainly nowhere to that extent. Not sure how that's being 'holier than thou'.

Tessisme · 31/01/2023 06:50

Sorry, but it's not unkind to say that driving 20mph over the speed limit reeks of sheer selfishness and stupidity. It's merely pointing out the bleeding obvious. I don't feel like being kind to a reckless driver. If you don't receive a speeding fine through the post, then count yourself lucky and use the experience to think about how fast you drive in future, even if it's only to avoid a fine, rather than giving a hoot about other road users. Same result I guess.

C1N1C · 31/01/2023 06:52

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 🙏🏼

I've seen these posts before. You're not hoping for anything other than that comfort and glimmer of hope that people have done this before and gotten away with it.

You might, you might not... you'll know on two weeks. Brown envelope and likely speed awareness course.

3kidswouldfinishanyoneoff · 31/01/2023 06:54

Op, try not to worry.

Tessisme · 31/01/2023 06:54

WestBridgewater · 31/01/2023 06:28

If they were going to prosecute you they would have pulled you over. They probably ran your registration through the police National computer saw everything was in order and as it was late followed you to make sure you got home safe or they just happened to be going in the same direction. Either way it sounds like you need to be checking your mirrors a bit more often when you’re driving as well as slowing down.

Make sure she got home safely? What planet are you on?

otherwayup · 31/01/2023 06:56

TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl · 31/01/2023 01:03

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

How hideous.
And the fact you use a ridiculous emoji says it all.

Quinoawoman · 31/01/2023 06:58

If you do get a ticket, it's not the end of the world. You can do the speed awareness course instead of getting points on you licence (or you could 15 years ago when it happened to me). The course was totally cringe with lots of shame-faced people shoved in a tiny hotel conference room but actually had great content and was quite interesting.

GooseberryCinnamonYogurt · 31/01/2023 07:01

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.

How sanctimonious you are.

GooseberryCinnamonYogurt · 31/01/2023 07:03

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^
^
Exactly OP - there are a lot of righteous drivers, who I guess have never driven 40 in a 30 for example.

ReneBumsWombats · 31/01/2023 07:04

Oblomov22 · 31/01/2023 06:10

It's really easy to speed. I see people speeding every day on 20,30,40 roads, 60 roads. 80 on a motorway. It's easy to do above 34 on a 30 road.

It's really easy to speed.

It is indeed easy to drive like a dangerous moron, yes, which is why so many dangerous morons do it.

Penalty seems unlikely, OP, but that's a shame because it sounds as though that's the only thing you're worried about and therefore the only thing that will stop you. Unless something worse happens first. Are you going to keep on speeding at 20 mph over the limit?

WestBridgewater · 31/01/2023 07:04

Tessisme · 31/01/2023 06:54

Make sure she got home safely? What planet are you on?

Show quote history

So it’s completely unreasonable to believe that an officer saw presumably a lone female driver and followed just to see what their driving was like for longer, saw them arrive and left it at that? They might have been waiting to see if they could pull them over for speeding but decided not to because it was late and they didn’t want to do the paperwork. We’ll never know. Not all officers are arseholes you know.

3kidswouldfinishanyoneoff · 31/01/2023 07:08

No comments about the police who were driving behind you doing the same speed.

If course there'll be posters on to say they're allowed, and of course they were trying to keep up with you blah d blah.

Every single driver on this thread has been guilty of speeding at one time or another.

BubziOwl · 31/01/2023 07:10

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?

Yeah this one winds me up, when people act incredulous and assert that anyone who doesn't do (insert immoral behaviour) simply must be lying.

I have accidentally done one or two miles over the limit from time to time if I'm not paying attention. That's not okay, and I should be paying more attention. But it's not the same as deliberately speeding, or going 10 miles over the limit (let alone 20!) - both things I've very genuinely never done.

blippyissilly · 31/01/2023 07:12

Start being more responsible

You've got off this time, take it as a warning though

blippyissilly · 31/01/2023 07:12

TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl · 31/01/2023 01:03

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

Grow up

Redebs · 31/01/2023 07:14

I'm sick of people saying it's normal to speed. These are probably the kind of drivers that tailgate me when I slow to 30 when going through a village or overtake dangerously on a country road when I'm doing 60.
I had to put a sticker in my window saying I'm driving at the limit. Not a snarky, passive-aggressive message, just a straight 'be aware' one. It helped a bit, but there are still plenty of gits who get nasty about being behind someone trying to be safe.
Speeding is dangerous and selfish. It's not ok.
People used to have a similar blasé attitude to drink-driving, but nowadays if you do it you will be villified and rightly so.
The consequences of speeding are potentially deadly. Every day lives are lost or ruined.

OP you need to change your attitude.

KillingLoneliness · 31/01/2023 07:18

I’m sorry but no sympathy OP, why the fuck were you doing 80!? It’s people like you that kill others ffs.

BubziOwl · 31/01/2023 07:19

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 slowly might not make you a better or safer driver, but driving within the speed limit certainly does.