I just got pulled over for doing 32 in a 30

[dialdrunkforyou]

I’m shaking as I write this. I just drove out to walk the dogs and on my way back a police car pulled me over. I was doing 32 in a 30 and he said I was “lucky” that he’s not choosing to prosecute me over this.

AIBU or is this total overkill? It’s a dry sunny day, the roads are relatively quiet and I wasn’t driving erratically.

You can either speed and face the consequences or not speed and don't. Up to you, love.

Finally a sensible response

I had to go on speed awareness course. The guy doing it told me that the speed they prosecute at can vary. If its a known hot-spot they are more strict.

If he had time when travelling behind you, to spot you going too fast and pull you over, I'm going to suggest that the 32 that you were doing at the point that you noticed him, was less than you were doing when he first spotted you and made the decision.

Whilst agreeing there is a balance between practicality and safety, there is some science in it. I think there should be the option of more graduated (so for example 25mph), and also in some cases a lower speed limit in one direction than the other (say when entering a town or village as there is more chance of a pedestrian ahead).

I also think the lower speed limits especially 20mph should not just be a sign by the road, but some other measure to lower speed (speed hump or cushion perhaps).

From your responses here you sound pretty cocky for someone who's shaking because you had a conversation with a police officer 😂

I’m quite hard faced and work with a load of gobshite men, yet I felt quite shaken when I got pulled over a few years ago. Firstly it was embarrassing on a busy road with people driving past thinking I was a criminal, and secondly the officer was basically shouting at me through the window and seemed very erratic and overly emotional. (reason for pulling over was not speeding but that I had gone from 0-40 too quickly!)

I dont understand youre comment of theres no science it in, there is. Unless I've misunderstood.

Reaction times, speed and breaking distances are looked at. Slower youre driving the less distance is travelled while reacting abd the smaller the braking distance, hence this is applied around schools

I agree too. I'm not even sure how they know you know you are over the limit at that speed. I thought there was about 10% tolerance because speedometers aren't 100% accurate.

I wish they'd actually go for the people who do 45 in a 20 or put their foot to the floor when they see a pedestrian crossing in front of them.

Smacks of an easy win to me. And I assume you're a woman OP? Can't imagine for a second they'd pull over a man for doing 32 in a 30.

It’s usually 10% over that trigger a fine, I learned at a speed awareness course. Just for information.

And of course everyone on MN drives DEAD on 30 🙄. Yes, it's complete overkill. The guy obviously had nothing better to do. I got a ticket for doing 33 in a 30 on a Sunday morning while taking my kids to a swimming lesson on a totally empty road at 8am once. Yes, I was technically breaking the law but I wasn't doing it on purpose (just a bit absent minded for that early on a weekend after getting 2 kids into their swim gear on my own). I duly paid it and did my course.
Yet you see absolute idiots on the road weaving in and out of traffic, doing 100 down the motorway, tailgating, road rage. Drink driving, drug driving. 32 isn't reasonable to pull you over for in my opinion, unless you'd been driving erratically in other ways. Which you say you haven't.

Shouldn't there be a flood of posters claiming this "never happens" ?

Sorry OP, but if you want to not get done for speeding, the only guaranteed way is to ensure your motor vehicle does not exceed the speed limit.

Really they should teach this in the driving test.

Having been caught myself and attending a speed awareness course, none of this is remotely surprising. We were warned in 2014 that enforcement was only going to get stricter and wider.

The explosion of average speed cameras and 20mph zones was well publicised. If you were paying attention.

I agree that speed limits should be lower going into a village/urban area than going out. Or downhill rather than uphill (though it's more difficult to stick to a limit going downhill than uphill).

If I was the OP I would contact the police force and ask to speak with the officer’s sergeant or inspector about the vehicle stop.

yeah I got caught in a speed trap once and pulled over for 35mph. It was a new 30mph zone I didn't know about, and they let me off.

Mine definitely doesn’t. I have my actual speed on the google maps app on car play and I’m normally only 1mph out up to about 40mph. It might tip to 2 mph at the that point.

OP- I do think that is overkill. I am a really careful driver. I never purposely speed. Never had any points in 30 years of driving. But of course when accelerating you might briefly tip over the speed limit and then reduce down. If they saw you consistently riding at 35 that would be fine to pull over but I think 32 is just a bit too close to there being a margin of error.

No she isn't - it wouldn't even get to court it's so nonsensical.

It is highly probable that OP's car indicated her speed at 30mph while the policeman's speed-device indicated 32mph.

OP's car is more likely to be accurate in this instance if the police were using a hand-held device because the latter item moves about which negatively impacts its accuracy.

This is why police don't usually stop people who are less than 10% over the speed limit. It will be thrown out if it ever gets to court (and has been - you can google it).

If they stopped everyone who went 2mph over a speed limit, no other crimes would be investigated.

It's a complete waste of police time.

Two dicks in a car going after a woman imho.

I absolutely drive over 30 in a 30 sometimes.

And if I get caught doing it, I won't whine like a big baby that IT'S NOT FAIR!, especially if I get let off from any repercussions.

Yes, yesterday I was waiting to cross the road at some traffic lights - pedestrians are not signal controlled and there is no pedestrian phase so you have to go when you can.

Road was busy but a gap opened up. Which the driver then proceeded to do his very best to close up, I heard the acceleration but crossed anyway, telling him to slow down. He flashed his lights at me but when you drive like that it's attempted GBH in my view (he didn't nearly hit me - if he'd been that close I wouldn't have gone!). It won't surprise you that he was driving a BMW either.

But no police will see that. Whereas the person who is marginally above an arbitrary speed limit will get fined. It is totally ridiculous.

But everything else gets put in the too hard category.

Agree with your last sentence. You just know they wouldn't have stopped a bloke.

I received a penalty notice through the post after doing 32 in a 30, I was caught by a speed camera. I had a choice of the points and fine or a speed awareness course. I did the course.

Totally overkill

And yet there are posters on here who have been fined and given points and/or a speed awareness course for going the exact same speed OP admits she was going.

So yes, she is lucky she wasn't prosecuted further.

Maybe it was one of the dogs that was driving.

There will only be repercussions if you are going significantly faster than the speed limit not 2 mph above it.

These two officers were out of line and it makes me wonder what age they were and if OP is young and good looking...