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.

Yes, my mother was once pulled over by highway cops, who told her she was doing 130 km/h in a 100 zone (this was in Belgium). She broke into laughter and said said her car wouldn't be able to go at 130 km/hr even if she was driving down a hill and had a storm behind her.

She was driving a deux chevaux Citroen (one of those old red tin-can cars with the sagging back wheels). I drove it for a while, and yes, just getting to 100 km/h took 10 minutes with foot pushed all the way down on the accelerator. And anyway, the rattling was so bad, you wouldn't want to speed in that car even if you could!

Anyway, because my mother was laughing at the ridiculous idea that her car could ever achieve 130 km/h, one of the cops got really aggressive, to the point my mother got quite scared. They then checked her car looking for any problem they could fine her for, and then the aggressive one stood over her, barking at her that she should drive more carefully, before letting her go.

Fucking arseholes. They would NOT have behaved like that with a bloke driving a BMW. It left my 60 yo mother quite shaken. So I sympathise with you, OP.

Where are the LOLs?

That's what hour brakes are for. No matter what you say there's no justification for going over the speed limit and breaking the law. You're lucky he didn't prosecute

I'm not sure I'd be shaken over it but everyone reacts differently.

Do you have a limiter on your car? A lot of cars now have them. Mine bongs at me quite loudly if it creeps over it on a downhill. Then you just flick between the speed once the limit changes. To add OP it's a limit not a target.

Personally I think we should reinstate the Locomotive Act of 1865.

2 mph is more than enough in a built up area. Plus, it would create thousands of new jobs for red flag carriers.

Sounds awful, @LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta But that's not what happened to the Op at all.

If Op took accountability most of the posts on here would be around it being bad luck and thank goodness that she wasn't fined. But she hasn't.

i thought there was always a 10% leeway due to not all speedometers not being 100% accurate? either way, he was being a jobsworth.

I tend to pay attention to the road ahead of me, which is what you’re taught to do

30 is the absolute MAXIMUM speed you should have been doing. If you are struggling to both manage your speed whilst going downhill and keep your eyes on the road ahead then either stop driving or take a refresher course.

Just say thank you and move on. I got caught like this once slowing into a 40 from a thirty (not quickly enough) at about 4:00 am, no traffic at all. Policeman said I won't charge you, I said thank you, after all he could have done.

Jobsworth. Whilst he was pulling you for 2mph over I guarantee there was some really dangerous driving or parking being ignored elsewhere. Local parents park on junction corners...zig zags etc apparently 2mph is a crime of the century but the limiting of visibility of and for children.. not an issue.. Nuts

Until quite recently the limit for charging someone, due to the risk of inaccurate speedos and inaccurate speed traps, was limit+10%+2 miles an hour. 35 in a 30, 46 in a 40, 57 in a 50 etc.

Depending on the Chief of Police, in some areas that was ended and, I believe, in some not.

They need to focus on the real speeding problems, Bradford and Bolton springs to mind! And I’ve always respected the police.

A properly organised and supervised race track where you can pretend you are Stirling Moss to your hearts content.

Not a fucking public road.

Is it a bit nerdy to expect people in control of heavy machinery to know the law surrounding their use ?

I suppose we can't interfere too much with peoples right to drive, I guess.

You could also look at this the other way and that speeding is the leading cause of road deaths whereas town crime, shoplifting etc does not cause so many deaths. Apart from the fact a traffic officer won’t be dealing with theft and shoplifting anyway. It’s ridiculous to say he should be dealing with other types of crime when he’s a traffic officer. He has probably seen more terrible accidents due to speeding than any of us ever will. Just be thankful he stopped you and hopefully makes you drive under the limit in future.

How about you don’t speed then you won’t get stopped?

oh it was downhill, it was dry, it was sunny, so what, that doesn’t make a difference if you hit someone while speeding does it.

Seems harsh to me. Slow crime day maybe.

You'd have been offered a speed awareness course before points and a fine if he'd decided to ticket you. I actually really enjoyed my speed awareness course and reckon everyone should go on them every now and again

Stirling Moss wouldn’t have won much and become a motor racing legend doing 32mph.

You got a warning. Stop trying to bury your mistake in righteous indignation. Of course we all make mistakes. You got a chance to learn from yours with little or no harm to you or pedestrians. Be grateful and learn a lesson. Or start having a pop at other people and ask us to agree that you are the one who gets to decide how much speeding is ok.

You got a warning. Stop trying to bury your mistake in righteous indignation. Of course we all make mistakes. You got a chance to learn from yours with little or no harm to you or pedestrians. Be grateful and learn a lesson. Or start having a pop at other people and ask us to agree that you are the one who gets to decide how much speeding is ok.

My SAC made it crystal clear that any ideas of "leeway" was internet bollocks. The offence is breaking the speed limit. Any discretion is merely around the accepted regulations around the equipment being used.

There are many pragmatic reasons for being a little lenient. But no legal ones.

Actual crims are scary, tooled up, lean & mean & likely to fight back. Plus crim dogs!
It's much easier to tackle a woman who has accidentally crept a tiny bit over the speed limit.

I thought you could go 10% over so 33 max in a 30

Amazed at all these people that seem to have never crept over the speed limit by 2 miles an hour in their entire lives 😂🚔🚘

There is. I literally do it on a daily basis. I drive alongside or overtake police on the motorway at 77mph most days. I’ve also been to court for speeding at 80 on a motorway where the magistrate has discussed the 10% allowance. As did my driving instructor when I learned.

the country needs a complete overhaul of these pathetic speed limits but that’s another conversation.

It's a general guideline to allow for speedo variations but not a written in stone bona fide law.