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.

Anyway, much easier box to tick than tackling the drug dealers and their snarling pit bulls in town.

Since when has this been the job of the traffic police?

It’s not either or, they can do both.
Probably if a car had overtaken the OP at 40 they’d have prioritised and persued them.

If a police officer notices a car doing slightly over the limit then they would pull them over, chances are they could have been drinking/on drugs. Not all drunks drive with their foot flat to the floor.

They pull you over and make a judgement from there. You obviously weren't a drunk or on drugs and car must have been taxed and insured. You haven't been charged and police have done their job.

That’s not the point. The speed limit is the law, there shouldn’t be different interpretations depending on where you are, it’s too confusing.

My DH activated a speed camera at 32 in a 30 limit so consider yourself lucky as he got a £100 fine and had to attend a speed awareness course (which is offered at the discretion of the police) you can end up with a fine and points on your licence so it's up to you whether you learn from the experience or end up with the fine and points next time.

Why are you bloody 'shaking' then? You are so obviously convinced that you haven't done anything wrong. You were caught speeding, end of. Just consider yourself lucky that there were no consequences for you this time and don't speed again. I bet you will, though.

Of course she's blaming the police, she's trying to say they only pulled her over because she's a "lone woman" - when they'd not have pulled her at all if she wasn't over the limit.

I do actually think pulling someone over for such a minor issue is overkill and would be pissed off if it happened to me, but I would at least admit it was my own fault for being over.

From when I read your first post, I immediately thought it was a male officer on a power trip. Some men get a kick out of intimidating lone females.

Did he show you any evidence that you were going over 30mph? As if your speedo said 32mph, it's unlikely your car actually was going over 30mph due to the way they are calibrated. Did you admit to him that you were going over 30mph? (it's advised to admit nothing).

Anyway, I'd be considering whether to make a complaint about his intimidating behaviour, the fact you were a lone female and that his demeanour left you feeling shaken. It may be that he has form for this behaviour, recently I saw a case in the USA where an officer had been picking out single women to intimidate them, he was actually being investigated for it. In your case, it certainly sounds like the officer's behaviour should be noted, as it may form part of a bigger picture with him. Misogyny in the police force is still very much a huge issue.

Please ignore the posters giving you grief, idiots.

I don't think there are different road laws depending if you are a lone woman or not.......

Get a grip yourself.
This is nonsense pure and simple.

I follow the law because it’s the law, I don’t follow some because I don’t want to get caught and ignore others because I think il get away with it. OP got pulled over and warned for speeding, because she was speeding. She was in the wrong, it’s not like she’s going to jail for it.

Honestly OP I’m surprised you didn’t get a ticket if you gave him half the attitude you’re giving people on here 😮 😂 shaking is a bit OTT!

He’s a traffic officer - I don’t think in his very short dealing with the OP, how many rapists do you all think walked by unchecked 😂 😂 it’s a good idea for them to police the roads, reminding people of the speed limits, keeping an eye on things - being a visible police presence - it’s what we pay for! I’m sure in the future on that bit of road OP will keep an eye on the speedo. No harm done and a warning imparted. He shouldn’t not pull you over because he’s a man and you’re a woman on your own - sounds like he was in a full livery car. You were doing something wrong, got told so - there’s no defence to it needed. Just one of those things to not do again!

He’s not taking it further so how can it be overkill?

She is blaming the police, claiming he pulled her over to intimidate her just for being a woman because in her (incorrect) opinion she wasn’t speeding. She’s not asking if it was overkill because she thinks she’s an innocent victim of mean police men

I thought they didn't bother with anything that was less than 10% over the limit?

Regardless, best to stick to 30 or under in future.

I think it's one of those grey areas where you're not wrong but you're not right either. You see jobsworths in all areas of life.

32 in a 30 does mean you were breaking the law and you are criminal though , so own it. At least you didn't get a fine. If it had been a camera there would have been no discretion.

If you're going to speed, don't get caught, and if you do don't complain about it either.

I'm not saying this to be judgey or holier than thou, I got done for doing 90 on the motorway at midnight when there might have been 4 cars on the road. One just happened to be an unmarked Audi.

At the time I mistakenly thought you had to be doing over 100 to get banned, but class B speeding offenses start at 11-20mph over. Those 2 weeks waiting to find out if I was getting a 28 day ban were scary. The points and hefty fine were guaranteed.

It was a learning experience.

Yours is too.

Now you know that police and councils like to put cameras and speed traps on downhill stretches of road where speed naturally creeps up.

I think this falls under education and prevention

fair play to them

If that has you shaking then you need to toughen up. What will you do if you are involved in an accident at some point? Faint, like one of those goats? Hardly helpful.

So you were not driving with due care and attention, then? If you are going dow hill you use you break to ensure you control the speed. If you are maintaining that the car was outside your control and you were gaining speed on a downhill slope then you are beyond lucky you didn’t get charged. It’s only 2 miles, yeah, but the speed limits are legally defined, not optional or approximate.

Ru good looking?

I might be wrong but if it was recorded as 32mph it’s actually like you were going a few mph over this so potentially 35mph.

I got caught on speed camera and recorded as doing 38 in a 30 and had to do a speeding awareness course, I was really annoyed at the time, it was a few years ago but in the end I found the course really informative and what the impact hitting someone or something at 30 would be compared to 40mph. Really made me think about it, it was my first and last speeding offence (if I can help it!)

no harm was done op but it might make you think next time.

i think with speed cameras theres a threshold of 10% plus 2 for prosecution.
But i think with police its discretionary ,i would have asked what the criteria they use. It may be an increase in speeding related accidents are making the police focus on it.
I do understand your shock of being pulled over if it's never happened before .
Bottom line it's easily done and its helpful to be reminded ,i would have apologised and let it remind me to more careful/vigilant .

You're not innocent if you are indeed over the speed limit at 32mph, and I say that as someone who dips over 30 and have to slow myself.

Most officers would overlook that, understandably; but shaking is as much of an overreaction as you think being stopped is.
Is there something about the police that triggers you?

No, they can prosecute for 31 in a 30 if they want to.

Nope, there's no threshold. Some forces choose not to prosecute until you're a certain amount over, but that's just choice, it's not the law.