So I'm going about 36 in a 30 limit, come round a corner and see a police car parked on the other side. I tap the brake and slow to 30. Immediately, the policeman in the passenger seat gave me the thumbs up using both hands. WTF? Is that:
1) Good on you, you weren't speeding (much).
2) You noticed us and slowed down, good boy.
3) Fuck yeah we got another ticket for our records, more doughnuts tonight!
4) An overly elaborate signal to his partner that I wasn't or was speeding so he can note it down.
5) He recognised me and was saying hello.
Well he didn't pull me over, and he would have seen me turn into my road, which is a dead end. He could easily have followed me to my house. In the UK, cops tend to stop you for speeding, only the privatized scamera vans send it through the post. The cops like to speak to you. Anyway, I've never known anyone get done unless they go at least 10 over, and I wasn't.
They are definitely playing a new game these days.
I should have had 3 speeding tickets on the A1 last year. But I suspect the vans are now only taking photos of those that do not slow down when they should have seen the van on only take photos of those that do not spot the vans.
I am talking doing over 90MPH when I see them so they have seen me.
I wish I had. But my dashcam stopped working. I do have another multipurpose camera that could be used as a dashcam, but I only use it occasionally as a security camera, or a video camera for holidays.
Sorry, this is a video you can't watch, but I'll put it here for any> Well it is indeed ambiguous, I hope you caught it on dashcam when the
I've known two people (not recently) who the police caught speeding and just sent on their way - one had to stop at lights and the police car pulled alongside and the passenger wagged a finger at him and left it at that. The other had a traffic officer step into the road with his hand up. After he stopped, the latter commented that he'd obviously been alert and had stopped quickly and safely, told him not to do it again and sent him on his way.
Another friend was stopped on the motorway and the officer stated that their speedo was showing 130 and he'd been pulling away from them. They took into account that he'd just had a call from his mother that someone had broken into the house and she thought that they were still there, and so they only booked him for 98 - thus avoiding a ban.
And if he hadn't been alert, the idiot cop would have been flattened. There really are some stupid ones like that. I had one stand right in front of me once. If I had been not paying attention, I would have run her over.
That should always be legal. Glad to see the cop thought so too. Speeding - slight chance of danger. Intruder in home of elderly woman - severe chance of danger. In fact the police should have gone with him.
Hmm.. Local press publishes speeding offence lists. Not uncommon to find a prosecution for 35 in a 30 limit. I suppose there may be some consideration of the location, near schools, busy cycle route etc.
Might depend where you are. Myself and friends and colleagues have been done and let off all over the country, and it always seems to be 10 over before you get done, except North Wales. That's 1 over.
I was also surprised to learn recently that the "20 when lights flash" near schools can be ignored. The legal limit remains 30 at all times.
They must have been too busy eating doughnuts to chase after you. I've always been pulled over and yelled at. Except the time I was doing 110 and the BMW was doing 130. They can't pull two people over :-)
The bit that frustrates me with static cameras is that they can't use discretion. 40mph in a 30 zone could be perfectly safe at 4am in the dry whereas 20 mph past a school in a 30 could be very dangerous in the fog or ice / snow. ;-(
Strictly speaking 1 over is BREAKING the limit, but to allow for surges in traffic flow, your speedo not being 100% accurate, their speed measuring equipment not being 100%, etc etc etc most police with half a brain will 'let you off' if you are just over (that's were the much quoted + 10%+2mph before you are 'done' comes from ) so 35mph in a
30mph zone to get 'done' .
Of course this +10%+2mph is just a guideline; depends on how egregious the speeding was, what time of day, what the PC feels like etc[1], you may get away with a warning/a talking to etc even if breaching these 'guidelines'
Didn't know that, mind you if school kids etc are running all over the road my speed is right down anyway.
Generally I slow down near schools (if I notice I am passing a school), even outwith schoolhours, so many after schools clubs now, people coming back from trips etc.
[1] Never greet the officer with "not a-fu**ing-gain" "no real criminals to catch" or any variation of same. Instead be polite but not obsequious "Yes officer, how can I help you" you may feel it is against your rights to have to kow-tow to a public servant but remember he has the power to cost you dearly and possibly remove your license.
some years ago, it was reported in the local paper that a motorist was in court on 3 charges: 1. not showing obligatory lights to the front. 2. Not showing obligatory lights to the rear amd 3. Not illuminating his rear number plate. He was found guilt on all 3 counts and lost his licence. I doesn't pay to upset the PC who stops you.
For the last five years I have been saving up the line "Speeding, officer? I'm an old age pensioner driving a Honda Jazz, you should be stopping me for driving too slowly".
Not all pigs give discretion though. My friend was done for 130mph in a 50. Middle of the night, not a car on the road, dual carriageway. No houses in sight. 2 year ban. FFS.
You'd have to have as much OCD as the infamous North Wales Constable to do that. Drivers are not robots. If we drive at 30, we will go a bit faster sometimes as your right foot is not precise, and the car will speed up going downhill a bit.
I've never known a speedo underread (not that swimming trunks can read). They always read too high. Which is daft, as now everyone allows for it and drives at about 33 on the speedo.
The "much quoted" nonsense is never used, probably because pigs can't do sums that complex. They just add 10.
Actually those both got me let off.
Although the first was more like, "Haven't I seen you before somewhere?" He responded with, "You certainly have, don't learn do you?" I had in fact been stopped by both of the pair of officers previously, but on different occasions (they seem to swap partners). One of them said "Didn't you used to own a Golf?" And the other said "No it was a Mondeo". I told them both were true, we had a laugh for 5 minutes then he let me on my way.
The second was a routine safety check which irritated me as I'd had one only 2 weeks before. I said, "Run out of real crimes to solve?" He said, "We're not qualified to solve real crimes". He really wasn't taking his job seriously.
I use the technique of compromise. Limit = 70. My speed = 95. "And just what speed do you think you were going sir?" "Oh sorry officer, maybe about 80, I'll pay more attention to the speedometer in future". "It was a little more than 80...." This is usually followed by some tests to see if I have functional brakes, tyres, etc. It can actually be helpful if something else is wrong, because they seem to prefer to do you for that instead of speeding. But a bald tyre carries no fine or penalty points, and it would have had to be replaced anyway at some point, so costs you nothing. All you have to do is get a slip of paper stamped by the garage and hand it in to the local pigsty.
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