Idiotic copper

[219]

The legal speed limit that is aloud is actually 10% over the speed limit so motorway travelling is 77. So someone travel in a non mb car at there speedo reading of 70 is actually travelling at 64ish and someone travel with sat nav speed (gps) 100% accurate of 77 is actually travelling 13mph faster which is a hell of a lot of difference. Imo 75% maybe more of people that overtake you on the motorway have gps speedo.

I say non mb cars because every mb I have driven with sat nav speedo reading has been almost perfect, oh apart from my police vito that was calibrated at new and that is 2 mph slower at 70

A speed limit of 70 mph is exactly that - at 71 mph you are breaking the law ; you are most certainly not 'allowed' to go any faster .

Please note I said nothing in any post about indicated speeds - it is up to you to determine your actual speed , although the instruments in many modern cars are much more accurate than those of days gone by .

Electronic speedometers which work on the pulses generated by ABS sensors do tend to be more accurate than mechanically driven ones .

GPS , in theory , ought to be more accurate , but is not always so due to delays in extrapolating time and distance data to calculate speed , errors caused by driving up or down inclines or around bends - so they are not as infallible as some may think .

Different areas each have their own prosecution thresholds , which is quite different from saying that anything over the posted limit is legal : it is not - the offence of speeding is absolute and technically you are breaking the law at one mph over , even though prosecution is unlikely at that level .

ACPO guidelines suggest a threshold of 10% + 2mph over the posted limit before prosecution ; different areas then have different guidelines for conditional offer of fixed penalties , court appearance or more serious charges than speeding being considered . Here in Scotland , the local Procurator Fiscal will decide on charges appropriate to the circumstances . A former member of this forum recently reported a case of 138mph on the M74 resulting in a dangerous driving charge .

In England & Wales there can be an offer of taking a speed awareness course up to a certain level , then fixed penalty notice , with a summons being mandatory over a certain margin - these margins vary from one force area to another as a matter of local policy .

 

[219]

Yes lord all true. I learned 10% over legal said limit at a speed awareness course, some bloke said he was caught at 33mph and the instructor said that it must be a miss print, said to him to leave and argue the fine because its not illegal to do 33 in a 30 because of the 10% rule.

Gps speed is what I know as a fact.

The instructor was talking a load of rubbish if he said that .

It is illegal to go even 1 mph over the limit , although not normally enforced at that level .

If you want to try to argue in court that you were driving at an indicated 77 because your TomTom said otherwise , it also won't go well for you . It is not an approved or legally recognised speed measuring device ( even if they are 'usually' quite accurate ) .

 

[219]

Im just quoting what instructor said. Anyone on here been caught for speeding at 33, 55 or 77mph. I quite often cruise past a traffic police car doing 70 at 77- 80.

Traffic cars do not normally patrol at 70 in a 70 limit ; they are normally briefed to patrol at 60 in a 70 so that a queue of people reluctant to pass does not build up behind , although they can of course drive at any speed they can justify .

 

[vito stan]

The instructor was talking a load of rubbish if he said that .

It is illegal to go even 1 mph over the limit , although not normally enforced at that level .

If you want to try to argue in court that you were driving at an indicated 77 because your TomTom said otherwise , it also won't go well for you . It is not an approved or legally recognised speed measuring device ( even if they are 'usually' quite accurate ) .

You keep saying you and wont go well for you?
Getting a bit personal aren't you? I never have had to argue with a judge why I was doing 77mph and never will have to.

 

[E55BOF]

"Traffic cars do not normally patrol at 70 in a 70 limit ; they are normally briefed to patrol at 60 in a 70 so that a queue of people reluctant to pass does not build up behind , although they can of course drive at any speed they can justify ."

Also, of course, if they were travelling at 70 mph, anyone passing them would HAVE to be breaking the law, and the police should not be seen to be ignoring/condoning lawbreaking (and there's always SOMEONE who will complain...).

 

[vito stan]

Traffic cars do not normally patrol at 70 in a 70 limit ; they are normally briefed to patrol at 60 in a 70 so that a queue of people reluctant to pass does not build up behind , although they can of course drive at any speed they can justify .

You must have been in the car with me then all the times before I crept past them at 72

 

[219]

I agree, I was saying travelling at 10% above the speed limit wouldnt put you in front of a judge or for you to be stopped by a police officer for speeding. Imo. I done this for 7 years now since my speed awareness course and haven't been stopped or fined for speeding once.

You have been lucky then .

 

[219]

You keep saying you and wont go well for you?
Getting a bit personal aren't you? I never have had to argue with a judge why I was doing 77mph and never will have to.

What else do you want me to refer to you as other than 'you' ?

You just called me 'you' .

What's the problem .

Do 77 during a speeding purge and you might just have to .

 

[219]

You must have been in the car with me then all the times before I crept past them at 72

In most areas they are briefed not to sit at whatever limit is in force , to avoid creating tailbacks . This has been policy for a good many years .

 

[davidjpowell]

I had a uncomfortable conversation with a Welsh policeman asking why I thought it was a good idea overtaking a marked police car at 55mph, in a 50mph limit (ie 10%).

I've been wary since.

In my experience many 'patrolling cars' used hunt. They would do 60 for a while, then shoot off at 90 to see who's shot off. Nowadays other than in Scotland don't see them so much on the motorway.

 

[vito stan]

The instructor was talking a load of rubbish if he said that .

It is illegal to go even 1 mph over the limit , although not normally enforced at that level .

If YOU want to try to argue in court that YOU were driving at an indicated 77 because YOUR TomTom said otherwise , it also won't go well for YOU . It is not an approved or legally recognised speed measuring device ( even if they are 'usually' quite accurate

7 years of living with my opinion on driving at 10% over speed limit when it is safe, you dont have to you can do what you like. I was just chatting on a forum while my son was asleep in my arms. I don't have that job now that requires me to travel 1500 miles a week, and now I don't have to squeeze every safe mph possible.

 

[vito stan]

I had a uncomfortable conversation with a Welsh policeman asking why I thought it was a good idea overtaking a marked police car at 55mph, in a 50mph limit (ie 10%).

I've been wary since.

In my experience many 'patrolling cars' used hunt. They would do 60 for a while, then shoot off at 90 to see who's shot off. Nowadays other than in Scotland don't see them so much on the motorway.

All new matter when travelling in another country which your not from. Unless your Smithy rushing to his son's birth

 

[219]

If you had an employer who was pressuring you to keep unrealistic schedules which required speed limits to be exceeded then that is a very serious offence on his part .

 

[E55BOF]

I had a uncomfortable conversation with a Welsh policeman asking why I thought it was a good idea overtaking a marked police car at 55mph, in a 50mph limit (ie 10%).

And why did you? If the marked police car was at the limit, you HAD to be speeding, and therefore breaking the law. Don't tweak their tails; they won't like it...

 

[brucemillar]

There is a costly difference between the Police saying "we might not stop you" or them deciding that they will stop you.

In Kent the accepted norm on the Motorway is you would be "unlikely" to be stopped if traveling at 80/85 and not committing any other offenses.

However !!! The Police can and do make an assumption that passing them at that kind of speed demonstrates that you may be committing or in the process of committing another offense. At that point they will pull you over. Your attitude at this point will often decide what happens next.

 

[davidjpowell]

And why did you? If the marked police car was at the limit, you HAD to be speeding, and therefore breaking the law. Don't tweak their tails; they won't like it...

We'd just come into the 50 limit as I was going past them. The alternative was to sit next to them. It was a local plod who accused me of doing more than 55.

I actually said "I'm not going to argue with you", but I know what my speedo was reading at as I was taking extreme care not to go over 55.

That was an indicated 55 of course, that was probably not 55.

Came away with a producer, that was designed to inconvenience me and piss me off. He'd already done his checks I'm sure.

I'm more wary of local plod than traffic police, who in my limited experience are more 'real world'.

 

[BTB 500]

We'd just come into the 50 limit as I was going past them. The alternative was to sit next to them. It was a local plod who accused me of doing more than 55.

I actually said "I'm not going to argue with you", but I know what my speedo was reading at as I was taking extreme care not to go over 55.

That was an indicated 55 of course, that was probably not 55.

Came away with a producer, that was designed to inconvenience me and piss me off. He'd already done his checks I'm sure.

I'm more wary of local plod than traffic police, who in my limited experience are more 'real world'.

Presumably there was a fair chance their car didn't have a calibrated/checked speedo.

 

[E55BOF]

There is a costly difference between the Police saying "we might not stop you" or them deciding that they will stop you.

In Kent the accepted norm on the Motorway is you would be "unlikely" to be stopped if traveling at 80/85 and not committing any other offenses.

However !!! The Police can and do make an assumption that passing them at that kind of speed demonstrates that you may be committing or in the process of committing another offense. At that point they will pull you over. Your attitude at this point will often decide what happens next.

Anyone who passes a MARKED police car at 80-85 (or for that matter, any car they suspect to be a police car) is asking for trouble, I feel.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Traffic cars do not normally patrol at 70 in a 70 limit ; they are normally briefed to patrol at 60 in a 70 so that a queue of people reluctant to pass does not build up behind , although they can of course drive at any speed they can justify .

Always brings a smile to my face when I come up to the jam sandwich travelling at 60 on a motorway, because there's always a line of cars behind it driven by those who are either too scared to pass or too ignorant to know the speed limit. But when I sail past at an indicated barely over 70 and don't get the blues & twos, at least 50% of the lemmings follow my lead.

BUT, once when driving round the M25 at about 3am I came up behind a stream of cars following a police van doing around 60. I did my usual pass at 70 (ish) only to have the van follow me with headlights flashing. I pulled over to the hard shoulder and the policeman got out of his van (without bothering with a hat of any kind) then asked my why I had passed him. I said that as far as I was aware the speed limit on that section of road was 70mph so I was allowed to do so. He then asked me why I didn't fall in behind him like all the other motorists had. I replied that I prefer not to drive in convoy because that's very dangerous. His silly questions continued but I didn't resort to abuse or accusations of time wasting or whatever. I just gave simple logical answers. He eventually gave up and sent me on my way, having broken the boredom of his M25 drive!

 

[Lord-WYBMAnE220]

Always brings a smile to my face when I come up to the jam sandwich travelling at 60 on a motorway, because there's always a line of cars behind it driven by those who are either too scared to pass or too ignorant to know the speed limit. But when I sail past at an indicated barely over 70 and don't get the blues & twos, at least 50% of the lemmings follow my lead.

BUT, once when driving round the M25 at about 3am I came up behind a stream of cars following a police van doing around 60. I did my usual pass at 70 (ish) only to have the van follow me with headlights flashing. I pulled over to the hard shoulder and the policeman got out of his van (without bothering with a hat of any kind) then asked my why I had passed him. I said that as far as I was aware the speed limit on that section of road was 70mph so I was allowed to do so. He then asked me why I didn't fall in behind him like all the other motorists had. I replied that I prefer not to drive in convoy because that's very dangerous. His silly questions continued but I didn't resort to abuse or accusations of time wasting or whatever. I just gave simple logical answers. He eventually gave up and sent me on my way, having broken the boredom of his M25 drive!

I'd have asked him for his number and told him the IPCC would be receiving a complaint for wrongful.
Most coppers depend on detainees being too scared to challenge their actions.