[Closed] Pulled for speeding, but I wasn't speeding. What can I do?

Period! and Yes ... unless they have some kind of video proof???

yes
they need evidence. their word is not good enough.

Fairly sure that they can't prosecute for speeding without a calibrated device. If they can't verify your speed, then the best they can hope for is reckless driving or driving without due care and attention - or something along those lines. Was it a traffic car? I'd be inclined to challenge the ticket and ask for proof.

So you had the police behind you but still travelled over an indicated 30 mph according to your speedo? Brave.

Could it be they use their speedo as gospel, and if you were over 30 but below 35 theirs could of been showing 35?

Can I and is it worth me appealing?

If you mean appealing to the police as opposed to opting to go to court, then it might be. I have known of tickets issued by over zealous constables cancelled by less zealous sergeants and inspectors.

they need evidence. their word is not good enough.

Their account of what happened - their 'word' - is the evidence. Evidence that can be led and tested in court, and may or may not be sufficient to prove the charge.

I'd be very surprised if they don't have evidence, there's an awful lot of tech in police cars these days. Good luck.

Did you accept the ticket? Did you not ask questions? Did they show you how they measured your speed?

I would register your complaint at the station pronto, maybe she was having a bad day and others felt her wrath as well.

Then again, maybe your speedo is ****ed.

don't get arsey. Just write a nice letter saying that you suspect that they may have made a mistake and ask for details of the device that made the recording of your speed. I would guess that it would be recorded, as I would assume that nowadays just an observation is not enough.
What I wouldn't rely on is your speedo. Do you 100% know that yours is over reading? My newish Suzuki does by 5%, the year old Skoda does by 7% but the 30 year old Landrover is spot on at 30mph. Been checked by the law at just that.

If you were between 30 and 35 on you speedo I'm not sure what you are hoping for

My speedo is digital and exactly matches the GPs. I think the "speedo exaggerates" idea isn't true

This thread suggest that 2 officers in the car is suffecient proof

http://www.rac.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?1403-Police-Speeding-Evidence

In some ways I'm quite sympathetic as I was well hacked off when I got caught be a camera. Buy on the othr hand you don't deny speeding

Oddly our 30 year old campervan also reads spot on (according to GPS speed admittedly). As for "the speedo over reads so I have some leeway" seems a bit of a gamble, especially if your livelihood depends on it! Does seem harsh though...

Most speedos are spot on or very nearly so at 30mph. The error increases with the speed.

If the limit is 30 but you chose to drive at just under 35 that does qualify as driving over the speed limit. Can't understand why you'd assume they would be ok with it. Suck it up chap!

[img]

So you accept you were probably exceeding the speed limit a bit but want to go to court to quibble about by how much?

Can't see it ending well.

Are you sure they weren't strippers?

It's probably true that speedos are over calibrated by [i]up to[/i] 10%. I doubt very many are that high. Mine reads about 31 at 30mph.

At 5.30 on a Sunday morning all [i]decent law abiding people[/i] are at home tucked up in bed.

butcher - Member
It's probably true that speedos are over calibrated by up to 10%. I doubt very many are that high. Mine reads about 31 at 30mph.

Based on various roadside sped alert signs, my old 20 year old Saab used to be pretty well spot on in the 30mph range, as far as I could tell. The much newer Octavia is less accurate - if the sign says 32mph, the speedo will (as best I can tell) be reading 34mph or even 35mph.

Hmm, more to this i think:

You said "she was a cow with a bad attitude" which makes me think you probably dug yourself a hole you couldn't get out of.

You said "the cab is an auto so it accelerates fast off traffic lights", which is b*llocks mate. Creep on an auto car is around 3 to 5mph. That isn't fast. If you booted off the lights and didn't notice the cops behind you, well, look better next time

You knew there was a cop car behind you and you still exceeded 30mph. Bad move.

Also, give the cops a break. For all you know they had just been scrapping the remains of some poor soul off the tarmac 5min before you raced off infront of them........

Faster you go the more they are out. 70 could be 67 ect. 30 will be close to 30 if you have the correct wheel tyre combo.

My point is that I definitely wasn't doing 35 in a 30. I was doing 33 at best, in the knowledge that 33 and below will not incur a ticket. I have to produce my license, should I raise the issue then?

If It means that the speedo in the cab is slightly out, how do I argue that?

If It means that the speedo in the cab is slightly out, how do I argue that?

You don't/can't. You need to see some kind of evidence that whatever equipment they used is accurate, Certificate of Calibration or something.

suburbanreuben - Member
At 5.30 on a Sunday morning all decent law abiding people are at home tucked up in bed.

I mustn't be decent or law abiding then coming home from a night shift like many other emergency service and shift workers

My sister has 3 points for 32 she was speeding there is no 10% plus 2.

I think I see your problem, 'policewomen', why is it that policewomen..... hang on, I ll get me coat

😉

For balance, my speedo is bang on 35 (tested with 3 GPS devices is bang on 30mph when reading 35.

I revel in doing 30 mph on the speedo everywhere though 🙂

At 5.30 on a Sunday morning all decent law abiding people are at home tucked up in bed.

🙄

Or at work, like me..

So you actually did sit above the indicated limit, in front of a police car, as you thought you knew better than to travel with the needle on 30? Sounds like a ****ing stupid thing to do tbh

What did the policeman driving say? Did he also agree with the two policewomen?

I was doing 33 at best, in the knowledge that 33 and below will not incur a ticket.

You'd best not tell them that. The limit is 30mph and you can, in theory, be prosecuted/fined at 31mph unless, perhaps, you could demonstrate that your speedometer reads 30mph when their calibrated equipment reads 31mph. I was on a speed awareness course with at least three people who had been clocked doing 33mph outside of schools.

My point is that I definitely wasn't doing 35 in a 30. I was doing 33 at best,

Unless you are working on SatNav speed, you don't really know that do you ?

in the knowledge that 33 and below will not incur a ticket.

What "knowledge" is that ?

You can get a speeding ticket for 33 in a 30. It's over the limit.
What makes you think you can't ?

That might have been 33/20.

I've just been caught speeding too. My own stupid fault and I'll take the points or the speed awareness course and regret ruining 25 years clean driving. You need to suck it up and move on. They take a dim view of speeding in 30 mph zones and you openly admit to speeding so I can't see your problem.

So you actually did sit above the indicated limit, in front of a police car

Have you ever seen a police car driving on the inside lane of the motorway at 70mph?

Its one big game seeing who has the balls to drive past 😉

I was doing 33 at best, in the knowledge that 33 and below will not incur a ticket.

You sir are a numpty and deserve everything you get.

I am one of those annoying people who love driving at just under the limit to annoy people like yourself who want to go faster than the [u][b]upper limit[/b][/u] (did you see what I did there ?) set down by law ....

Consistently speeding with a police car behind you = taking the P155 out the law, pay your fine and learn some respect for both officers doing their jobs and the speed limit....then you will not need to come into conflict with the police again. 🙄

I was on a speed awareness course with at least three people who had been clocked doing 33mph outside of schools.

Understandable, but me, at 05.30 in the morning, on (Gt Homer St, for those that know Liverpool) a wide, deserted road with no residential properties anywhere near, certainly no pedestrians whatsoever. It's ridiculous in the extreme.

Not arsed about the fine, it's the points I don't want. They say I was going faster than I was, and I was not going 35. That's what I am angry about. They are embellishing their account to make it seem as though I was exceeding the limit by a greater amount.

If they'd wrote me a ticket saying 33 or 32 in a 30, well that seems pretty harsh but at least it was true. Saying I was doing 35 in a 30 is a blatant lie.

I predict this will run and run. Just like every other driving / speeding thread ever started. Did you have winter tyres on?

The cab is auto so pulls away quickly at traffic lights so maybe they objected to me being in front of them, it had happened a couple of times

Thats funny. You pissed around with a police car at two sets of lights and you're surprised you got done?

I always thought if 2 cops agree you are speeding then you are. Things may have changed in the last 30 years of course.

I am surprised that they gave you a ticket for such a marginal speed over the limit mind. Surely it would be difficult for them to prove it from a moving vehicle. I'd be genuinely interested to hear what equipment they use.

General rule with motorway patrols is they don't particularly care if you are doing less than 80. There was a 10% plus 2 in lancs on normal roads and we never booked anyone below 40 as a rule, that may have changed with the advent of speed vans though. If it was a traffic car they may well have had a calibrated device, however most patrol cars just have their own speedos which are just as accurate as yours. The officers will have had to do a calibration run over a measured mile and document it in notebooks if they didn't use a device in the car.

Understandable, but me, at 05.30 in the morning, on (Gt Homer St, for those that know Liverpool) a wide, deserted road with no residential properties anywhere near, certainly no pedestrians whatsoever. It's ridiculous in the extreme.

It is extreme, I agree, but you've no argument. In fact, you've confessed to your heinous crime. You're going to have to take this on the chin, fella, unless you're prepared to take it to court. Have you actually been charged? And was it a traffic car? I thought that they had to observe you speeding over a set distance. You may have room to wriggle out of this yet, presuming you didn't actual state to the officers that you were doing 33mph...

Unfortunately your a bit stuck.
The police don't need any equipment, or calibrated speedos. The word of an officer in court would be enough to convict.(with regards to motoring offences) it is back to front but it's up to you to prove you weren't speeding.

You were speeding by your own admission. The 10% + 2 mph is a guideline if the police want to do you for 31mph they can.

You should be able to get a speed awareness course (assuming you havent done one in the last 3 years) make sure you reply within the timeframe they have set, is it 28 days? Failure to do so is very expensive.

I reckon you've been horribly unlucky but you're proberbly going to have to suck this up.

The cab is auto so pulls away quickly at traffic lights

Maybe you should get your cab fixed if you cannot pull away in a serene manner and the fact it pulls away quick has nowt to do with your foot pressing it.

The word of an officer in court would be enough to convict.(with regards to motoring offences) it is back to front but it's up to you to prove you weren't speeding.

I hope that is wrong.

Not arsed about the fine, it's the points I don't want. They say I was going faster than I was, and I was not going 35.

You keep saying that, but by what instrument are you calculating your speed ??

That's what I am angry about. They are embellishing their account to make it seem as though I was exceeding the limit by a greater amount.
If they'd wrote me a ticket saying 33 or 32 in a 30, well that seems pretty harsh but at least it was true. Saying I was doing 35 in a 30 is a blatant lie.

Go to court then, and contest the ticket. If they are lying, they will need to fabricate some evidence.

Tell the judge you were doing 33 not 35.

See what they say.

As the great ape says, there is no harm in writing a very well worded, apologetic letter to the station sergeant, it may pay dividends.

The word of an officer in court would be enough to convict.(with regards to motoring offences) it is back to front but it's up to you to prove you weren't speeding.

I understood this to be the case. But I didn't think they did it regarding speeding, except in excessive circumstances.

I recently got pulled over in Bournemouth on a dual carriageway for doing 44 in a 40 by 2 policeman, I thought here we go, but the one who dealt with it just said my speed was creeping up a bit, politely told me off and sent me on my way. He showed me the evidence on this camera gadget thing. I guess he was having a good day and being reasonable and OP's a bad one and not

The word of an officer in court would be enough to convict

This seems bizarre. Plenty of cases where people got off because the radar gun or camera hadn't been calibrated and checked in accordance with the rules, yet somehow the word of two police is sufficient?

Regardless, OP you're a numpty for speeding regardless of the time or type of road you were on. Maintaining an indicated 35 in front of them wasn't big or clever. Take it like a man.

Wait, were you in an HGV while you were spazzing about at a load of traffic lights with a copper?

I think you would have to have the equipment independently tested at your expense, as everyone would be asking to have it done if only to try their luck.

I have only heard of overpaid sportsman having this done.

My sister has 3 points for 32 she was speeding there is no 10% plus 2.

ACPO guidelines:

See points 9.6 and 9.7.

Wait, were you in an HGV while you were spazzing about at a load of traffic lights with a copper?

[img] https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTwiPe2lGw6MoU4K71PEPpNNvGVORry-yZI8QES57Qzoe4C_LJPwA [/img]

I'm confused by the thread title

I reckon you've been horribly unlucky

I'd just take the points or do the course and move on. 3 points alone probably won't affect your insurance.

And next time stick with the indicated speed, especially when the old filth are behind you!

Not got aftermarket wheels or non standard tyres on have you?
Can knock your speedo out a bit.
EDIT - ignore, didn't know it was a black cab.

My golden rule is to be as nice as possible to the fuzz.
A happy copper is a nice copper, you never know when you might need one.
9 o'clock yesterday morning in my case.

Ah, most taxi drivers are cretins anyway. (Old man owns a firm) You def deserved it just for uttering "most speedos are over calibrated" never mind the fact you were messing about at the traffic lights with the coppers, any fool knows to let the Police out in front. You're meant to be a professional driver, perhaps start acting like it.

Is there someone (as in job title) within the local force I can speak to over this? I am sure that most of the Police around here would probably agree that a ticket on Gt Homer St for doing 33mph at 05.30 is pretty harsh.

At least you were making progress though... Oh wait.

most of the Police around here would probably agree that a ticket on Gt Homer St for doing 33mph at 05.30 is pretty harsh

But the limit is 30. Its not variable. You were speeding. What next "I'm only a bit over the alcohol limit"

Dry your eyes and admit you were wrong.

Ah, most taxi drivers are cretins anyway. (Old man owns a firm)

Right that's you qualified to make sweeping generalisations then...

And I wasn't 'messing about' at the lights, you press the throttle, the vehicle goes forward.

I am sure that most of the Police around here would probably agree that a ticket on Gt Homer St for doing [s]33mph[/s] 35mph at 05.30 is [s]pretty harsh.[/s] fairly standard

I revel in doing 30 mph on the speedo everywhere though

I drop to 25 (30's the limit not a target after all) if the car behind is trying to sodomize my exhaust pipe, and definitely stop at all give way lines, just in case.

The word of an officer in court would be enough to convict
This seems bizarre. Plenty of cases where people got off because the radar gun or camera hadn't been calibrated and checked in accordance with the rules, yet somehow the word of two police is sufficient?

Regardless, OP you're a numpty for speeding regardless of the time or type of road you were on. Maintaining an indicated 35 in front of them wasn't big or clever. Take it like a man

There used to be cases where people got off on technicalities with radar guns. They are now laser, with home office type approval. Meaning if you want to contest it on a technicality you pay for experts.
It's also worth remembering that technically before an officer uses equipment to check your speed they should have formed prior opinion that the suspect was speeding, the clever kit is only there to corroborate the officers prior opinion

I already said I wasn't doing 35, they SAID I was, hence my grievance, I know I wasn't doing 35. If they give me a ticket for doing 33 well that's my carelessness, but saying I was doing 35 in a 30 is wrong, hence why I want to appeal.

So will you say you believe you may have been going 33 at a push and that the officer involved may have been mistaken and feel this is unfair .

Or that the officer is a vindictive lying cow who got the hump because you beat her from the lights.

Three traffic light grand prix followed by speeding and you're surprised they issued a ticket?

Good luck!

And I wasn't 'messing about' at the lights, you press the throttle, the vehicle goes forward.

So you have no control over how quickly you accelerate then ?

That sounds dangerous, I'm sticking to manual gearboxes I reckon. 🙄

As my driving instructor used to say

thirty-one will get you done

Police car is probably GPS black boxed too and will prove their speed at a constant distance from you as well as two officers evidence of you driving in excess of 30mph in a 30mph speed restriction zone. I say go to court, give it a go and end up with a much bigger penalty and plenty of local publicity of being the speeding cabby that no one wants to travel with.....of course if any more points would potentially put you on a ban under totting up then you need to learn the lessons the hard way.

So if they issue a new ticket for 33 you'll accept it?

I guess I'll have to, though given the time and location it is ridiculously harsh. But saying I was doing 35 is a lie.

The word of an officer in court would be enough to convict.(with regards to motoring offences) it is back to front but it's up to you to prove you weren't speeding.

IIRC from police school - and I may not, it was a long time ago and its traffic stuff which I dont concern myself with these days - the bit where one officers opinion that you were speeding was sufficient evidence, [i]without[/i] some form of corroboration by equipment of some sort or another witness, only applied on motorways.

I know I wasn't doing 35.

I'll try again.

How
Do
You
Know
This ??