Why do they ask,"Do you know the speed limit along here?"

[Yung Man]

An old coach driver once told me when a policeman stops you for speeding he will always start by asking you "Do you know the speed limit along here sir (madam)?, at this point instead of say "yes it's 30mph", what you should say is " Yes it's 40mph(or what ever speed makes you legal).
This way you where still speeding but you where not doing it knowingly, you then go on to look surprised and at first telling the policeman he has made a mistake, obviously he hasn't and you soon realise what a fool you have been and ask him is there any chance he could let you off and promise it won't er ............. you know the rest

Do you think it might work?.

He did tell me once that when he got stopped for doing 48mph (he didn't say what the limit was), when asked what the limit was he said, and he admits he has no idea where this came from, yes officer it's 45mph.
The officer apparently said "No sir the speed limit alo.....WHAT?! 45 MPH how does that work then" (or something like that).

I think he got off with that one for his cheek.

[cerebral]

it may work mate but maybe you should think he may go the other way and do you for undue care and you know the rest lol

[havoc]

It did work for me 10 years ago...but then it was an urban D-C which (for some reason) was a 30...I genuinely though it was a 40 (and to be fair most people drive it at 40-odd...which they shouldn't, and which I don't any more).

Oh...and it was at night and I'd only recently moved to the city. That probably helped. Trying it on 3 miles from your front door in broad daylight might be pushing it a bit...

[Bing o]

I thought it was a 90 limit?

[cmsapms]

Surely these days your answer should be:

"I used to know officer, but the council keep dicking around with the limits for no reason. I blame the local busybodies!....<pause>......but I know what it should be!"

[Marcellus]

why not try the german approach "yez ovizeur eet eeez wazever"

[jacko lah]

I've never been asked that, and I'd tell them.

[Yung Man]

jacko lah said:

I've never been asked that, and I'd tell them.

But surely the object is to get off the charge, if they ask you do you know the speed limit and you say "yes" then you did it(exceeded the speed limit) knowingly.
Is there a possibility that they first have to clarify whether you know the speed limit, maybe your "I'd tell them" might not be the answer you should be giving, helpfull though it may appear.

Then again maybe the policeman is abit simple and has forgotten what the limit is and thats why he is asking you.

[vonhosen]

Yung Man said:

jacko lah said:

I've never been asked that, and I'd tell them.

But surely the object is to get off the charge, if they ask you do you know the speed limit and you say "yes" then you did it(exceeded the speed limit) knowingly.
Is there a possibility that they first have to clarify whether you know the speed limit, maybe your "I'd tell them" might not be the answer you should be giving, helpfull though it may appear.

Then again maybe the policeman is abit simple and has forgotten what the limit is and thats why he is asking you.

They don't 'have' to ask you if you are aware of the limit.
They only have to show what the limit was & that you were exceeding it.

[skymaster]

I have never been stopped by the police but to be fair I think I would likely go down the honesty route if I ever did. They must have heard every single excuse in the book and it's unlikely they will be stupid enough to be fooled by an apparant show of ignorance.

If you pretend to believe the limit was something different then it shows that maybe your observation of road signs is pretty poor and that something needs to be done to teach you a lesson.

My observation was good enough the other day to spot the facial expression of a man sat in a blue Honda parked in layby as I whizzed by at around 85. I slowed to 60 assuming that anyone watching traffic like that must be trafpol. The Jag that came screaming up behind me with a view to overtaking was prevented from doing so by some blue flashing lights behind him. From the blue Honda which then pulled him over.

Really good observation and alertness is the best tool in my book. Not telling porkies.

[Don]

They ask if you are aware of the limit for a couple of reasons I can see:

• If you know the limit but were not sticking to it you are guilty of speeding
• If you do not know the limit you are guilty of driving without due care and attention. Or at least - of being a driving numpty.
• If you were aware of the limit but were driving much more slowly you *may* be pissed or stoned or something else...

Its one of the things we work hard on as part of the "observation training" part of the IAM course...if you know the speed limit you were probably looking for signs which means you were probably looking out of the windows enough.

Having said that when the limit is at great variance with the percieved safe speed of the road and there are no blimmin' repeaters to be seen even the most observant driver can get confused - and, yes, I DO blame the local councils and busybodies...

Edited by Don on Monday 23 July 16:43

[jimlad71]

I remember years ago I was in Lytham St Annes.
Nice wide road, well lit, you could get 4 cars abreast quite easily.
Cop car behind so was sticking to 40 mph religiously

Blue lights come on, so I have to pull over.

'So sir, do you know the speed limit for this road?' says the officer
I reply 'yes its 40'

Officer then points to the lollipop with 40 on it about 100m down the road

'Ahh bugger' I says

Was let off with a warning to watch my speed


Pheww!!!!

[Yung Man]

jimlad71 said:

I remember years ago I was in Lytham St Annes.
Nice wide road, well lit, you could get 4 cars abreast quite easily.
Cop car behind so was sticking to 40 mph religiously

Blue lights come on, so I have to pull over.

'So sir, do you know the speed limit for this road?' says the officer
I reply 'yes its 40'

Officer then points to the lollipop with 40 on it about 100m down the road

'Ahh bugger' I says

Was let off with a warning to watch my speed


Pheww!!!!

Da-da

[Boosted LS1]

It's a loaded question, they'll get you either way. You could look a bit confused and ask him what speed he thinks you were driving at instead of answering his question. You risk failing the attitude test though, so be polite.

Boosted.

[Isoproturon1]

I was doing the 70mph speed limit on a normal DC in a marked police vehicle when I was overtaken by a couple of lads in a Vauxhall Belmont (snigger).

When I asked the driver if he knew the speed limit he said, "Yeah, it's 70mph... unless you're overtaking something."

Naturally, I enquired further.

"If you're overtaking, there's no speed limit."

Oh. Right.

Edited by Isoproturon1 on Monday 23 July 17:48

Edited by Isoproturon1 on Monday 23 July 17:49

[skymaster]

Isoproturon1 said:

I was doing the 70mph speed limit on a normal DC in a marked police vehicle when I was overtaken by a couple of lads in a Vauxhall Belmont (snigger).

When I asked the driver if he knew the speed limit he said, "Yeah, it's 70mph... unless you're overtaking something."

Naturally, I enquired further.

"If you're overtaking, there's no speed limit."

Oh. Right.

Edited by Isoproturon1 on Monday 23 July 17:48

Edited by Isoproturon1 on Monday 23 July 17:49

Now this disturbs me, my mind had almost deleted all memories of Vauxall Belmonts and now you have reminded me all about them. Shiver shiver

[JustinP1]

Yung Man said:

jimlad71 said:

I remember years ago I was in Lytham St Annes.
Nice wide road, well lit, you could get 4 cars abreast quite easily.
Cop car behind so was sticking to 40 mph religiously

Blue lights come on, so I have to pull over.

'So sir, do you know the speed limit for this road?' says the officer
I reply 'yes its 40'

Officer then points to the lollipop with 40 on it about 100m down the road

'Ahh bugger' I says

Was let off with a warning to watch my speed


Pheww!!!!

Da-da

Your example answer worked in that situation as it was genuinely applicable in that situation.

I would suggest the question is put forward so that it gives them the opportunity for you to either admit you were speeding and apologise, admit that you dont know and are negligent, and generally opens up the conversation with an easy question which if answered in an open and positive way means that it is likely that that will set the tone for the rest of the conversation where the next question is:

"Do you know how fast YOU were doing?"

The mean reason for this is that if you are willing to admit openly you were speeding without a fight, or let on some information which incriminates you anyway, then IF they want to do you for the 'crime' then it makes it a lot more easy!

[7db]

"Oh I do hope I wasn't going too fast, officer"

Neither answers nor antagonises.

[MK4 Slowride]

skymaster said:

I have never been stopped by the police but to be fair I think I would likely go down the honesty route if I ever did. They must have heard every single excuse in the book and it's unlikely they will be stupid enough to be fooled by an apparant show of ignorance.

If you pretend to believe the limit was something different then it shows that maybe your observation of road signs is pretty poor and that something needs to be done to teach you a lesson.

My observation was good enough the other day to spot the facial expression of a man sat in a blue Honda parked in layby as I whizzed by at around 85. I slowed to 60 assuming that anyone watching traffic like that must be trafpol. The Jag that came screaming up behind me with a view to overtaking was prevented from doing so by some blue flashing lights behind him. From the blue Honda which then pulled him over.

Really good observation and alertness is the best tool in my book. Not telling porkies.

Would that happen to be a Blue Honda Accord on an 05-plate in the Cheltenhamshire Area per chance?

[skymaster]

MK4 Slowride said:

skymaster said:

I have never been stopped by the police but to be fair I think I would likely go down the honesty route if I ever did. They must have heard every single excuse in the book and it's unlikely they will be stupid enough to be fooled by an apparant show of ignorance.

If you pretend to believe the limit was something different then it shows that maybe your observation of road signs is pretty poor and that something needs to be done to teach you a lesson.

My observation was good enough the other day to spot the facial expression of a man sat in a blue Honda parked in layby as I whizzed by at around 85. I slowed to 60 assuming that anyone watching traffic like that must be trafpol. The Jag that came screaming up behind me with a view to overtaking was prevented from doing so by some blue flashing lights behind him. From the blue Honda which then pulled him over.

Really good observation and alertness is the best tool in my book. Not telling porkies.

Would that happen to be a Blue Honda Accord on an 05-plate in the Cheltenhamshire Area per chance?

I think it may have been an 05 plate but it was in wiltshire, on the A36. On saturday.