Can I do 78mph on Motorway?

[sorin1987]

I've been driving in the UK for 3 years now and just recently I found out that in order to be prosecuted you have to do speed limit + 10% of speed limit + 2. So it means that if you are doing 78 in a 70 area and you get past a speed camera you won't get a speeding ticket?

[Trustmeimadoctor]

in a word

No!

[fatboy b]

Sure you can. I thought it was 90 though.

[sc0tt]

You might do by a policeman though.

[DRFC1879]

You've been here for 25 months and made 130 posts but unsure on this?

I was once told by a copper who pulled me and gave me a FPN at 87 on the M1 that you'll never be done for 80 or below on the motorway and he would've turned a blind eye at 83 but any more and he had to stop me.

I've since heard of people being done at 80. I'd be very surprised if you get done at 78 but that's up to you to risk!

[Superhoop]

You can do whatever speed you like - Whether you get fined for it or not is a different matter.

[eztiger328]

No problem with that speed, I've even gone past mobile camera vans at bang on 78mph on purpose to bait the buggers in the past and have never received a fine.

[Just an old porsche fan]

If you do 78 mph on the motorway you will be hung drawn and quartered and your remains will be chucked into prision and given a 12 month ban and a hefty fine. You will also be called a killer and will represent all that is bad in the world. And to top it all you will be a suspected ISIS terrorist who was using their car as a WMD. 78mph...what where you thinking...you maniac.

[Schermerhorn]

You can do 200mph if you want to but if you get caught its your license.

[mybrainhurts]

Schermerhorn said:

You can do 200mph if you want to but if you get caught its your license.

No it's not. It's his licence.

[battered]

Schermerhorn said:

You can do 200mph if you want to but if you get caught its your license.

I can't. A 1.8 Mondeo won't go that fast.

[georgejoshington]

eztiger328 said:

No problem with that speed, I've even gone past mobile camera vans at bang on 78mph on purpose to bait the buggers in the past and have never received a fine.

Why would you try to purposefully get a ticket?

[ds666]

The tolerance you mention is just a guideline . Technically you can get done for 31 mph in a 30 limit . Are you likely to get done for doing 78 mph on the motorway ? Probably not . I doubt a police car would stop you , but you might get done by a camera van ( I was done for 79 mph on the motorway by a camera several years ago . But it was in the Lake District so it was probably just to fill their coffers for flood defences so I didn't mind ).

So to avoid doubt - either do 70 mph or 95 mph+ . No point messing about .

[montyjohn]

Can't remember the source, however, I remember reading that the 10% + 2 allowance is typical, however, it varies from area to area in the UK and anything over the limit is down the the discretion of the police force in that area.
There was talk about zero tolerance in Wales. Not sure what happened to that idea?

[kambites]

Legally no.

Practically, I've never heard of anyone being prosecuted as a result of an automated system in a 70 limit for under 80mph.

[eztiger328]

georgejoshington said:

Why would you try to purposefully get a ticket?

Because I was interested in seeing if they would try their luck and prosecute. From what i understand judges have a tendency of throwing out such cases as they interpret 1 mph over the limit + 10% formula as a waste of the courts time, especially if no dangerous driving was involved and conditions permitted.

Anything over 78mph though im sure they'd act accordingly.

And to clarify im talking about motorways only (which i rarely drive on nowadays).

Edited by eztiger328 on Thursday 9th February 15:36

[xjay1337]

Technically you can be fined for 71 on a motorway.
Although despite many claims of "being done" no-one has produced any official documentation to back it up.

The 10% + 2 is CPS guidelines but not every force or police officer has to abide by those. It's just that if you are caught at 71mph many forces and the CPS would not press charges.

I wouldn't risk a speed camera at an indicated 80 but would have no issues going past police vehicles (and often have done in the past).

[tomsugden]

I got an SP30 for 78 through a mobile camera on a motorway.

[datum77]

What's wrong with sitting at 70mph?. The law of averages guarantees that exceeding any speed limit day in day out will end up with a prosecution........or 2 or 3. Or a collision.

Presumably you enjoy parting with your money paying for the fuel you use by going faster and faster.

Cynical?.........you'd better believe it !!!!!!

[mikal83]

I got done doing 83 in my wifes ford escort 2 door 1.8D years ago on a steep downhill section of a DC at 7 am MT road. Copper couldn't understand why I was laughing as he wrote my ticket!