Speeding advice
Discussion
My son has been an idiot, stopped by an unmarked car and they allege he was doing 95 in a 60. He admits he is stupid but didn't think he went over 80. Apparently in his words, on his way to his girlfriend's, sunny day, empty road, doing about 70 an X5 came up behind him, 2 burly blokes in it so he slowed to let them past. They continued to stick to his rear, so he drove off from them. They caught up in a bit and then put the blue lights on. They're saying they had to exceed 100 to catch him so he must have been doing 95. They've emailed him today, a Report for Summons saying the offence is 95 in a 60. They also told him if they had to go to court to give evidence they would testify he was doing at least 95. Yes he was speeding and will pay the fine and take points but something doesn't seem right and he's now facing a ban and possibly loosing his job. What equipment or evidence will they have on board or will it just be his word against 2 officers? Is it best to plead guilty and make a case for keeping his license to keep his job? All this assumes I don't kill him first. Thanks
That’s a shame, it does seem to be a tactic they use, intimidate you into going faster by charging up behind and staying close.
The first time that happened to me ( a long time ago now)
I did the same, except it was in my dad’s g wagen on a 70 dual carriage way, the thing could only do 85max…..that’s what I got done at!
Now when anyone tailgates me , I slow a let them past.
If it’s his first offence, just write an apologetic letter explaining and hope for three points SP30.
The first time that happened to me ( a long time ago now)
I did the same, except it was in my dad’s g wagen on a 70 dual carriage way, the thing could only do 85max…..that’s what I got done at!
Now when anyone tailgates me , I slow a let them past.
If it’s his first offence, just write an apologetic letter explaining and hope for three points SP30.
"They're saying they had to exceed 100 to catch him so he must have been doing 95."
Not this nonsense again. One car can catch another by going 1mph faster or 100mph faster - the only difference is the length of time taken. Certainly not a way to measure the speed of the car being caught.
Back in the late 1960s I had 2 policemen claiming I was driving at 90mph as they reached 100mph to catch me. I was driving a standard Mini 850 (top speed 72).
Not this nonsense again. One car can catch another by going 1mph faster or 100mph faster - the only difference is the length of time taken. Certainly not a way to measure the speed of the car being caught.
Back in the late 1960s I had 2 policemen claiming I was driving at 90mph as they reached 100mph to catch me. I was driving a standard Mini 850 (top speed 72).
Trouble is, as a mate of mine found out decades ago, it makes no difference, confessing to 80 in a 60 is the same crime as a ton.
Only the sentence is different.
Fairness, right, wrong and all that went out the window ages ago.
As a fairly senior copper said to me the other day, people who talk of police racism have generally got it wrong, a lot of police just despise 'civilians'.
It's not something that's easy to fight, particularly starting from 'in the wrong'.
Only the sentence is different.
Fairness, right, wrong and all that went out the window ages ago.
As a fairly senior copper said to me the other day, people who talk of police racism have generally got it wrong, a lot of police just despise 'civilians'.
It's not something that's easy to fight, particularly starting from 'in the wrong'.
So are we all saying they have nothing to measure his speed on board, only their own? I assume they have dashcam or some footage of him, but they would be unlikely to want to show it if they were up his ar$e intimidating him. Boils down to his word against their two then so he would loose.....
po54 said:
So are we all saying they have nothing to measure his speed on board, only their own? I assume they have dashcam or some footage of him, but they would be unlikely to want to show it if they were up his ar$e intimidating him. Boils down to his word against their two then so he would loose.....
In the old days, they'd have VASCAR. Vague And Spurious Calculations At Random.Pick the numbers you like.
It makes no odds.
I've heard of unmarked police using this tactic before. I think the way forward is a rear facing dash cam. Pull over somewhere safe, then phone the police and say someone was intimidating you and you have dash cam coverage. Then see how they react when you read out the reg number of one of their own vehicles!
A friend of mine got caught doing 99mph in a 60.
He had to go to court, and he pleaded his case, said he needed his licence for work, no previous offences of any kind etc, said he was sorry, just a moment of madness on an empty road.
He got banned for 2 weeks, and no points on his licence.
I thought that was a pretty good outcome. He got a lift to work for a couple of weeks and that was it, back to normal.
He had to go to court, and he pleaded his case, said he needed his licence for work, no previous offences of any kind etc, said he was sorry, just a moment of madness on an empty road.
He got banned for 2 weeks, and no points on his licence.
I thought that was a pretty good outcome. He got a lift to work for a couple of weeks and that was it, back to normal.
corinthian said:
…..it does seem to be a tactic they use, intimidate you into going faster by charging up behind and staying close….
Absolutely a tactic regularly deployed… will tailgate to intimate and push up speeds. Let them pass. Remember clean German and Czech cars with non-upgraded wheels are the main markers! Years ago I was pulled by a loan cop using this line. He was travelling in the opposite direction to me, had to navigate a roundabout and overtake a hgv to follow me. He said he had to speed considerably to catch me, so I must have been speeding. I said of course he did, I was probably a mile or 2 up the road by the time he turned round. Best thing is was I was driving a 1ltr cinquecento, so couldn't speed if I wanted to. He gave up after while. It's a good job there wasn't 2 of them.
Edited by Wackywoo105 on Monday 28th March 00:25
tty tactic. 
Wackywoo105 said:
Years ago I was pulled by a loan cop using this line. He was travelling in the opposite direction to me, had to navigate a roundabout and overtake a hgv to follow me. He said he had to speed considerably to catch me, so I must have been speeding. I said of course he did, I was probably a mile or 2 up the road by the time he turned round. Best thing is was I was driving a 1ltr cinquecento, so couldn't speed if I wanted to. He gave up after while. It's a good job there wasn't 2 of them.
Why not 2 of them?Edited by Wackywoo105 on Monday 28th March 00:25
Doesn't need 2 policeman . One on his own to corroborate the speedometer reading is enough, even one on foot patrol watching you drive past, can give a informed opinion of speed, and that opinion will be used in court.
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