Stopped for speeding
Author
Discussion

_deejay_

Original Poster:

5,057 posts

284 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
I was stopped for speeding yesterday (it was claimed I overtook a police transit on a 2 lane stretch of road when they were travelling the speed limit).

I was told me the officer (before being breathalised) that I shouldn't trust my GPS which was reading a steady 30/31 MPH and had been for about 30 seconds.

I didn't get nicked for it, but could anyone confirm whether or not his speedo would have been calibrated (police van, not a traffic car), and thus who was probably correct in their guesstimate of speed? I'd guess I was doing about 3-4 mph quicker than the van.

I was also told to rely on my speedo, which is odd as it reads exactly the same as my GPS (though I realise most don't and overestimate speed).

ta,
D

Edited to add: forget to say 'think of the children'. I must have endangered loads (if I was in fact 3mph over the speed limit at 4:45am)

>> Edited by _deejay_ on Tuesday 1st November 13:01

CupraR

676 posts

259 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
Yeah, don't trust the GPS, trust your speedo. Because obviously the speedo is going to be more accurate! What an idiot. You should have told him to shove it up his arse. It's obvious the only reason he pulled you over is because you [cartman]"disrespected his authority"[/cartman] by overtaking him.

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
Speedo's generally read 10% under. As his wasn't calibrated, I suspect you are right and he is wrong.... However he is the law. Just bite your lip and move on

_deejay_

Original Poster:

5,057 posts

284 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
CupraR said:
Yeah, don't trust the GPS, trust your speedo. Because obviously the speedo is going to be more accurate! What an idiot. You should have told him to shove it up his arse. It's obvious the only reason he pulled you over is because you [cartman]"disrespected his authority"[/cartman] by overtaking him.



I wouldn't have minded, but it was approaching a roundabout and we were going in different directions, thus lanes.

I figured the t350's exhaust might have sounded like I was travelling faster than I was. It's odd that he didn't check if the car was mine, stolen, roadworthy, tax'd, ask me where I was going so early in the morning etc etc.

I did point out the inaccuracy in speedo's but he correctly mentioned that they always overread, so it'd keep me out of trouble.

I do suspect I got up his nose as I overtook him in a sports car. It's a shame really, but no harm done!

'Have you been drinking this morning sir?'
'I had one glass of wine yesterday at lunch'
'Blow into this tube, etc'

Complete waste of time and resources!





>> Edited by _deejay_ on Tuesday 1st November 13:20

justinp1

13,363 posts

260 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
_deejay_ said:

CupraR said:
Yeah, don't trust the GPS, trust your speedo. Because obviously the speedo is going to be more accurate! What an idiot. You should have told him to shove it up his arse. It's obvious the only reason he pulled you over is because you [cartman]"disrespected his authority"[/cartman] by overtaking him.




I wouldn't have minded, but it was approaching a roundabout and we were going in different directions, thus lanes.

I figured the t350's exhaust might have sounded like I was travelling faster than I was. It's odd that he didn't check if the car was mine, stolen, roadworthy, tax'd, ask me where I was going so early in the morning etc etc.

I did point out the inaccuracy in speedo's but he correctly mentioned that they always overread, so it'd keep me out of trouble.

I do suspect I got up his nose as I overtook him in a sports car. It's a shame really, but no harm done!

'Have you been drinking this morning sir?'
'I had one glass of wine yesterday at lunch'
'Blow into this tube, etc'

Complete waste of time and resources!





>> Edited by _deejay_ on Tuesday 1st November 13:20


I think you are right. Farse.

You are not being reported for it I hope!

If he admitted that speedos over-read by design, did he not think of he was doing 30 by his speedo, his actual speed was probably about 27, so when you crawled past at 30, your GPS was in fact exactly right...!?

puggit

49,818 posts

278 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
CupraR said:
It's obvious the only reason he pulled you over is because you [cartman]"disrespected his authority"[/cartman] by overtaking him.


It's 'authoritah'!

A57 HSV

1,510 posts

260 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
The "Green Eyed Monster" raising its ugly head.
Envy is terrible thing when it involves having your time wasted by some idiot. One would have liked to have thought, that he might have had something better to do!

fq400

157 posts

258 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
_deejay_ said:
the t350's


And you're wondering why you got pulled over

Nice car

_deejay_

Original Poster:

5,057 posts

284 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
justinp1 said:

_deejay_ said:


CupraR said:
Yeah, don't trust the GPS, trust your speedo. Because obviously the speedo is going to be more accurate! What an idiot. You should have told him to shove it up his arse. It's obvious the only reason he pulled you over is because you [cartman]"disrespected his authority"[/cartman] by overtaking him.





I wouldn't have minded, but it was approaching a roundabout and we were going in different directions, thus lanes.

I figured the t350's exhaust might have sounded like I was travelling faster than I was. It's odd that he didn't check if the car was mine, stolen, roadworthy, tax'd, ask me where I was going so early in the morning etc etc.

I did point out the inaccuracy in speedo's but he correctly mentioned that they always overread, so it'd keep me out of trouble.

I do suspect I got up his nose as I overtook him in a sports car. It's a shame really, but no harm done!

'Have you been drinking this morning sir?'
'I had one glass of wine yesterday at lunch'
'Blow into this tube, etc'

Complete waste of time and resources!





>> Edited by _deejay_ on Tuesday 1st November 13:20



I think you are right. Farse.

You are not being reported for it I hope!

If he admitted that speedos over-read by design, did he not think of he was doing 30 by his speedo, his actual speed was probably about 27, so when you crawled past at 30, your GPS was in fact exactly right...!?


I didn't know whether he'd have a calibrated speedo or not, though if it didn't then that'd certainly make sense.

I hope I'm not being reported for it. He didn't actually ask my name either, so he'd probably struggle!

Ah well, hope to have a runaround for the journey next time so should get less grief!

MR2Mike

20,143 posts

285 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
BliarOut said:
Speedo's generally read 10% under.


Nope, by law they can read up to 10% over, but should not read under.

bigdods

7,175 posts

257 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
Just to cofirm the accuracy of GPS - Had my TVR checked for speedo accuracy on a rolling road - proved to be 100% accurate at 30 and 60 mph (all that we tested). Took TVR out with GPS on, checked GPS against speedo, GPS matched the speedo exactly, QED GPS is accurate.

Tested GPS against my Omega 4% over read and Golf 5% over read on the speedos, which is as I would expect although I was expecting higher % over read.

Dodsy

_deejay_

Original Poster:

5,057 posts

284 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
bigdods said:
Just to cofirm the accuracy of GPS - Had my TVR checked for speedo accuracy on a rolling road - proved to be 100% accurate at 30 and 60 mph (all that we tested). Took TVR out with GPS on, checked GPS against speedo, GPS matched the speedo exactly, QED GPS is accurate.

Tested GPS against my Omega 4% over read and Golf 5% over read on the speedos, which is as I would expect although I was expecting higher % over read.

Dodsy


Mine's just about the same on my speedo as on the GPS. I suspect the speedo over reads by about 1/2 mph out all the way as at some speeds they are identical and others 1 mph apart.

The conversation went:

ME: "I was not intentionally speeding; I'd have to be fairly foolish to pass a marked police van. When I passed you my GPS device was reading exactly 30mph and had been for some time"

HIM: "I don't know what device you've got but could you stick to the reading given by your speedo in future"

ME: "I was under the impression speedos could overread by up to 10%"

HIM: "Yes, but you won't be stopped for speeding if you use your speedo"

Ah well, no harm done I don't suppose!




havoc

33,446 posts

265 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
_deejay_ said:
The conversation went:

ME: "I was not intentionally speeding; I'd have to be fairly foolish to pass a marked police van. When I passed you my GPS device was reading exactly 30mph and had been for some time"

HIM: "I don't know what device you've got but could you stick to the reading given by your speedo in future"

ME: "I was under the impression speedos could overread by up to 10%"

HIM: "Yes, but you won't be stopped for speeding if you use your speedo"

"And I shouldn't be stopped for speeding by some jealous jobsworth of a copper with nothing better to do!"

Was probably what went through your head, but you were best not saying it. Let them have their little pleasures...it just keeps eroding our support for them.

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
MR2Mike said:

BliarOut said:
Speedo's generally read 10% under.



Nope, by law they can read up to 10% over, but should not read under.


I said over.... It just looked like I said under

_deejay_

Original Poster:

5,057 posts

284 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
havoc said:


_deejay_ said:
The conversation went:

ME: "I was not intentionally speeding; I'd have to be fairly foolish to pass a marked police van. When I passed you my GPS device was reading exactly 30mph and had been for some time"

HIM: "I don't know what device you've got but could you stick to the reading given by your speedo in future"

ME: "I was under the impression speedos could overread by up to 10%"

HIM: "Yes, but you won't be stopped for speeding if you use your speedo"



"And I shouldn't be stopped for speeding by some jealous jobsworth of a copper with nothing better to do!"

Was probably what went through your head, but you were best not saying it. Let them have their little pleasures...it just keeps eroding our support for them.



I did re-run the conversation in my head a few times with what I should have said. However, I didn't lose anything, he was pleasant enough and had I been at all disrespectful I suspect I'd have been stood there for a while longer whilst he checked the vehicle over to find something to do me with!

It was my first brush with the law though (apart from when cars were stolen outside my parents house and they got a crime reference number over the phone!)

It's a difficult job, and I suppose police officers don't suddenly lose their previous characteristics as soon as the join the force, so you're bound to get 'human' reactions to situations.




>> Edited by _deejay_ on Tuesday 1st November 17:27

justinp1

13,363 posts

260 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
MR2Mike said:

BliarOut said:
Speedo's generally read 10% under.



Nope, by law they can read up to 10% over, but should not read under.


Sorry, of course, you are quite, right! That is what I meant and would explain the difference in the two speed!

JoolzB

3,549 posts

279 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
_deejay_ said:

HIM: "I don't know what device you've got but could you stick to the reading given by your speedo in future"

The speedo in my Tiv is a bit iffy at the mo and didn't work at all the other day which means I can drive at whatever speed I want now according to this chap

blueyes

4,799 posts

282 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
Earlier this year I got pulled for overtaking a British Transport Police car.

He reckoned I was speeding.

I told him I wasn't driving a train and to stop wasting my time.

Which was nice.

KB_S1

5,967 posts

259 months

Tuesday 1st November 2005
quotequote all
I thought average Police Officers were not allowed to pull you over.
Was there not mention by one of our residents that even in the event of a bank robbery they would have to let the getaway car pass?

Whatever way this sounds like a high example of bored/jealous/power hungry play time.

Hollywood Wheels

3,689 posts

260 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2005
quotequote all
KB_S1 said:
I thought average Police Officers were not allowed to pull you over.
Was there not mention by one of our residents that even in the event of a bank robbery they would have to let the getaway car pass?


I think that's in relation to actually pursuing a vehicle rather than just indicating for it to stop. If he was driving a station van then he was probably response trained and can pursue, subject to usual limitations etc.

KB_S1 said:
Whatever way this sounds like a high example of bored/jealous/power hungry play time.


Does seem strange. We have a real problem with high-value vehicle thefts lately. The house will be broken into (keys are always left in kitchen/on hook/in little bowl etc...)and the vehicle is taken from the drive. I will always try to stop such high value cars in the early hours, just to check driver details, give advice on NOT leaving the keys on a hook in the kitchen etc! Normally appreciated by the driver who will see i've got their interests at heart. To pull a car over and not even check details is just sloppy. Especially to give a lecture on GPS and 3mph! Personally i'd have asked him to do a burnout but then that's me!