UK: Can the police give u a ticket if ure only 2mph over the speeding limit?

Question

Someone told me that if you're caught by the police doing only 2mph over the speed limit, you wont get a speeding ticket i.e. doing 32mph in a 30mph zone.

Is this true? coz I've never heard of it before!

Answer 1

They usually allow a little leeway for the fact that most speedos may be up to 10% out of sync. But technically, yes they can.

Answer 2

Generally, this being somewhat unofficial, you'll get away with ten percent before a policeman becomes interested. This is basically because there's a variance in speedometers and it's quite rare to find one that tells you what speed you are doing bang on. So 33 in a thirty, 66 in a sixty, that sort of thing.

Speed cameras in a thirty zone tend to be calibrated to thirty four, again because of variance in speedometers.

Short answer to your question is that technically a policeman can get you for any speed over the limit. However, it'd be a complete anal retentive git who'd do you for two mph over the limit.

Answer 3

All the forces allow a bit of leeway when it comes to this. Because a speedometer in a car is not 100% accurate they allow approximately 5mph each way.

Answer 4

there used to be a "rule of thumb" that if you were over by 10% + 3 mph then the police could usee discretion but yes you can get a ticket at 32 in a 30 zone otherwise it would not be a limit, more of a guideline

Answer 5

You was speeding,watch your speed in the future, you will not get a ticket this time

Answer 6

most police wouldn't pull you over for being 2mph over but they do have the right to do so.

Answer 7

WE use a tolerance of 10% + 2mph , so in a 30 you wont get a ticket till 35mph.

But you are still speeding at 31.

We do this as car speedos are not accurate, so it doesn't mean that you can drive at 34mph

Answer 8

They can but they don't, they give a 10% margin to allow for inaccurate speedo's.

Anybody who claims to have been ticketed for 32mph is a liar!

Answer 9

most likely not. The radar as well as your car's speedo has some room for error. Most officers I know will not pull you over unless you are doing 7mph or greater over the speed limit.  

Answer 10

Yes!They can!

Answer 11

Yes they can. The speed limit is an absolute limit. in the days of common sense policing they would not do so but with revenue generating cameras all over the place why use common sense when you have targets. Three cheers for this government    

Answer 12

Yes, but be careful the usual cut off point is 4 mph over the limit.

A chief constable once said that the most sensible policy would be to drive 2 mph below the stated speed limit as not all speedometers register the  same speed, it seems to me to be sound advice.

I have noticed that speed limits do not seem to apply to  HGV, LGV and 4 x 4 drivers for there never ever seems to be a police car in sight when they roar past at way above the speed limit especially on a Motorway.

Maybe the police may care to pass a comment about this !

Answer 13

Yes they can.

Answer 14

Speeding is speeding.  However, most forces follow ACPO guidelines of allowing a leeway of 10% + 2mph.  Not ALL do though - North Wales comes to mind, no leeway at all unless that has changed recently.

Answer 15

under flexible guidelines you normally only need to be 10mph over the limit for a ticket

Answer 16

Technically but like people say, in general, they allow leeway. I always thought it was "10% plus 2" making it 35 in a 30mph zone, 46 in  40mph zone and so on.

I don't mean to say we're allowed to do 35 regardless, just that in general I should imagine you'd be unlikely to be summonsed for 34mph or under.

Unless you have cruise control your speed can waver a fraction as you drive, plus can anyone guarantee speedometers are absolutely alike from one car make to another?

So that's kind of why there's meant to be a little leeway.

Having said that, if they had evidence of you doing 32 and felt that way inclined to ticket you, I doubt you'd have much comeback.  

Answer 17

Usually cops will let it slide, but they technically can. If it's not less than 30.00000001, then they can get you in a 30mph zone. :p

Answer 18

You can get a ticket ANYWHERE for going 1 over.  

Answer 19

YES !!!

Answer 20

no, the speed limit is an absolute law (no excuse, unless you're an emergency vehicle), i know someone who got a ticket from a camera for doing 33mph, different cameras are set at different speeds (as theyre not 100% accurate and neither is your speedo), if you are caught by the police at only 32 you would probably just be cautioned if its your first time, but its not a good idea to find out. if you were caught doing 72 in a 70 its very unlikely you'd be in any trouble, as the police would have to pull everyone over.

Answer 21

if you go more than 30 mph in a 30 mph zone you will get a ticket as you are breaking the law

Answer 22

Yes afraid so.

Answer 23

europe is a lot tougher on speeding then the united states, and yes they will give you a ticket for even being one mile over