Was Stopped by the police...

[Phantom Shadow]

I understand this, but if you are talking about a few miles, at a low speed, in dry conditions, is getting your car lifted onto a lorry the only option?

Or, lets say that you purchased the car in good faith, knowing the tyres were low, bringing tyres with you to replace them straight away, however finding that they were rubbed raw on the inside.

Let me reiterate, I'm not saying that it's a good situation, or that its a situation people should constantly find themselves in, more that if it DID happen to mr smith on the street, that there should be an element of discretion, without cops like sin chase saying that he'd take them for everything, everything.

There probably is discretion on the basis of the actual state of the tyres. If your tyres have >1.6mm tread on the outside but the inner shoulder is worn making the tyre illegal then they might be more lenient than if your tyres are completely bald. I'd still expect to be fined for it though as the police do take a dim view on unroadworthy vehicles.

As much as people rely on their cars, they are a luxury item and not an essential. If you don't maintain your car enough to keep it on the road then it's your own fault if you then can't drive it due to it being unroadworthy. It also isn't difficult to check the tyres on a car you're buying, >1.6mm across the centre 3/4 no good faith needed take a look yourself.

 

[Akagi]

Ahh crap, this has reminded me that I haven't changed the tyre on my spare yet! So if I need it I'll have a borderline tyre.

Best do that next week. Maybe even tomorrow

 

[sports_brah]

There probably is discretion on the basis of the actual state of the tyres. If your tyres have >1.6mm tread on the outside but the inner shoulder is worn making the tyre illegal then they might be more lenient than if your tyres are completely bald. I'd still expect to be fined for it though as the police do take a dim view on unroadworthy vehicles.

As much as people rely on their cars, they are a luxury item and not an essential. If you don't maintain your car enough to keep it on the road then it's your own fault if you then can't drive it due to it being unroadworthy. It also isn't difficult to check the tyres on a car you're buying, >1.6mm across the centre 3/4 no good faith needed take a look yourself.

Cars in rural areas are not a luxury but a necessity. In my opinion, this means that people should take care of them. I check my oil, water and the like regularly and I've been keeping an eye on the tyres, seeing as I've driven 6,000+ hard miles.

My point was simply that which you said yourself, that they might be more lenient depending on the situation, and the circumstances around it. I could see a fine (or as they do it here, a contribution to the poor box) maybe being a appropriate, or a telling off, or a prosecution if it was dangerous etc.

Having blanket rules isn't appropriate imho.


P.s I once applied successfully to the police, thank God I followed the money eh! I'd have been terrible.

 

[Scania]

OP

Probably the reason you did not get booked as they did not have a calibrated speedo, as doing 50 in a 30 always means a poker up your rear!!1

Still a kicking is better than 3-6 points

I got stopped a few years ago doing 50mph in a 40 zone in my HGV, basically a dual carriageway that then dropped to a single for about 600yds then went to dual again. The limit for HGV's on duals is 50 and 40 on singles...

By law, all HGV's have calibrated tachographs fitted to them which record speed, distance travelled etc yet I merely got a mild telling off from the copper concerned, despite being bang to rights with a tachograph chart to prove it!

He said to me (and I've always felt this is the case) my attitude toward him and acknowledgement of my sin was what got me a warning rather than prosecution.

 

[Minstadave]

Got stopped this morning coming back from a week in Cornwall. First time in 6-7 years driving.

Started an overtake just before double whites changed into dashed lines. A police X5 was waiting further down the road, pulled me and asked me why I thought I had been stopped, confessed to crossing double whites (not to the speed) and was let off after a car and license check. Nice guy, polite and straight up.

 

[stigggeh]

I've never been stopped in the 7+ years I've been driving! I'd probably panic and admit doing a post office over if stopped

 

[Fuzz]

Had plenty of tellings off without actually getting a ticket when I was younger.
My favourite being one in the Landy.
"Sir, a Land Rover doesn't need to sound that loud or go that fast. Do yourself a favour and go home before I book you"

Yes Officer.

 

[jcr]

had to do a speed course recently and was told anything over 33 in a 30 zone gets you pulled in my area

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

You guys are lucky over in Britain, here in Ireland they will look for any excuse to give points and a fine on the licence. The young cops are the worst always trying to be like Robocop and uphold the law.

 

[Phantom Shadow]

had to do a speed course recently and was told anything over 33 in a 30 zone gets you pulled in my area

Interesting not heard of an area doing that. Did they say if that's just for a telling off and it's the guideline +10%+2mph for fine/prosecution or whether they also give fines out for 33+?

Had to do a speed awareness course for 36 in a 30 by a mobile camera van that I somehow just didn't notice, was annoyed with myself as I had missed the 30 sign and being 4 lanes wide with everyone else doing 40 thought it was a 40 zone. 1mph less and would have been under the +10%+2mph and wouldn't have got in trouble (In Newcastle where I got caught they do specifically say they only charge for 36mph+, if you get a ticket any lower complain and they'll cancel it).

 

[miniyazz]

You guys are lucky over in Britain, here in Ireland they will look for any excuse to give points and a fine on the licence. The young cops are the worst always trying to be like Robocop and uphold the law.

Yeah curse those policemen upholding the law

 

[Minstadave]

To be fair getting stopped today and being told off politely is far more likely to be effective with me than slapping me with a fine/points.

 

[Sin_Chase]

To be fair getting stopped today and being told off politely is far more likely to be effective with me than slapping me with a fine/points.

If you are really honest with yourself, is that true?

I would suggest the points would have a bigger impact in terms of slowing you down.

Words of advice and "common sense" will have a better impact on you from a relationship with the Police point of view.

In an ideal world you would only get discretionary words of advice where the circumstances allow, it makes sense and you have no similar priors.

It's all about being fair, in my opinion if someone has 6 previous points for significant speeding and you continues to do it, then clearly discretion is not an effective remedy for said person.

 

[jcr]

Interesting not heard of an area doing that. Did they say if that's just for a telling off and it's the guideline +10%+2mph for fine/prosecution or whether they also give fines out for 33+?

Had to do a speed awareness course for 36 in a 30 by a mobile camera van that I somehow just didn't notice, was annoyed with myself as I had missed the 30 sign and being 4 lanes wide with everyone else doing 40 thought it was a 40 zone. 1mph less and would have been under the +10%+2mph and wouldn't have got in trouble (In Newcastle where I got caught they do specifically say they only charge for 36mph+, if you get a ticket any lower complain and they'll cancel it).

34 or more gets you a fine/points. im in hampshire

 

[Minstadave]

If you are really honest with yourself, is that true?

I would suggest the points would have a bigger impact in terms of slowing you down.

Words of advice and "common sense" will have a better impact on you from a relationship with the Police point of view.

In an ideal world you would only get discretionary words of advice where the circumstances allow, it makes sense and you have no similar priors.

It's all about being fair, in my opinion if someone has 6 previous points for significant speeding and you continues to do it, then clearly discretion is not an effective remedy for said person.

I haven't got any points so points would have meant nothing and the fine whilst annoying is the same as one tank of fuel. It would have annoyed me and left me wound up (completely my own fault).

The chap today however was courteous, professional and informative. Left me thinking well of the police and wanting to not cause them bother.

Sure if I had a shed load of points then I would agree more than a word is needed.

 

[Akagi]

I'm pretty sure it is 36 which gets you a fine/points here. I thought it was the same anywhere in the UK?

 

[Sin_Chase]

I'm pretty sure it is 36 which gets you a fine/points here. I thought it was the same anywhere in the UK?

In theory you can be done for 1MPH over the limit, but that would be both stupid and largely unenforceable.

10% +/-2MPH (or otherwise) is SIMPLY and ONLY a guideline. Ultimately an officer can choose exactly what he wants to process or not. I imagine, each constabulary will have their own policy on speed enforcement.

As for council run schemes......who knows!

 

[Akagi]

I thought +/- 10% was the tolerance for inaccuracies of the speedo anyway?

 

[Phantom Shadow]

Due to the law requiring speedos to not read under at all, and to be within a percentage of the true value, most speedos are set to read slightly over to keep the manufacturer safe from prosecution. So if you get caught at +10%, 33mph, your needle is almost certainly going to be at least half way between 30 and 35 if not nearly on the 35mph line. The whole speedo tolerance thing seems a little bit pointless tbh.

ACPO guidelines are +10%+2mph, which I believe most forces follow, of course they are free to choose their own limit and the odd one does.

 

[toasteh]

Only ever been stopped once, on my way home from a late shift at a hotel bar. Doing a touch over 30 in a 30, I think they were more concerned about the fact I was driving (shock horror) at about 3am. Explained I'd been at work and they sent me on my way.