speeding

[sad old git]

Hi.I read somewhere that there was a little leeway allowed on exceeding the max speed limit.It is max speed + 10% + 2mph.This is because of the slight inaccuracy of car speedometers.I suppose for example you could travel at 35 mph in a 30 mile area. or 57mph in a 50 mile area and so on. I also believe that this is at the discretion of the traffic police involved. Is this correct or is it all "spy in the sky?". Cheers. S.O.G.

[Buenchico]

See here:
http://www.speedlimit.org.uk/faq.html#ACPO

(NB: The ACPO guidelines have nothing to do with the accuracy of speedometers. The law controlling the design and construction of speedos permits them to 'over read' by a small amount but never to 'under read'. If you're pulled over for driving at 33mph in a 30mph zone, it's no good saying 'My speedo only said 30'. If it did, your true speed would have been about 26mph and 30mph. It couldn't have been 33mph).

Chris

[New Judge]

And note the important paragraph under the table in Chris�s link:

Bear in mind that exceeding a speed limit by any amount whatsoever is an absolute offence, and a police officer is fully entitled to charge a driver for doing, say, 31 in a 30 limit outside a school at closing time, or in a busy High Street..

I think I explained this in an answer to the previous question in this section:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Motoring/Road-r ules/Question795511.html

[sad old git]

Thank you both for your answeres; I was always a bit sceptical about this "rule" but I know many many people who use it so I will try to educate them. Thanks again S.O.G.

[tamborine]

I've been fined for being 34 in 30mph zone and 43 in a 40mph.

They go to a lot of trouble to get my foto!

[Skyline D]

I believe the CPO guidelines only apply to England and Wales, not Scotland or Northern Ireland.