The most common traffic offence by far. Everybody speeds, without exception. It’s the degree by which you do it that draws the attention.

There are guidelines in place which is an ‘allowance’ for speedometer inaccuracies, and that is usually 10% plus 2. This means that for a “true” 30mph you are actually allowed to do 35mph before you are considered committing an offence. Of course it is only an idiot that sits there with his speedometer on that limit thinking he’ll get away with it – that’s not the point.

Speed limits are usually there for a very good reason and should be stuck to. Zero tolerance was talked about but the resources required to do this make it impossible – there would be hundreds of thousands of people “done” for speeding every day.

The prevailing conditions DO play a big part in the allowance given by a police officer – for example if you drive at 37mph through a village high street or past a school that will not be looked upon favourably.

However a dry, wide road will probably see an officer giving a 40mph allowance. Having said this, you go over the recommended allowance by a whisker and the officer does have the power to do you – this is common when the officer needs to make some numbers up because speeding is the “bread and butter” offence as it’s so easy to detect.

If you are pulled for speeding one thing not to say to the officer is “I suppose you never speed!” – remember about being polite earlier? Fixed penalty tickets (3 points and a small fine) are issued for the lower excesses of speed, usually about 15mph over. Go much faster than that and you’re looking at a court summons. Policy does dictate that over a certain speed the fixed penalty system will NOT be used.

The offender will be reported and taken to court with a view to disqualification!