A common question that gets asked by learner drivers is “what happens if I go 1mph over the speed limit by accident”.
So what is speeding? Well quite simply, speeding is when you are doing anything more than the maximum advertised speed limit. So
31mph in a 30mph speed limit would be classed as speeding.
Is going over the maximum advertised limit acceptable? Well, yes and no. It very much depends on the situation and how serious it effects safety. Read on to learn more.
Is there a tolerance given by the Police and speed camera’s? Yes, the accepted tolerance from the MPCC is 10% of the speed limit + 2mph. So the accepted tolerance is in a 30mph area would be 35mph. This should not be relied on as each force has discretion on how they use tolerances. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/v17DXvYMCYPis2K1/?mibextid=UalRPS
Is it okay to drive everywhere at 10% + 2mph? Absolutely not! Anything over the maximum speed limit is speeding, however, if you have a Genuine reason to be using the allowed tolerance then that is acceptable. If you don’t have a reason, then you are speeding for no reason and anything over the speed limit is an offence and you can be penalised for it.
Why is there a tolerance of 10% +2mph? Mainly, if there was no tolerance then every driver would be staring at their speedometer. That would be incredibly dangerous and it would lead to an increase in accidents. Other considerations are that there are differences in calibrations and there are also times where you may need a bit of extra speed to get yourself out of danger.
So, going back to the original question, speeding is allowed, as long as you have a good reason for it. Running late or an emergency isn’t a good reason.
We always encourage learner drivers to not panic if they realise they are speeding and calmly and sensibly, drop the speed down. Any more than 10% + 2mph then we would of course take action, just as an examiner would on a driving test.
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