let off speeding by guard?

curiosity

ok folks, very odd experience driving to work this morning. Would be interested in any similar experiences, or sound opinions.

I was travelling on southbound part of Watergrasshill bypass on my way to Cork. Having lost time due to bad traffic caused by accident in Fermoy, I was going very fast, tbh 140km/hr. The road was straight, nothing in front of me. I passed a blue mondeo doing about 120km/hr. As I pulled away, it flashed alternating headlights, so I eased back to his speed, a little confused. Then it flashed the kojak blue light. Resigned to my fate, i slowed, pulling onto the hard shoulder, obviously expecting his to stop and dish out the points my right foot deserved. He passed me, and just kept going, to my astonishment. I pulled back out and resumed on my way. He was a good bit in front, still at same speed. A few miles on, he turned off for Glanmire. I got to work in time, thanks to my ever faithful old Golf.

Am I just fortunate? Will I get a lil something in the post soon? Has anyone else been similarly spared? Was he/she someone who couldn't spare the time to pull me over and ticket me?

junii

What do you mean by alternating headlights?

Maybe some young buck messing. You can buy those blue lights but there illegal to have on a car AFAIK. The was a craze about two years ago in our part of the country for about a week. Just young lads pretending they were the cops. Think one or two got caught.

They started selling them at a nearby motor auctions...I think.

Seth Brundle

I reckon that had he wanted to do you he either would have pulled you or just taken the photo and not bothered flashing.
Time will tell though.
Good luck.

overdriver

They can't do you like that so easily. Its not like the UK whre they have those ProVida video jobbies in the car.
Rest assured, if he could have done you he would, given the way pressure is on the Gradai to produce penalty points these days.
Sleep easy.

curiosity

junii wrote:

What do you mean by alternating headlights?

Maybe some young buck messing. You can buy those blue lights but there illegal to have on a car AFAIK. The was a craze about two years ago in our part of the country for about a week. Just young lads pretending they were the cops. Think one or two got caught.

They started selling them at a nearby motor auctions...I think.

i mean left then right flashing, as you would see with a cop car showing lights, in pursuit.

The tax man

Maybe they got a call over the radio from the station asking them to pick up some milk as they'd run out,:D just at the same time they were going to pull you. Gotta get your priorities right.;)

Anyways good luck with it.

babybundy

if he aint got you on camera or speed gun then he cant do you for speeding but he can for dangerious driving

Seth Brundle

overdriver wrote:

They can't do you like that so easily. Its not like the UK whre they have those ProVida video jobbies in the car.
Rest assured, if he could have done you he would, given the way pressure is on the Gradai to produce penalty points these days.
Sleep easy.

babybundy wrote:

if he aint got you on camera or speed gun then he cant do you for speeding but he can for dangerious driving

I do believe that they have cars which can record cars speed along with a nnice picture! They also recently introduced a few cars which can automatically read licence plates, check for tax, outstanding warrants, etc. and let the driver know!

seamus

There's some little scumbag who drives home down the N4 in a blue mondeo with alternating headlights. He drives down the bus lane, and then turns on the alternating headlights to get cars to move out of his way.

I've never gotten a chance to get his reg.

wingnut

I got stopped for running a red light by 2 detectives before (when I had just started driving). They made me get out and have a chat. I was honest and said I didn't see the lights at all! I was waiting for the summons (long before PPoints).

When I told him where I worked he siad that he a niece studying there and I was in luck! Safe home..They were really nice tbh. I think they thought I was a scummer before they stopped me and let me go when they saw I was an ordinary decent bloke.

Saruman

I was driving through Sandyford Industrial estate late one night.. on the way home. I was driving a little fast due to the fact i had stayed the night at girlfriends and did not have my medication and was feeling a little ill (do not need it anymore thankfully ) anyway an unregged car pulled me over and just had a chat. Told me to keep it safe. I did... this was after penalty points came out so i was very lucky.

Like someone said he could not have proved i was speeding but he could have done me for dangerous driving.

babybundy

the problem with that is its in the garda's opinion now some times its clarly dagerious driving but its still on the garda's opinion

alfie

its quite hard to get a conviction on dangerous driving, just because you are driving over the speed limit most judges will not see that as dangerous driving you could however be prosecuted for the lesser charge - careless driving.

Hotblack Desiato

babybundy wrote:

if he aint got you on camera or speed gun then he cant do you for speeding

They can. All they need is 2 Gardai of the opinion that you were speeding, no equipment required.

Silvera

Saruman wrote:

I was driving through Sandyford Industrial estate late one night.. on the way home. I was driving a little fast due to the fact i had stayed the night at girlfriends and did not have my medication and was feeling a little ill (do not need it anymore thankfully ) anyway an unregged car pulled me over

What do you mean an 'unregged' car ?
All state vehicles are registered.

Did you mean an 'umarked' car?

Silvera

overdriver wrote:

They can't do you like that so easily. Its not like the UK whre they have those ProVida video jobbies in the car.

They do have the 'ProVida jobbies' (video recorders) in the cars!

curiosity,
Did it ever cross your mind that they were responding to another call/emergency (chasing another vehicle), and just wanted you to get out of the way?!

curiosity

Silvera wrote:

curiosity,
Did it ever cross your mind that they were responding to another call/emergency (chasing another vehicle), and just wanted you to get out of the way?!

Good suggestion, but I think that's too big a coincidence. We had been in a slow moving line of traffic just before we got onto the dual carraigeway. I had passed it out and we had just passed a slip road which is popular for speed traps. It was only at this point that I proceeded to go to 140km/hour ish. There was nothing ahead of me for at least 1km. If it was responding to an emergency all it had to do was swing into the overtaking lane, which was clear.

At this stage, I'm inclined to 2 possiblities.

1. The guards in the car are not traffic cops, but detectives on other business (mebbe a milk run, taxman;) ). They're not pushed about someone doing 120km/hr on an empty dual carraigeway, but when I started pulling away, they felt a little intervention might be a good idea. For all they knew I might keep driving in that manner until I came to nasty halt. So they give me a quick flash of the lights to see if I cop on. I slow down, they've done their good deed. God only knows what might have happened if it was Monday!!

2. There's some newfangled recording equipment in the car and I'm weeks away from a lil something in the post.

Bear in mind I travel this stretch of road 10 times a week. I've seen the hair dryers out, and seen motorists pulled over as the ticket is written. Now any traffic cop with a sense of duty would have had me bang to rights. Tbh, as I pulled over I was thinking I'd be lucky to get just 2 points. I'm sure being close to 40km over the limit would merit something more grave than 2 points.

Anyway, I'm going to file it in the 'lesson learnt' folder and leave for work a bit earlier in future. If I do get that something in the post, I deserve it for being so reckless.

Stark

A friend of mine was caught speeding on the M50 on a provisional licence and the garda let her off the hook. She was wearing a very low-cut top that day though.

colm_mcm

curiosity wrote:

Having lost time due to bad traffic caused by accident in Fermoy, I was going very fast, tbh 140km/hr.

curiosity

Quote:
Originally Posted by curiosity
Having lost time due to bad traffic caused by accident in Fermoy, I was going very fast, tbh 140km/hr.

colm_mcm wrote:

1.There was an accident/hold up in Fermoy which blocked the southbound carriageway of the road, all I know is the cops were diverting traffic.

2. Thus I had to take a diversion, losing time.

3. As a result of that, I was driving at said speed to avoid being late.

I hope this clears it up for you.