Driving home tonight along the A82, I’m doing 58mph in a 50mph zone.
As I approach a corner a motorbike zips by me.
I round the corner and just as I pass the exit ramp from the local quarry, I spot a blue light.
Shit.
I immediately take my foot off the accelerator but don’t brake, too obvious.
Fuck.
The lights flash as the police car pulls up behind me.
Crap.
What do I do? I’ve never been stopped before. Ohh I feel sick to my stomach, guess I’ll have to just take whatever punishment they hand out. Wonder how it will effect my car insurance. Dammit, what an idiot.
And with that the police car accelerates, pulls out, and passes me. Round the next bend he cruises up behind the motorbike and motions him into the next layby.
Thank fuck for that.
I often drive too fast. Not stupidly, if it’s wet I slow down, if it’s busy I slow down but on a clear night, on a dry empty road I will admit I tend to go over the speed limit more often than not.
I know it’s illegal, just as I know I shouldn’t for a huge number of reasons beyond that, emissions, wear and tear on the car, the cost of diesel and so on. But there is always that part of me that manages to justify it to myself.
Later on, once I’m on the M8, I spy another police car on the other carriageway who has stopped the driver of a Subaru, and then later on the M74 a third policecar, a third set of blue lights dance across my eyeline as I cruise past at a steady 72mph (the joys of cruise control).
I pull off the motorway and all too soon I’m on the last few roads home, doing 46mph in a 40mph zone.
I just don’t seem to learn.
I’ve been stopped by the police once (I was apologetic and said I didn’t realise – they let me off), and caught on camera twice. On the most recent occasion, I was offered a Driving Awareness Course instead of points on my licence. The course did make me think, but I do still find myself drifting over the limits on a regular basis.
I’ve been in similar situations a couple of times recently – mainly with cameras rather than Real Live Plods though.
Fortunately, it now looks like I didn’t get had by either camera, which is nothing short of miraculous in one of the cases.
I too drive fast (or drive too fast, whichever) where the situation allows, but (as K says) with confidence in my abilities. But I know where my attention needs to be, and normally look far enough ahead to be well aware of risks before I get anywhere close to them. Which is why I haven’t yet been done by cameras or Real Live Plods – I see them far enough away.
In fact the only reasons I was worried recently was because I don’t know where the mobile cameras focus, what range they operate at. It’s obviously a lot less than I thought, though…