# How to answer "Do you know how fast you were going?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 27, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472 "2011-12-27T00:58:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SeaCanary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@SeaCanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaCanary)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/1 "2011-12-27T00:58:40Z")
So I’m driving along, the police car behind me turns on its light bar and I pull over. The police officer walks up and asks, “Do you know how fast you were going?” I don’t feel like incriminating myself. How do I answer this? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/2 "2011-12-27T01:02:48Z")
You can answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The details don’t matter because you’re getting the ticket anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/3 "2011-12-27T01:05:03Z")
> [@SeaCanary](#): > > So I’m driving along, the police car behind me turns on its light bar and I pull over. The police officer walks up and asks, “Do you know how fast you were going?” > > I don’t feel like incriminating myself. How do I answer this? “No, but I knew exactly where I was.” Well, you would have to have a fairly well educated policeman to carry that off. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/4 "2011-12-27T01:22:16Z")
Why can’t you say “no”? ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/5 "2011-12-27T01:27:04Z")
One school of thought is that you are simply picking the manner by which any additional offences are determined. 1. I have no idea. -\> Driving without due care. 2. About XX over the limit. -\> Reckless driving. Some of this probably depends upon how egregious the speeding was. If you are just over, and it is simply going to be a speeding ticket, it won’t matter. If you were being an idiot, and well over the limit, it is remarkable how many offences can be found for the one incident, especially if you are anything less than contrite after being pulled over. Perhaps, “Well, I though I was driving under the limit, but because you have pulled me over I assume I must have been over.” ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/6 "2011-12-27T01:31:11Z")
You could always say, “I’ll bet you’re about to tell me.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/7 "2011-12-27T01:55:51Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > Why can’t you say “no”? You can…but then that’s evidence that you aren’t paying attention to your driving, and he might be more likely to write you up. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/8 "2011-12-27T01:56:51Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > You could always say, “I’ll bet you’re about to tell me.” I usually say: “Somehow I get the feeling you are about to tell me.” (Big smile) About half the time it breaks the ice and I get a warning, the other half the cop knocks off several MPH to lower the fine. Either way works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/9 "2011-12-27T02:28:21Z")
87.99 mph unfortunately. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/10 "2011-12-27T02:30:08Z")
Do any real-life officers ever say this? ---
**Author:** ![pabstist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@pabstist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pabstist)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/11 "2011-12-27T02:34:00Z")
My honest reply would be- “I really don’t know exactly, since my speedometer is broken. But I have a rough guess based on RPM’s and the gear I was in.” Which is true, but how do I prove this to a police officer? Have him drive my car? And yes, I know I should just get it fixed, but looking online it looks like a lot of money to figure out why and fix it. A 1999 Subaru Outback- could be the speedometer, one or both of two sensors, a wiring problem, etc. Plus parts after diagnosis, and more labor. So a speeding ticket may actually be cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/12 "2011-12-27T02:47:18Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Do any real-life officers ever say this? I certainly had a cop in Florida ask me why I thought he stopped me. I told him that my best guess was that I had been speeding, and that I hadn’t been watching my speed closely (which was true.) I had been on a straight stretch with no traffic and let my foot get a bit heavy. He let me off with a scolding. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/13 "2011-12-27T03:02:20Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I certainly had a cop in Florida ask me why I thought he stopped me. > > I told him that my best guess was that I had been speeding, and that I hadn’t been watching my speed closely (which was true.) I had been on a straight stretch with no traffic and let my foot get a bit heavy. > > He let me off with a scolding. This has been my experience, except for not getting off with a scolding. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/14 "2011-12-27T03:25:41Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Do any real-life officers ever say this? Yes, the last time I was pulled over. He asked and I told him the speed I believed I was going. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/15 "2011-12-27T03:31:55Z")
Sir, I know my bearing and my pitch, but not my airspeed. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/16 "2011-12-27T03:37:08Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Do any real-life officers ever say this? Every single one in my long and varied experience with speeding tickets. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/17 "2011-12-27T03:38:36Z")
Officer, I know! It was sooooo scary! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/18 "2011-12-27T03:41:36Z")
I decline to answer that question on the grounds that it might incriminate me. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/19 "2011-12-27T04:27:26Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Do any real-life officers ever say this? I can only assume you’ve never been pulled over. In my experience, they always open with a question. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472/20 "2011-12-27T04:30:35Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I can only assume you’ve never been pulled over. In my experience, they always open with a question. What can I say? Driving 45 years and I’ve never been pulled over. Ever. For any reason. You amateurs on the road scare me to death. :eek: 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-do-you-know-how-fast-you-were-going/607472.md?page=2)