The most common excuses used to get out of a traffic violation revealed
We explore the weird and wacky excuses people pull out when they’re in trouble with the lawWhen characters in Hollywood films get pulled over for speeding or other traffic infringements, anything from batting eyelids to desperate pleas like Annie Walker’s (Kristen Wiig) in the 2011 film Bridesmaids or Fletcher Reed’s (Jim Carey) simple “be gentle” in the 1997 film, Liar, Liar has been used for (hopeful) clemency.
But surely, this sort of thing doesn’t happen in real life, right? It sure does!
A new study by the legal team at a Dallas-based personal injury law firm has revealed the most common excuses used for getting out of traffic violations, from needing the loo to insects in the car…
By analysing 56 Reddit threads, such as "r/AskReddit," "r/NoStupidQuestions," "r/AskALawyer," and "r/AskAnAmerican", the team at The Barber Law Firm determined the most common and creative excuses used to get out of a traffic violation.
At the top was “I have to pee” which had 4,785 mentions.
“There’s a bee in the car” takes the second spot, with 1,466 mentions.
“I’m going to be late,” “I got to poop,” and simply apologising rounded up the top five most common excuses used in traffic violations, with 1,069, 847, and 421 mentions respectively.
Some other notable top ten mentions were a tyre problem, a UTI (urinary tract infection), and reading kilometres, instead of miles on the speed sign.
Urgency-based excuses, such as needing to use the bathroom or running late, are by far the most common type, with a total of 6,701 mentions across all excuses in this category.
Animal-related excuses were the second most common type (1,466 reported mentions), and while they didn’t include, “the dog ate my speedometer”, they did include some quite outlandish responses, from "There's a bee in the car" to, "My pet snake was sick."
On a positive note, honesty and politeness took third place (932 responses), with "Just apologise” and "Just be honest" as some examples.
A few of the weirdest excuses included chasing loose pet hamsters in the car, speeding to blow bugs off windshields, observing a creepy clown at the side of the road, and “I was trying to outrun a sneeze”.
"While our study reveals some?creative?and amusing?excuses?drivers use to avoid traffic violations, it's crucial to remember that road safety is no laughing matter,” says Kris Barber, founder and Principal Attorney of The Barber Law Firm.
“These clever explanations, ranging from reading kilometres not miles, to insect invasions, might seem witty at the moment, but they don't negate the potential dangers of breaking traffic laws. It's particularly concerning to see that some drivers resort to outlandish or?creative?excuses, like being late for a virtual reality meeting, rather than acknowledging their violation.”
Closer to home, in Victoria, a spokesperson for Victoria Police said that they “hear a multitude of excuses when pulling up drivers for speeding.”
Some of the most common excuses include “running late for work/appointment”, “wasn’t paying attention”, “didn’t see the speed limit sign”, “was overtaking another vehicle”, “was travelling downhill”, “my speedo must be out", and "everyone else was doing it".?
“But the most commonly given excuse for speeding is “no reason”, they said.
Like Barber, Victoria Police say that violating traffic rules, including speeding isn’t a joke.
“Many drivers know they shouldn’t be speeding, but make a conscious choice to anyway,” says the Victoria Police spokesperson.
“Speeding increases the likelihood of being involved in a collision and speeding remains a major contributing factor in serious injury and fatal collisions.”
So, rather than focusing on elaborate excuses to get out of a fine, both Barber and Victoria Police urge motorists, to drive safely and by the law.
“Victoria Police is actively enforcing to detect and remove speeding drivers from our roads,” they say.
“There is absolutely no excuse for speeding, and if you choose to speed, rest assured you will be caught.”?
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