IT has happened to so many of us - a moment of inattention and we are caught speeding.
And what an awful feeling - that contemplation of a hefty fine, points on the licence or the prospect of an expensive speed awareness course.
But it might not be the end of the road for our monthly budget because new research by Confused.com estimates that nearly 1.3million drivers on Britain's roads have got lucky and managed to avoid a speeding fine when they were pulled over by police officers for speeding.
The research by the price comparison website has found that, across the UK, more than a third of motorists (35%) say they have been caught speeding, with 36% of these drivers saying they have been pulled over by a police officer.
When it comes to being caught by a police officer for speeding, Brits have differing reactions. While the majority (55%) simply accepted that they were probably speeding and simply accepted the fine, more than a quarter (28%) say the police officer let them go with a warning.
Some of those pulled over even say they tried to argue their case and weren't successful (8%) - while a similar number (7%) were able to persuade the officer and were just let off.
While millions of drivers have been pulled over for speeding by police officers, the overwhelming majority of motorists have been caught over the speed limit by cameras.
And the flashes of these cameras usually leads to an ominous brown envelope being sent to drivers detailing the fine and points they face. Nearly two thirds of those caught speeding (63%) simply accept the fine and take the points - suggesting that many Brits see less ‘wiggle room' with a camera than they do with a police officer.
Despite this, some still try to get out of paying.
Of those who have tried to get out of paying their fines, the most common ways are claiming to be out of the country when the speeding offence took place (11%) and making up a story about being in an emergency (11%). Some brave, but ignorant, drivers simply ignore the fine in the hope they would leave them alone.
Perhaps one of the most amusing stories I have heard relating to speeding referred to a funeral director's car which was pulled over in a 30mph zone.
It seems that the driver had a coffin in the rear and was in a hurry to transfer his special load into the hearse, pointing out to the nonplussed police officer that he did not want the dear departed to be late for his own funeral.
I do not know the officer's reaction to that one.