@prairiepaul If the police pull you over for speeding and ask you, “do you know how fast you were going,” what should you say? Usually your answer will not matter in court. However, the police ask that question as a method of controlling you or to confirm something they are not sure about. #Police #Ticket #Speeding #SpeedingTicket #RCMP #Vancouver #driving #BritishColumbia #Canada #CharterOfRights #Attorney #Lawyer #FYP ♬ original sound – Paul Doroshenko 🇨🇦
You’re driving along the highway when police lights suddenly flash in your rearview mirror. You pull over. You know what’s coming next. “Do you know how fast you were going?” Why would an officer equipped with a radar gun even bother asking that? According to one lawyer, it’s a way to control you…
Vancouver lawyer Paul Doroshenko, posting under the TikTok name Prairie Paul, recently debated what you should say when police ask this. Though his advice is aimed at Canadians, he argues the tactic is broader:
The strategy is simple: prompt you to apologize and shift you onto the defensive. Once you’re talking, the officer may gain the upper hand. You may volunteer evidence, or feel pressured to consent to searches you’d otherwise refuse. Doroshenko insists the question is “a tactic to control you.”
Even though Doroshenko is Canadian, his warnings echo advice from U.S. defense lawyers. One common refrain: “My lawyer told me not to talk to you.” In both countries, you must provide your license, registration, and insurance. However, you’re allowed to refuse further questioning until you’ve spoken to counsel.