Do you know how fast you were going?
 

What's the correct answer to give?

If you answer "yes", you are admitting to driving over the limit and it seems to me as though you'd be more likely to get a ticket, but answer "no" and you admit to driving carelessly!

How does one handle this situation, correctly?

This is the kind of paradox that short-circuits my ability to process information. I dawdle around until my nen-verbal language decides for me, I guess.

Might the answer depend on the circumstances? If you're doing, say, 45 in a 35, you might lean toward oh I didn't notice my exact speed. If you're doing 65 in a 45 you might not want to admit it, but it's a stretch to pretend you didn't know you were going that fast.

When I've gotten speeding tickets in the past, I generally admitted to my crime. It seems like it depends on whether the officer needs to fill his quota or not. Sometimes, I'm let of with a warning; sometimes I get the ticket. Usually I get the warning, so maybe honesty is the best policy.

I got off with a warning, but answering "yes" to 45 in a 35 and trying to suggest I thought I the limit was 45 was a bad idea. Not only had I just passed a speed limit sign, I had passed two. The second sign, the officer noted to me, was an oversized sign with numbers twice as large as standard and that he was "very surprised" I could have "not noticed such an obvious marker". Ouch.

I think I got out of it because I just started bumbling like a moron at that point. ...or maybe I was showing a hint of leg...

Do not ever incriminate yourself - that is why the officer phrases the question that way - to make his job easy if it goes to court. When you acknowledge that you were speeding, you are waiving the presumption of innocence and its very difficult to get it back - sort of like withdrawing a confession.

It is not always necessary to answer the question as asked. You can say anything you want including a question of your own:

"Was I speeding?"
"If I was speeing, I didn't realize it."
"I would never intentionally exceed the speed limit."

Don't do the cop's job for him/her.

Well, I must admit that sometimes I've used the "I was concentrating on my driving and didn't glance down at my speedometer" excuse. This seems to work no better than an honest admission that you KNEW you were speeding, though. Here's something that worked once for me. I pulled my car over, got out, raised my hands over my head, and said, "You got me officer! I surrender. I'll go quietly." The cop seemed to think this was funny and let me off with a warning.

Yes, this is very true. And also, don't give any incriminating reply to the more general question: Do you know why I stopped you?

The best answer is the one given by Werner Heisenberg who was stopped one day off the Autobahn by a police officer who asked "Do you know how fast you were going, Herr Doktor?", to which the physicist responded, "No, but I know exactly where I am.".

That's very funny... sure it's not an urban legend?

I always invoke the fifth. (the fifth amendment, not the bottle)

speaking of the fifth (symphony, that is...)

I was stopped one time (doing 40 in a 30 area) but ....

as the cop stuck his head in the window, the Beatles tape I was playing reached the 'Piggies' track......

He went over that car with a fine toothcomb....

I'm sure it didn't happen. It's a joke, son.

I'll vote none of the above.

But of course, my usual answer doesn't work for everybody.

Just as soon as I get over the flashlight being shined into my eyes, my usual answer is, "Hi Chuck, how are the twins?"