Speeding. ?☹

[Lovemyev]

Even before the 20 mph thing kicked off in Wales our local council went on a "safer villages" kick and reduced all the 30 mph zones to 20 mph. There was a bit of muttering, and a short stretch of main road in our village was restored to 30 mph (there's still a 20 mph stretch in the centre), but mainly people like it because they know how much better it is if you're the one standing on the pavement. I use the ACC in the MG4 set to 20 to cruise through, it's easy.

There's always one though. Or more realistically several. About three times I've been aggressively overtaken in Carlops by people doing at least 50 in the 20 zone, and that's a village where there are cottages right on the road. I've only seen one speed cop there though, and I drive through the village a lot. (I wasn't driving at the time, so it must have been before I got Caliban, and fortunately the friend who was driving was under the limit.)

I saw a potentially nasty one in West Linton a week ago. I was returning from a trip to the theatre at about 11.30 pm. When I entered the 20 mph zone there were two cars in front of me, and the leading car was doing the limit. I was about to turn right, and so, apparently, was he. He was a little slow in indicating, but he was positioned on the crown of the road and he was actually doing 20 mph. As he indicated and began to turn, the car in front of me whipped out and overtook him, vanishing up the road at about 50 mph. A marginal difference in timing and he'd have gone right into the driver's door of the turning car. If I'd had a dash-cam...

On the other side of the balance, I did it myself to a lorry in the middle of Broughton, which is a village that has a straight stretch of road in the middle where there are no houses. I had been tailing this lorry since Mountain Cross, and the HGV speed limit there is 40 mph, whereas it's 60 mph for cars. But there is no realistic chance of overtaking on that road. I knew the same applied to the road from Broughton to Moffat and didn't fancy tailing him for another 20 miles. So. Bad person, me.

Then the lorry followed me at 60 all the way to Moffat.

I have been overtaken at least three times in the last month, while travelling at 20 mph in the local area.
Once while passing a school!
Our village is littered in speed bumps, but it has had no effect whatsoever on the type of vehicles it was intended to slow down (white vans / heavy delivery vans etc).
They just disregard them and travel at the same speed.
I pick my granddaughters up from the local school, it is a 20 mph limit ( of course ).
I get there early to secure a safe place to park.
The speed some of the vans etc drive past the school is reckless driving in my opinion.

 

[Archev]

Speeding is an absolute offence - there is no mitigation (except in very rare, life-critical situations). And if you were doing 32 then your speedo was showing at a minimum 32 mph ... speedos cannot show a speed lower than the actual speed; they can (and do) show a higher speed, but never a lower speed. A tolerance on the speed detection is usually allowed for simplicity and to account for operational tolerances. (The equipment itself is type-approved and very accurate - the people operating the equipment less so).

“My officers” put my speed as 80 on the 70 limit motorway I got 3 points and a fine.

 

[tsedge]

The 10% +1 or +2 thing was never a coherent national policy, local forces have always had the discretion to set their own rules. Far too many people think this is a thing when it very often isn't.

I have never been caught speeding and there's a really simple reason - I stick to the speed limit - so can I be oblivious of cameras and traps. I drive my car hard inside the limit.

It is certainly true that a powerful car raises the risk of accidentally speeding. However - with great power comes great responsibility! ?

 

[Ian Key]

Many years ago my brother got stopped by the police for speeding in his Triumph Spitfire 1500 as he pulled off the A38. The officer's parting words were "They're not very fast these cars are they" ?

 

[salty]

I have never been caught speeding and there's a really simple reason - I stick to the speed limit - so can I be oblivious of cameras and traps. I drive my car hard inside the limit.

So you stick to the speed limit everywhere, and never go over at all. ?

 

[tsedge]

So you stick to the speed limit everywhere, and never go over at all. ?

Yes. Hence no tickets in 33 years driving.

 

[salty]

Yes. Hence no tickets in 33 years driving.

Fair enough, I doff my cap, to you Sir. ??

 

[Gadget Geek]

I had one ticket about 30 years ago when I was a white van man and the speed dropped from 60 to 30 over the brow of a hil (really sneaky), and my last one about 12 years ago in the middle of Bristol, where I didn't know where I was going, there were roadworks and diversions everywhere and the last thing I was looking at was the speedo. 37 in a 30 and managed to do the awareness course.

These days I just set the ACC and relax.

 

[Lovemyev]

My two children say I drive too slowly and are too patience with mistakes made by other drivers.
In actual fact I drive to roughly 1 Mph under the posted sign in most circumstances and leave a two car length between me and the car in front.
This has helped keep my driving licence clean for the last 40+ years.
I have tried over years to educate my two children this way.
If the sign states any number, then this intended to be the MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT.
So, strictly speaking, if you exceed this warning, then you are breaking the law !.
Argument over !.
What is the point of setting a limit if people just drive at what ever speed they feel like doing ??.
My son once collected a ticket and the said “For God’s sake don’t tell my Dad or I will never hear the end of it” ?.
Remember this - They can’t catch you if you are not speeding !.

 

[mg4mc]

One time on the M62 coming back from the Dutch ferry at 3am I had the Supra's cruise set at 85+ on a completely empty motorway in the inside lane. A set of lights slowly gained on me and pulled alongside. A full liverey traffic car, my heart sank, the policeman in the passenger seat looked across, shook his head, and they carried on cruising up the motorway at 90.

 

[salty]

My two children say I drive too slowly and are too patience with mistakes made by other drivers.
In actual fact I drive to roughly 1 Mph under the posted sign in most circumstances and leave a two car length between me and the car in front.
This has helped keep my driving licence clean for the last 40+ years.
I have tried over years to educate them this way.
If the sign states any number, then this intended to be the MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT.
So, strictly speaking, if you exceed this warning, then you are breaking the law !.
Argument over !.
What is the point of setting a limit if people just drive at what ever speed they feel like doing ??.
My son once collected a ticket and the said “For God’s sake don’t tell my Dad or I will never hear the end of it” ?.
Remember this - They can’t catch you if you are not speeding !.

Agreed, i was doing 48 in a 40 zone, end of, got caught, so again end of. Not even trying to make any excuses. And if you drive everywhere under the speed limit then good on ya. But would have to say the VAST majority of drivers don't. I'm not saying silly speeds, take mine for example 48 in a 40 on a dual carriageway, someone else on this thread 32 in a 30, not exactly warp speed. Think most of the time your just, unlucky if you get caught, fair cop, i s'pose. ?

One time on the M62 coming back from the Dutch ferry at 3am I had the Supra's cruise set at 85+ on a completely empty motorway in the inside lane. A set of lights slowly gained on me and pulled alongside. A full liverey traffic car, my heart sank, the policeman in the passenger seat looked across, shook his head, and they carried on cruising up the motorway at 90.

He obviously used a bit of common sense. Bet that shake of the head worked though on that particular night, bet you slowed down. ??

 

[emmrecs]

Just to add one more anecdote to this discussion on speed limits and police discretion.

Many years ago now my wife received a fine and points for doing 31mph on a 30 mph road! She was clocked by a policeman sitting in his car, using a radar gun. The official notification letter of her fine etc., confirmed her speed as being measured as 31.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

With an ICE car the noise you get used to in the cabin is an indication of the speed , something we are now lacking. Also a quick glance at a normal speedometer , the angle of the needle rather than matching it with a number is a better indicator than a quickly changing digital display. On my last visit to my home town , two roads which used to be national speed limits have been reduced to 50 and 40 , there does not appear to be any differences in the amount of housing or other reasons apart from road repairs, the tarmac ,holes, humps and bumps are the same as they were 20 years ago. Of course the only improvements are a few speed ( revenue ) cameras. If a council can downgrade a road ,it does not need to spend as much money repairing it.

 

[salty]

Just to add one more anecdote to this discussion on speed limits and police discretion.

Many years ago now my wife received a fine and points for doing 31mph on a 30 mph road! She was clocked by a policeman sitting in his car, using a radar gun. The official notification letter of her fine etc., confirmed her speed as being measured as 31.

Technically breaking the law or not. That's absolutely bl00dy ridiculous. ?

 

[emmrecs]

Technically breaking the law or not. That's absolutely bl00dy ridiculous. ?

I agree! I did suggest she should challenge it but she didn't.

 

[salty]

I agree! I did suggest she should challenge it but she didn't.

As most people won't, and they know that! ?

With an ICE car the noise you get used to in the cabin is an indication of the speed , something we are now lacking. Also a quick glance at a normal speedometer , the angle of the needle rather than matching it with a number is a better indicator than a quickly changing digital display. On my last visit to my home town , two roads which used to be national speed limits have been reduced to 50 and 40 , there does not appear to be any differences in the amount of housing or other reasons apart from road repairs, the tarmac ,holes, humps and bumps are the same as they were 20 years ago. Of course the only improvements are a few speed ( revenue ) cameras. If a council can downgrade a road ,it does not need to spend as much money repairing it.

Glad you mentioned "(revenue)" camera's. ?

 

[tsedge]

I do find people get very impatient with me driving at the speed limit and if I have an opportunity I let them past, especially if they are tailgating, to reduce risk.

I drive at the true speed limit, so I calibrate my car's speedo. The MG4 speedo seems to be calibrated already, previous cars it would mean eg driving at 44 in a 40, 55 in a 50, 76 in a 70 etc... but in the MG4 I drive at 40, 50, 70 etc...

Everyone seems in such a hurry, I worry they are missing out on life by being fixated on the rush!

 

[Gomev]

I do find people get very impatient with me driving at the speed limit and if I have an opportunity I let them past, especially if they are tailgating, to reduce risk.

I drive at the true speed limit, so I calibrate my car's speedo. The MG4 speedo seems to be calibrated already, previous cars it would mean eg driving at 44 in a 40, 55 in a 50, 76 in a 70 etc... but in the MG4 I drive at 40, 50, 70 etc...

Everyone seems in such a hurry, I worry they are missing out on life by being fixated on the rush!

I agree my 5 the speedo is very accurate according to GPS speed. With ACC set at 70 overtake loads of other, mainly ICE cars that I reckon have their cruise set at 70 too.

 

[Lovemyev]

I remember back in the day, when driving the older cars that I could only afford to buy, when travelling at a steady pace, the speedo needle would be flickering with a one or two mile discrepancy in each direction ?.
You would then have to keep a close eye on your speed on a regular basis.
Today with all of the technology available, you SHOULD have less of a chance of getting caught TBH.
Speed sign recognition ( when working correctly ) instantly flashes up when you are exceeding the speed limit.
The speedo in the dash pan reads out in large LED sized font in modern cars, so it is pretty hard to claim you did not know what speed you are doing, when getting caught these days.
I guess folks who get caught for speeding fall into two main categories.
You have the first group who normally drive inside of the law, but in brief moment of the lack of awareness ( mind else where on work or personal matters ) they have drifted above the speed limit.
We have all experienced this at some time I am sure.
Then you have the second group who just drive at what ever speed THEY feel is appropriate for the road, this is most of the time OBTW.
I regularly track cars travelling at about 80Mph in the fast lane of the motorway, I offer them no sympathy at all.
My sympathy goes out to the people who encounter these people and are injured as a result of their reckless driving habits.
It is a habit, purely because they drive like this for the majority of the time.
Travelling so close to the car in front, they are almost sitting on the back seat.
No wonder my insurance premium keeps rising every single year !.
Thanks a lot ?.

 

[Rolfe]

On the way back from Sussex, going up the northerly stretches of the M6, I set Caliban's ACC to 80. I saw two or three police cars on watch, but none of them paid any attention to me. Just lucky, I suppose.