[Closed] Average speed cameras work. Are they even on ?

Lifer - Member

rebel12 - Member
My fast road instructor offered a running commentary on all hazards, seen and as yet unseen whilst traveling at between 60-90 on a NSL single carrigeway. He was even able to pick up small details in the road surface and what they and verges at that speed. I felt far safer travelling at that sort of speed with him than many other drivers I've had the misfortune of traveling with at well below the speed limit.

What small details was he able to pick up on at 40 metres per second?

Changes in road surface, camber and likely grip level, potholes and water hazards, damp leaves or oil/petrol ahead, metal gratings (much lower grip in wet), trees and lamposts in the distance indicating bends, changes in the central line spacing (elongated dividing lines) to indicate danger or a junction or bend ahead, Distant churches indicating a settlement ahead, Hash markings and junction assessment, mud on the road indicating that there could be tractors around, positioning the vehicle correctly at all times, zones of invisibilty ahead, reactions of oncoming drivers and forward planning, speed limits and road width, potential traffic hazards ahead and behind, animal hazards at sides of road, likely pedestrian behaviour - particularly children, undergrowth and hedges restricting visibility but giving a clue to what lies ahead, planning and likely actions for visible traffic waiting to join the carrigeway, machinery in fields indicating possible farm activity, livestock grouped together near a fence indicating a possible crossing or farmer parked up, weather, sunshine and its effects on visibility to you and others and possible wind effects on exposed sections of carrigeway, I could go on but I think that's enough to give a snapshot. Demonstrated all whilst exhibiting exceptional car control at various speeds.

Think you could do that Lifer? Still think you don't need to take any further training?

I can't do all of this all of the time yet but I'm working on it and with practise hope to get there. It's a complete head**** at first but will become second nature so I'm told.

Driving fast on road is as much about observation, planning and anticipation as good car control. The key is to know when to slow down just as much as when you can safely go fast.

Think you could do that Lifer?

I do that sort of thing all the time! Who the hell doesn't notice cattle grids ffs?! And changes in road surface don't matter if you're not near the limit of any of them! I know there's less grip on a crappy surface than a good one, but since I am driving in a relaxed manner anyway and not going that fast, I don't need to adjust my driving when the surface gets worse.

You're worrying me more now given that you speed and think all that is impressive rather than normal.

All that stuff is the predictable stuff anyway. You can't always see all entrances or driveways, and you can't ever be sure that an oncoming car isn't going to veer onto your side of the road. Imagining you've got everything covered is arrogant, and it leads to over-confidence.

Driving [s]fast[/s] on road is as much about observation, planning and anticipation as good car control

FTFY.

Changes in road surface, camber and likely grip level, potholes and water hazards, damp leaves or oil/petrol ahead, metal gratings (much lower grip in wet), trees and lamposts in the distance indicating bends, changes in the central line spacing (elongated dividing lines) to indicate danger or a junction or bend ahead, Distant churches indicating a settlement ahead, Hash markings and junction assessment, mud on the road indicating that there could be tractors around, positioning the vehicle correctly at all times, zones of invisibilty ahead, reactions of oncoming drivers and forward planning, speed limits and road width, potential traffic hazards ahead and behind, animal hazards at sides of road, likely pedestrian behaviour - particularly children, undergrowth and hedges restricting visibility but giving a clue to what lies ahead, planning and likely actions for visible traffic waiting to join the carrigeway, machinery in fields indicating possible farm activity, livestock grouped together near a fence indicating a possible crossing or farmer parked up, weather, sunshine and its effects on visibility to you and others and possible wind effects on exposed sections of carrigeway, I could go on but I think that's enough to give a snapshot. Demonstrated all whilst exhibiting exceptional car control at various speeds.

Not being funny. And I'm sure as hell no driving god.

But this is just paying attention. Achieved my many.

you can't ever be sure that an oncoming car isn't going to veer onto your side of the road

No, but you can be prepared in case it does.

But this is just paying attention. Achieved my many.

Achieved by depressingly few, in my experience.

No, but you can be prepared in case it does.

By not masturbating over one's demon skills and slowing down a bit.

I always wondered what the Americans meant by "driving stick."

🙂

Incidentally, whilst we're on the subject,

Was today "National Drive On The Wrong Side Of The Road Day" and I missed the memo? I seem to have spent most of it throwing my car into the gutter to avoid drifting halfwits on phones.

By not masturbating over one's demon skills

Not strictly true, that's what the passenger seat is for...as we all know, women dig men driving fast through an area where you have second guess what the [b]children[/b] may do??!

There's a busy road crossing I use at least once a day when taking the dog for a stroll. I normally have to wait for a dozen or so cars. I never fail to see at least one, often two, sometimes three or four cars with drivers on their phones. And that's not counting the ones looking down at their crotches texting (they may after all be IAMs having a Thomas). It appears to be one law change that hasn't worked at all.

EDIT: the above in response to Cougar.

molgrips - Member

Think you could do that Lifer?

I do that sort of thing all the time!

Of course you do molegrips 🙄

I do too. I also record my journey with a dashcam. Then me and some other of my IAM buddies go to a pub, order halves of ale and get the journey with my commentary projected onto a screen. I then have to give a presentation on it at the end and explain clearly anything I have missed. We have a small Q&A session. We finish with a group Thomas The Tank.

I am not reading 15 pages so will someone please give me a sit rep as to what is happening in hear?

It looks like its about speeding.

My view is if you think saving time on your journey by speeding is ok then you are a selfish prick.

I come to this conclusion as you must think saving a little time in you own life is worth ending someone else's.

Some speed limits are however just silly. 70mph on a motorway?? Low speed limits when chance of coming into contact with pedestrians is ok as the human body is not getting any better at being run over. But when the 70mph limit was first enforced cars wear shit and now they are pretty damm good.

My view is if you think saving time on your journey by speeding is ok then you are a selfish prick

You're a selfish pr**k - there you go.

There's not one person commenting on this forum that's never driven over the speed limit including you.

There's not one person commenting on this forum that's never driven over the speed limit including you.

But not all of them to save time.

deadlydarcy - Member

There's not one person commenting on this forum that's never driven over the speed limit including you.

But not all of them to save time.

No some of them by mistake because they just don't realise. How good is that for observation?

At least when I speed it's intentional and I make sure I'm aware exactly what I'm doing and whether it's appropriate for the conditions. I really worry for those people whose zero awareness allow then to stray over the limit by mistake, a lapse of concentration, because they are texting/phoning or because they are not even aware what the limit actually is!

rebel12 - Member

There's not one person commenting on this forum that's never driven over the speed limit...

just a thought, who here would accept a GPS tracker/cameras/accelerometers/whatever in their car for a reduction in their insurance premiums?

what discount would you accept?

me: yes, 10%

you:...?

[quote=ahwiles ] rebel12 - Member
There's not one person commenting on this forum that's never driven over the speed limit...
just a thought, who here would accept a GPS tracker/cameras/accelerometers/whatever in their car for a reduction in their insurance premiums?
what discount would you accept?
me: yes, 10%
you:...?
me:yes, 0%
Make them compulsory fitment to all vehicles. Accidents would reduce in both number and severity and ALL our insurance premiums would decrease.

No some of them by mistake because they just don't realise. How good is that for observation?

But you'd accept, not because they're "selfish pricks"?

scotroutes - Member

me:yes, 0%
Make them compulsory fitment to all vehicles. Accidents would reduce in both number and severity and ALL our insurance premiums would decrease.

good point, well put, i'm in, anyone else?

Nah. That's naive.

You'd just see a massive rise in "broken" trackers, black market firmware and log editing services.

How many uninsured drivers are there on the roads? Enough to merit a special bureau to fund their crashes.

me: yes, 10%

Something tells me your insurance is rather more expensive than mine - which is interesting...

I'll bet you that the number of uninsured drivers is a lot fewer than the number of speeding drivers - by a considerable margin (I almost wrote "order of magnitude" there 😳 ). The unit would have to be designed to be tamper-proof and could be checked by the authorities both randomly and at each MOT. Of course some folk would get around it, but they would be in the minority

I'll bet you that the number of uninsured drivers is a lot fewer than the number of speeding drivers

Yes, but as discussed above, being a speeding driver doesn't actually make you a dangerous driver.

I.
Don't
Care.

Seriously though - if there was a way in which speed limits could actually be enforced then there would be more probability of getting some of them raised.

Do you think enforcement by flying pig would be good enough for them to consider raising the limits?

scotroutes - Member

ahwiles » rebel12 - Member
There's not one person commenting on this forum that's never driven over the speed limit...
just a thought, who here would accept a GPS tracker/cameras/accelerometers/whatever in their car for a reduction in their insurance premiums?
what discount would you accept?
me: yes, 10%
you:...?

me:yes, 0%
Make them compulsory fitment to all vehicles. Accidents would reduce in both number and severity and ALL our insurance premiums would decrease.

Absolutely no chance, over my dead body. Full no claims, IAM discount, no points so insurance cheap.

I doubt whether this would help much. The only thing that's going to reduce accidents further from where we are at the moment is a combination of better driver education, and more police on the road checking for drink driving, tailgating and general poor driving.

Do you realise that 1 in 6 deaths on UK roads last year was attributable to someone being drunk behind the wheel. If the police focused their efforts here rather than the 'Money Spinner' that is speeding then I'm sure we'd all be much safer.

Yep...ASCs covering all trunk roads. With a variable speed limit that could go above present limits if the road, weather and traffic conditions allow.

And busy roads to have an "IAM Trained Drivers Only" lane.

aracer - Member

Something tells me your insurance is rather more expensive than mine - which is interesting...

v minor car park bump 5 years ago, girlfriend similar, car parked on the street in what is considered an 'interesting' area.

£800.

rebel12 - Member

Do you realise that 1 in 6 deaths on UK roads last year was attributable to someone being drunk behind the wheel.

so, 5 in 6 deaths involved drivers who were sober?

Yes, and 93% of KSI accidents didn't have excessive speed as a cause.

KSI?

But as we've already discussed, speed is a contributory factor to the [i]seriousness[/i] of any accident.

KSI = Killed or Seriously Injured

KSI - Killed or Seriously Injured - sorry beat me to it 🙂

I am not reading 15 pages so will someone please give me a sit rep as to what is happening in hear?
It looks like its about speeding.
My view is if you think saving time on your journey by speeding is ok then you are a selfish prick.
I come to this conclusion as you must think saving a little time in you own life is worth ending someone else's.

+1 but i expect the other now 16 pages are resplendent in the finest bellendery arguing to the contrary.

[quote=rebel12 ]KSI - Killed or Seriously Injured - sorry beat me to it You weren't fast enough

scotroutes - Member

rebel12 » KSI - Killed or Seriously Injured - sorry beat me to it

You weren't fast enough

Now there's a first 😉

speed may well not be a cause, but it's a complicating factor.

crashing at 50 involves twice (?) as much energy as a crash at 40.

edit: 56% more energy according to my second attempt at the maths, do of course check this...

I'm amazed how there's only a few people on this thread who have actually admitted to speeding? Guess there's either a lot of people hiding something on here or maybe STW really is the holy grail of slow and steady motoring.

Probably most people have the common sense not to admit to illegal activity in a public forum.

I'm amazed how there's only a few people on this thread who have actually admitted to speeding? Guess there's either a lot of people hiding something on here or maybe STW really is the holy grail of slow and steady motoring.

One could draw the conclusion that STW is the holy grail of driving gods from some of the contributors. But that would also be bollocks.

I've had two speeding convictions. Then I grew up and became a better driver.

Do I speed?

I dunno. Probably. But I'm too busy rolling fags and sorting out work on the phone to notice. I try my best though.

v minor car park bump 5 years ago, girlfriend similar, car parked on the street in what is considered an 'interesting' area.

Which would appear to make you a far higher insurance risk than driving at 57mph in a 50 does.

My view is if you think saving time on your journey by speeding is ok then you are a selfish prick

You're a selfish pr**k - there you go.

There's not one person commenting on this forum that's never driven over the speed limit including you.

Its easy to quote only part of my point. It is selfish endangering other people because you are in a rush or have just decided to speed. Its simply not fair. Its ok 99% of the time, no harm done ect ect. But is speeding only selfish when you kill someone?

And i have never gone above the speed limit on public roads when driving. Infact i have never driven on public road never even had a licence. so its pretty safe to say i have NEVER broken the speed limit