Viewing 25 posts - 81 through 105 (of 105 total)
  • Probably been caught speeding .. minor whine
  • Cougar
    Full Member

    Those of you going on about streetlights might want to refresh your knowledge. 183 m apart is your clue

    Where have you got this figure from (200yds I assume)? The figure quoted on the course I did said something like “30 yards” (I can’t remember exactly now), and THC just says “the presence of street lights” as a rule of thumb when there’s no other signage.

    There are countless roads around here that are NSL where you most definitely shouldn’t drive at 60 mph. Maybe you want to rephrase your question?

    As the poindexters will tell you with tedious regularity on any and all speed-related discussions, it’s a limit not a target.

    You should be driving at or near the limit when it is safe to do so. If you drive at 60 in an NSL when the road conditions would suggest a slower speed to be more appropriate then you will fail a test; similarly, if you mince around at 30 in an NSL for no good reason, you will also fail.

    rumbledethumps
    Free Member

    I’m on a speed awareness course in 2 weeks. I was doing 37 in a 30. The fella was on an unmarked bike, in Jeans, no Hi Viz with a gun.

    Miffed, but at the end of the day I can only blame myself.

    Interesting to see the price differences for the courses across counties though.

    Drac
    Full Member

    What speed can I go up to?

    Depends what I’m driving.

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    DrJ
    Full Member

    As a non-driver I’m a bit puzzled by this thread – cars race around my residential area at high speed regardless of the danger of, e.g. a child emerging from between parked cars. Are you now telling me that a) this is illegal and on top of that b) there are areas of the country where the police make an effort to apprehend violators?

    Cougar
    Full Member

    The one that I hadn’t realised is that a dual carriageway simply refers to the separation between the carriageways, not the number of lanes on each side – so you can do 70 on a single lane highway as long as the carriageways are separated.

    Correct. Popular misconception, it’s got nothing to do with lanes.

    On the SAC I did, other than the course leaders I was the only person in the room who knew a) what the difference was between single- and dual-carriageways and b) what the limits where on those roads.

    It’s surprising how many people (like the OP) think that 40mph is a standard speed limit anywhere. It’s relatively unusual. In the absence of regular signage, it’s never going to be a 40; it’ll be 30, 60 or 70.

    simmy
    Free Member

    [/quote]You should be driving at or near the limit when it is safe to do so. If you drive at 60 in an NSL when the road conditions would suggest a slower speed to be more appropriate then you will fail a test; similarly, if you mince around at 30 in an NSL for no good reason, you will also fail.

    Exactly. Spot on.

    Apologies if I don’t write the correct thing every time, I’m not good at putting things into writing.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    As a non-driver I’m a bit puzzled by this thread – cars race around my residential area at high speed regardless of the danger of, e.g. a child emerging from between parked cars. Are you now telling me that a) this is illegal and on top of that b) there are areas of the country where the police make an effort to apprehend violators?

    The police (well, the now apparently defunct ACPO) have said that it’s generally not their policy to police 20mph zones.

    If it’s a problem, get on to the council about installing traffic-calming measures.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I’m not good at putting things into writing.

    Or quotes. (-:

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    It’s surprising how many people (like the OP) think that 40mph is a standard speed limit anywhere

    The empirical evidence of the 45 everywhere driver (obviously 40 and a bit for luck) says how poor the awareness and standards are out there. Perhaps speed awareness is just a warm up for mandatory retesting

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    On the SAC I did, other than the course leaders I was the only person in the room who knew a) what the difference was between single- and dual-carriageways and b) what the limits where on those roads.

    No-one likes a smart-arse. 🙂

    The other really interesting thing I learned from my SAC was the non-linear nature of decceleration under braking, ie the fact that at low speeds most of the meaningful braking happens in the last couple of metres. So if you are doing 35 and a kid runs out in front, in a situation where you’d just stop in time at 30, you’ll hit them at 15 mph.

    simmy
    Free Member

    Or quotes. (-:

    Has it worked this time ?

    Don’t know how I mange to get them the wrong way round 😀

    Drac
    Full Member

    Are you now telling me that a) this is illegal and on top of that b) there are areas of the country where the police make an effort to apprehend violators?

    Only if your less than 90 miles from home, on on the flat and not near a hospital.

    jimjam
    Free Member

    Drac

    Only if your less than 90 miles from home, on on the flat and not near a hospital.

    So how many times are you going to keep making my wife the butt of your jokes Drac? There’s something ironic about armchair experts pontificating about lessons they learned on a speed awareness course 😆

    If I was a mod I’d probably try to avoid repeatedly goading someone directly, especially using their spouse as the butt of my jokes. I wouldn’t want it to look as though I was using my position to bully them, or deliberately trying to get a negative reaction from a forum member so I could give them some kind of massively disproportionate bans alluding to things they didn’t do and non existent warning they didn’t heed. Eh? 😉

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    Cougar – Moderator 
    It’s surprising how many people (like the OP) think that 40mph is a standard speed limit anywhere. It’s relatively unusual.

    I often drive behind people who seem to think 40 is the only speed you should drive at anywhere so I’ll just cruise behind them. 40 in 30, 40 in 60, just always 40 (and a number who just do 30 everywhere).

    I’m more chilled now though and not fussed about getting from A to B as fast as possible. I do get wound up though by certain people right up my backside getting frustrated by my speed not being to their liking, especially when I’m waiting for a safe point to overtake cyclists in a safe manner.

    Drac
    Full Member

    So how many times are you going to keep making my wife the butt of your jokes Drac?

    Sorry just my humour I’ll stop now.

    There’s something ironic about armchair experts pontificating about lessons they learned on a speed awareness course

    No one is perfect but some at least accept they were wrong. I was wrong to 74 in an 70.

    If I was a mod I’d probably try to avoid repeatedly goading someone directly, especially using their spouse as the butt of my jokes. I wouldn’t want it to look as though I was using my position to bully them, or deliberately trying to get a negative reaction from a forum member so I could give them some kind of massively disproportionate bans alluding to things they didn’t do and non existent warning they didn’t heed. Eh?

    Well you’d be right if that’s what I was doing. It just happens to be that I’m making jokes about someone who was speeding and their spouse making excuses for them. I’m not after a rise to ban you.

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    So how many times are you going to keep making my wife the butt of your jokes Drac? There’s something ironic about armchair experts pontificating about lessons they learned on a speed awareness course

    To be fair, I think it’s you rather than your wife

    milky1980
    Free Member

    Where I got done was M4 run up to the tolls after the bridge into Wales. Goes 70 to 50 and runs for a long stretch at 50 up to the tolls. Everyone just starts to slow down until they get to the tolls. Cops sit on the bridge behind a gantry and collect a fortune there, detecting speeds half a mile away down the road.

    Drive that regularly for work and see a fair number of people who’ve misjudged the queue and rear-ended someone, one or two seriously. It also drops to 30 before the booths too.

    tpbiker
    Free Member

    I’m waiting on one just now.. Biggar Road, stuck behind a lorry doing 45 for 15 miles, as was everyone else..

    Come up to a huge straight bit of road with nothing coming.. Guy in front pulls out to over take I follow. Gets past the bus and hammers on the brakes before pulling in.. I keep going as the road is clear for miles.. Turns out there is a camera Van.. On the only straight bit of road for 20 miles..

    Sure speeding is bad, but sticking a camera there is just plain daft and makes it more likely folk will have an accident, not less..

    For what it’s worth I was probably doing about 65 as I past the lorry. And have had no accidents or points in 24 years

    Cougar
    Full Member

    For what it’s worth I was probably doing about 65 as I past the lorry. And have had no accidents or points in 24 years

    If it was an indicated 65mph you were probably doing 60mph or less in reality. Assuming a 60mph limit you’ll be fine.

    tpbiker
    Free Member

    Hopefully.. It just annoyed me that that camera was there solely to catch folk and make money, rather than for safety.

    On the same road there are numerous spots that could probably Benefit from a camera, especially in the towns where folk make no effort to observe the 30 limit.

    Not issues with speed cameras, but use them to increase safety, rather than to generate cash

    philjunior
    Free Member

    It happens with increasing regularity as you come to realise it’s a government cash cow

    Cops sit on the bridge behind a gantry and collect a fortune there

    It makes me laugh the number of people who seem to think they’re being “taxed” for speeding.

    Have you taken a look at how much less fuel you use when you don’t speed? Have you considered that the vast majority of your spend on fuel goes straight to the government? Do you really think anyone who still has a license has really spent more on basic speeding fines than the extra amount they pay the government through extra fuel in between getting caught?

    I’m not claiming for a moment that I never speed, let alone never break the law, nor that I agree with speed cameras or speed being used as a blanket measure for safe driving, but I can’t see how they’d give “the man” more money.

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    philjunior – Member 
    It makes me laugh the number of people who seem to think they’re being “taxed” for speeding.

    Have you taken a look at how much less fuel you use when you don’t speed?

    In my case I was slowing down from 70 to the 50. Foot not on the pedal, engine eco indicating 100mpg at that point by doing so.

    Being heavier on the brakes and having to use a bit of gas to keep enough speed to get to the tolls without stalling would have used more fuel.

    Of course yes I could be driving everywhere on the motorway at 60. My car is most efficient at that speed on the motorway.

    And yes, I was less likely to bump into the back of someone in the queue (that wasn’t there). Admitted there must be some days there’s a big queue and some are driving way too quick up to the tolls. I’m not convinced waiting for people to speed and fining them stops accidents that are more likely caused by the few who often speed but aren’t used to the road. Proactive measures to slow the traffic would be better.

    Average speed cameras would fix it. They are guaranteed to get the vast majority to stick to the speed and you don’t feel you are the odd one out as others aren’t still going past you speeding. Cops on the SAC I did felt that revenue was mainly from speed vans. Average speed cameras were not used for revenue. I’m not even sure many or any people get tickets from average speed cameras. I don’t know of anyone who’s had one, but guess there are some. They work though and don’t require police presence in a van costing tax payers money.

    Stoatsbrother
    Free Member

    Most of us have been done. Many of us use it as a learning experience. And my SAC was great.

    Special pleading by those who think that it is a revenue trap, rather than something which has contributed to us being the second safest country in which to drive, or , to fail to understand that most cameras are sited where KSIs have occurred, or to slightly patronisingly excuse their wife from obeying the law, seems a bit sad.

    garage-dweller
    Full Member

    Where I got done was M4 run up to the tolls after the bridge into Wales. Goes 70 to 50 and runs for a long stretch at 50 up to the tolls. Everyone just starts to slow down until they get to the tolls. Cops sit on the bridge behind a gantry and collect a fortune there, detecting speeds half a mile away down the road.

    [quote]
    Drive that regularly for work and see a fair number of people who’ve misjudged the queue and rear-ended someone, one or two seriously. It also drops to 30 before the booths too.[/quote]

    At the other end of the spectrum going through there late at night slowing down for the 50 and the 30 always has me glancing anxiously in the mirror as there’s always a number of cretins who will charge along at full pelt assuming because they can’t stick to a speed limit and don’t know about the camera van nor will you.

    I stick to it anyway and would assume it is but is that 30 section there legally enforceable?

    It is rare I go through there in daylight but IIRC the 30 bit starts after the road has splayed into the toll zone and there’s no overhead signage only numbers on the road and the street light spacing is a bit uneven.

    garage-dweller
    Full Member

    I’m not even sure many or any people get tickets from average speed cameras.

    They’re actually pretty good in roadworks from what I’ve seen in the press.

    The ones on the M275 into Portsmouth during roadworks a couple of years back caught a very significant number very quickly iirc. One person was caught eight times in four months on that stretch alone.

    Whether they catch many in permanent installs is a moot point. If they catch few people where speeding was previously rife they are doing their job.

    Controversial maybe but the ones on the A12 in Essex and Suffolk have made large swathes of that road much more pleasant.

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