Viewing 40 posts - 41 through 80 (of 231 total)
  • Would you buy a speed limited car?
  • molgrips
    Free Member

    Who is this genghispod and where was he the last time we did this to death a few weeks ago?

    To summarise:

    Speed may cause some accidents and not others, but it makes some accidents mote likely and it makes every accident worse. Simple physics.

    And there is no reason to speed other than impatience or simple desire. None at all. So get over yourselves.

    Euro
    Free Member

    And there is no reason to speed other than impatience or simple desire. None at all. So get over yourselves.

    There are other reasons to speed, but desire is a pretty strong one. What speed is the high horse limited to?

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    simple desire

    Yup. Great innit? 🙂

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    ahwiles
    Free Member

    yes.

    i wouldn’t go out of my way to buy one, but if it was a ‘feature’ on a car i was considering it wouldn’t put me off in the slightest.

    What about those silly 5mph and 10mph signs … I don’t think you can physically drive that slow!

    it really isn’t hard – cars have these things called accelerators, brakes, gears, and speedometers.

    stumpyjon
    Full Member

    It wouldn’t be a deal breaker.

    julianwilson
    Free Member

    I suppose I am richer in time and poorer in money so yes I would consider it if it was really cheaper in the real world. I already drive the t4 at 60 rather than 70 most of the time. The difference in consumption between 60 and 70, (and particularly between 70 and 80!) on a brick like that versus how much I am not usually in a hurry and how much that fuel saved is worth to me usually/often makes it feel worth it.

    It would be even more worth it if car cost and insurance was significantly cheaper. However in the real world, car manufacturers/dealers and insurers still want to make money. No car manufacturer would willingly take a hit on the profits of a car for the hassle of fitting it with a limiter so you would need to get it funded ultimately from the taxpayer whether that was through direct per-vehicle subsidy or tax breaks as encouragement for manufacturers who made such vehicles (guffaws at motorists hearing their taxes were being invested in encouraging them to drive more slowly!)

    I have no doubt that an underwriter predicting, for example’s sake a 40% saving in payouts from the ‘safer’/slower driving of a speed limited car would somehow get nibbled back to a 15% at best saving in money to the policy holder after everyone else had their slice. 😕

    Tom-B
    Free Member

    Yeah I’d buy one….apparently I’m not welcome on the motorway though as I sit at 5mph below the speed limit constantly (not constantly in the middle lane). 25k miles a year mainly on the motorway with no accidents or endorsements in 10 years of holding a licence suggest that I’m not too unsafe.

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    No problem for me as long as acceleration is not reduced. I have had some interesting drives where I’ve observed the 30 and ns limits around here while the van/fiesta/corsa driver has caned it through the 30 to catch me up only to go backwards at each de-restriction.

    IanMunro
    Free Member

    I think it would depend on the reduction in tax and insurance that went with it. 10% Nope. 90% Yes. Not too sure where the maybe figure would be for me.

    PiknMix
    Free Member

    Nope, not even if it came with free insurance, VED and free petrol for life!

    glupton1976
    Free Member

    So you can’t imagine a scenario where having two viable options (brake or accelerate) for avoiding an accident would be beneficial? Go read a book called Road Craft, the police driving manual. Then come back to us.

    No I can absolutely not ever think of a situation where more speed would avoid a crash. More looking ahead and processing information correctly always works. If 15% extra speed would make a difference to your dodgy overtaking manoeuvre, to the point where it’s crash or no crash, then it was never safe and you’re an arse hole for trying it.

    IanW
    Free Member

    Julian W

    Many(possibly even most) new cars already have all the technology installed to make this possible and insurance companies are falling over themselves installing thousands of black boxes every week.

    Generally speaking the new technology creates new opportunities for companies like those providing the insurance . Car manufacturers are not so keen, their business is flogging cars many of which are sold on the promise they will improve your live by being faster than last years model.

    That’s why they are blocking the EU direct live to make installing black box and speed limiting compulsory.

    It will eventually happen though..2018 at a guess.

    jfletch
    Free Member

    One thing that concerns me is if you deskill the driving process even further will drivers just switch off even more and actually become more dangerous.

    That is clearly bollocks! Just think about it.

    25k miles a year mainly on the motorway with no accidents or endorsements in 10 years of holding a licence suggest that I’m not too unsafe.

    Proves nowt. I drive at all sorts of speeds depending on the conditions, my mood and the time of day. Been driving 25 years and currently averaging 40k a year. In that time I had an SP30, 20 years ago – not speeding past a school, but 5mph over the limit in a line of traffic accelerating on the border of a 50mph zone and I’ve had 1 50/50 accident at 10mph.

    People that bullishly sit at one speed regardless of their surroundings are not good drivers imo

    *edit

    And there are some right fannies in this thread 😉

    shermer75
    Free Member

    The idea appeals to me completely. It depends on how much money you would save on tax and fuel efficiency because, at times, it is more convenient (and I mean convenient, not safer) to break the law and go over the speed limit. However if I saved a bunch of money and felt like I was driving more safely then yes I’d go for it. Why do you ask?

    benji
    Free Member

    That is clearly bollocks! Just think about it.

    I clearly had thought about as I had written about it, would love to be enlightened as to why you thought I was talking rubbish.

    You are probably assuming that people will spend more time on making observations, unfortunately that probably won’t be the case, and the misunderstanding of the public about what abs/eps/asc all actually do, is bewildering, they almost believe the car is non-crashable no matter what the road conditions.

    _tom_
    Free Member

    Nope, not even if it came with free insurance, VED and free petrol for life!

    Why not? You could have the limited, “free” car for every day stuff then have another unlimited fun car if you really need to speed everywhere.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    And there are some right fannies in this thread

    some right cocks too

    PiknMix
    Free Member

    Why not? You could have the limited, “free” car for every day stuff then have another unlimited fun car if you really need to speed everywhere.

    2 cars!! Good god man wont someone think of the environment 😉

    joolsburger
    Free Member

    My OP really wasn’t about speeding more about traffic jams. From my experience of driving a lot of congestion is caused by people getting up the arse of the car in front, having to brake, so the guy behind does and the guy behind and so on and that chain means that half a mile behind the traffic stops dead then takes a fair while to get going again. The reason the M25 has variable limits is more to manage bottlenecks than safety (think of a funnel being filled until the hole can’t let out enough water, if you want the funnel to empty you have to pour in less water, seems obvious). It just struck me that if you want to manage traffic volumes the only way is to physically manage car speeds. It amazes me that so many people think the “slow down queue ahead” thing is just not applicable to them, it might as well say “keep going flat out then cut in at the last minute and then stop for 15 minutes you daft spanner”. As for speeding in general terms seems as I’ve got older the desire to rip around like the road is a racetrack has diminished and I prefer spending less on 6.50 a gallon petrol.

    There are loads of trackdays if you really want to drive properly but I get my jollies on the MTB mostly.

    ninfan
    Free Member

    Seems good to me – as do the black boxes.

    Also think the cameras, as used by the russians, are a bloody good idea – I think that they would settle more than a few insurance arguments swiftly

    IanW
    Free Member

    Telling we have to argue the merits of not breaking the law. 🙁

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    25k miles a year mainly on the motorway with no accidents or endorsements in 10 years of holding a licence suggest that I’m not too unsafe.

    13 years since my last brush with the law, 25k/year easy lots of motorways until I left the UK, know every dip/bump/corner on the M6 and nothing on my license with a less than strict regard for the speed limit. High regard for safety but a common sense approach to the speed limit.

    Was in NZ a few weeks back and there were some slow cars that I passed by hitting well above the limit but was back in the right lane and back at the limit within 30s, dangerous or safe – you wouldn’t know as you were not there.

    Tell a driver there car is safer because it’s limited then they will pay less attention, a NSL does not mean it’s safe to do 60mph etc. I’m not advocating metal spikes on the steering wheel either. Assessing the correct speed is a skill not a signpost.

    hot_fiat
    Full Member

    No I can absolutely not ever think of a situation where more speed would avoid a crash. More looking ahead and processing information correctly always works. If 15% extra speed would make a difference to your dodgy overtaking manoeuvre, to the point where it’s crash or no crash, then it was never safe and you’re an arse hole for trying it.

    So you come to overtake mr morrisons lorry on a nsl single carriageway. He’s being a good boy and doing 40 as he should. You find a nice straight section, pull out and begin to pass. Mr chav in his scooby follows you, indicator and headlights on: he clearly is in a hurry and will probably come past you once you’ve completed your manouver.

    Only you get 1/2 way past mr morrisons and you find out he’s not such a good boy after all and being a typical uneducated arse he’s decided to accelerate up to his limited 56 to block your overtake. He’s empty, he’s got 3000nm of torque, this happens pretty instantly. Your speed differential is now just 4mph. In the distance you see a headlight. Captain power-ranger on his gsxr thou. He’s doing god knows what speed as they do. You can’t brake cos you’ve got inadequate chav man 3″ from your bumper, but you can’t accelerate because you’re at your limited speed. So you continue to bimble past completely in the right. You make it, just. Chav man doesn’t, you’ve just arrogantly, self-rightously killed two people. Well done

    Northwind
    Full Member

    jfletch – Member

    That is clearly bollocks! Just think about it.

    It’s pretty much universally accepted that this happens tbh. Excessive road signs make people switch off, safer feeling cars make people drive less carefully. Hardly controversial to suggest that if a car can’t speed the driver may think less about the speed they’re doing, I’d say that’s pretty much a given.

    trying it.So you come to overtake mr morrisons lorry on a nsl single carriageway. He’s being a good boy and doing 40 as he should. You find a nice straight section, pull out and begin to pass. Mr chav in his scooby follows you, indicator and headlights on: he clearly is in a hurry and will probably come past you once you’ve completed your manouver.Only you get 1/2 way past mr morrisons and you find out he’s not such a good boy after all and being a typical uneducated arse he’s decided to accelerate up to his limited 56 to block your overtake. He’s empty, he’s got 3000nm of torque, this happens pretty instantly. Your speed differential is now just 4mph. In the distance you see a headlight. Captain power-ranger on his gsxr thou. He’s doing god knows what speed as they do. You can’t brake cos you’ve got inadequate chav man 3″ from your bumper, but you can’t accelerate because you’re at your limited speed. So you continue to bimble past completely in the right. You make it, just. Chav man doesn’t, you’ve just arrogantly, self-rightously killed two people. Well done

    Nail/head!

    molgrips
    Free Member

    The system would have to cater for overtaking, obviously. It’d give you full power for 20s or so.

    Very simple answer to a simple question, it didn’t really need all that ridiculous hyperbole you posted.

    Tom-B
    Free Member

    I don’t bullishly sit at one speed str….seen as I spend every week day in rush hour between j15-21 on the m6 so 65mph is a pipe dream much of the time. Even driving in light traffic I’d prefer to take it easy and let the people with a desire to drive like a nutter just get on with it. Does wonders for my stress levels….and fuel economy…and safety!

    Northwind
    Full Member

    rogerthecat – Member

    The arguments made about being a super driver who can judge the ideal speed on a road is just plain bollocks, it’s the other people on the road who pull out, are stopped around the corner, the blow out, the pack of roadies riding 2 or 3 abreast just over the brow of the hill, etc.

    And a speed limiter box would do absolutely nothing to prevent all of those.

    It’d give you full power for 20s or so.

    What and then randomly cut out? Yeah, that’d be safe!

    The idea is a load of guff and will hopefully never be implemented.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    hot_fiat – Member
    …You can’t brake cos you’ve got inadequate chav man 3″ from your bumper…

    I would, it’s his problem.

    jamj1974
    Full Member

    Taking the responsibility from drivers is a terrible idea. Just because these things are possible doesn’t mean they are a should be done.

    adam_h
    Free Member

    I’ve just been given a new Vivaro in work and it’s limited to 75mph (actually 72mph on the satnav). Pulling away is quick enough and it does go when you get your foot down, right until you hit 75 and it’s like someone is easing the brakes on. I hated it at first, but done 6 weeks and 7k miles and I’ve just adjusted to it. The only time it gets annoying is when you pull out to overtake someone on the motorway who has been doing 60-65 for the last mile and as soon as you get alongside, their speed creeps up and you end up sitting next to them, both doing 72mph. But I just give up, back off and pull back in or they come up to a slower car/hgv and they have to slow down. No problems on single carriageway nsl roads so far, just have to time it and plan ahead abit more before overtaking. If I was buying for myself and had the choice… I probably wouldn’t have it limited, I do about 50k miles a year and it really doesn’t bother me just plodding along at 65 on the motorway.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    A lot of drivers don’t deserve responsibility though.

    You have no justification to speed.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    nail/head

    Yeah, I sat there and thought for ages of a highly unlikely scenario where being able to accelerate myself out of a trouble would save my arse. I was going to type it out but I gave myself such an erection thinking about putting my foot down to leave the scooby driver in the shit, I simply had to go and do something about it. Tbh, I’m spent.

    hammyuk
    Free Member

    They tried this a few years back at the Transport Laboratory….
    Tried it on bikes too.
    It actually caused accidents!

    dangerousbeans
    Free Member

    Try diving my old van – it has exactly the same effect.

    MarkLG
    Free Member

    My work van is restricted to 70mph. It’s no big deal and makes little difference to your typical journey time in weekday commuter traffic.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    and as pointed out is not what the OP was on about, in your limited van you can do 65 past a school in a 20 limit.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    mikewsmith – Member

    and as pointed out is not what the OP was on about, in your limited van you can do 65 past a school in a 20 limit.

    You can? Bitchin! Complicated thing, the highway code.

Viewing 40 posts - 41 through 80 (of 231 total)

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