Nice try STATO but I can’t see your link because it’s from the daily fail. I would argue that anyone driving through urban areas at night should be aware of the possibility of pedestrians, possible drunks in the vicinity and drive accordingly, WHATEVER the posted speed limit.

In addition to this pedestrians should also be somewhat responsible for their own safety too when crossing roads where fast moving traffic is a possibility.

But That would mean selfishly hooning past people’s houses while they try to sleep.

Haha, I don’t think anyone is suggesting it’s okay to ‘hoon’ down residential streets whatever time of the night it is.

That said, not so long ago moved to a city, for the first few weeks it all sounds very noisy but it’s surprising how quickly your body gets used to it. Sleep absolutely fine now despite being within earshot of a fairly major road. Even the police helicopter when it comes out to play at night rarely wakes us up any more!

If you want to go fast, find a track. You’ve no right to exceed the limits on a public highway.

So you’re saying that you’ve never ever gone over the speed limit – not even by 1mph?

I don’t care what you say – don’t put my life or anyone else’s in danger. You don’t have that right.

And how would that be then – by driving at a speed appropriate for the conditions, by taking extra training to improve observation, car handling and knowledge of roadcraft? By increasing my skills over and above what’s required by law to give myself, my passengers and other road users a greater margin for safety?

Just admit you like driving fast and that the extra risk you subject yourself and other road users to, compared to obeying the law, is worth it for the thrill/convenience of speed.

Personally I think anyone who hasn’t undertaken any additional training since passing their test, to make sure that their skills are up to standard and to help keep the roads safer could be considered far more selfish. Roughly 10 years after passing my test I did my advanced course. Despite thinking I was a pretty good driver at the time, the bad habits I’d developed (some of them potentially dangerous that were ironed out in training), and the stuff that I’d previously not been aware of was eye opening to say the least!

Speed, first and foremost, should always be within the posted limit

Have you ever exceeded the limit?

Legally then yes of course, but it can be perfectly safe at times (not legal but safe) given the right level of skill, an appropriate vehicle and favorable weather/traffic conditions to exceed the posted limit without putting anyone else in danger.

Do you not wonder what happens when OTHER people, who aren’t driving gods, misjudge your speed because it’s unexpectedly high?

Yes that’s something you should and I do make allowance for. There’s times and places where it’s perfectly safe to drive quickly on the road. There’s times and places where it isn’t, and in an area where it’s likely that another motorist could be easily surprised by a fast moving vehicle then it would be prudent to reduce your speed accordingly.

Phil, nope not at all, just trying to say that extra training can make you a safer driver whatever speed you travel at.

But it’s a lot hard to detect and police those things and doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enforce the factors that are easier to police.

Yes but the over zealous enforcement of speed, and the reliance of camera enforcement rather than actual police enforcement has lead to an awful lot of resource being diverted in this direction, probably to the detriment of other areas of road safety. You only have to look at the number of people engrossed in their phones these days when they should be looking at the road ahead to prove that. Thanks to the focus on speed and cameras, people using phones whilst they drive know there’s almost no chance they’ll ever get caught (provided they stick to the speed limits of course) ;)

It’s the same situation with tailgating, lane hogging, general aggressive driving, VED avoidance, lack of insurance etc, etc – all allowed to happen because of the reliance on cameras and the focus on speed.

As per the RRCGB stats earlier, exceeding the speed limit is recorded as a contributing factor in 16% of fatal accidents.

Are you saying we shouldn’t tackle that factor just because there are other (smaller) contributing factors that are harder to tackle?

A contributing factor or the only factor?

The focus on speeding (controlled by camera) means that people are now fixated on speed being the primary measure of a safe driver. That’s bullpoop of course. I’d actually put good observation skills way, way above sticking within the posted speed limit as the mark of a good, safe driver.

Yeah yeah telemetry is no good funnily they can tell exactly what is happening with any sensor on a car couple that with GPS and we’ll he said she said arguments go out the window

Sure it can tell if you exceed the speed limit on any stretch of road even if you’re doing so with a reasonable degree of safely?

But can the sensors tell if you’re drunk, distracted, on your phone, texting, shouting at the kids in the back, tailgating, using inappropriate lane discipline etc, etc? Can it tell you’ve inflated your tyres to the correct pressures, can it tell if you’ve de-iced your car properly in winter, can it tell if you’ve failed to switch on your lights in poor visibility, can it tell if you’ve caused someone else to swerve, brake hard etc etc?

Just telemetry the cars, people with nothing to hide and all that.

Telemetry simply can’t tell 100% if you’re a good and safe driver or not. For example my great aunt (sadly deceased) rarely used to exceed 20mph. Yet she was a nightmare on the road, poor observation, pulling out infront of people, distracted by her phone, holding others up, you get the picture. A one woman havoc machine at well below the speed limit – yet her insurance probably would have been cheap under telemetry.

Consequently someone who uses the full performance of their vehicle to safely merge on a motorway slipway would probably face increased premium’s? Go figure!

Because the reason the road is limited may be precisely because there are hazards on it that are not readily avoided with good observation and anticipation skills.

Oh go on then, what are those likely to be then?

Even if you do believe you are infallible, the other drivers on that road are not.

Where did I say I was infallible? That’s certainly not the case.

You have more information than whoever put up those signs, so you can decide when it is safe to go fast.

Technically yes, since the signs were probably put up several years ago, whereas I’d be driving on the road ‘here and now’ and am able to take account for the conditions of the road, weather, traffic etc at the moment I’m driving on it.

Sadly many people seem unable to gauge this sort of stuff so that’s why variable speed limits are a good idea. For motorways it would be nice to see these limits raised at times when the roads are quiet conditions good. 90mph feels about right during these times.

Assuming everything important is actually in view of course.. you don’t know what’s out of your vision do you?

But that’s why you drive to allow for what you can’t see for heavens sake. It’s not rocket science! A fundamental principle of advanced driving is to be able to safely stop on your own side of the road in the distance you can see to be clear.

You can’t tell the accident history of a road just by looking at it

No but you can get a pretty accurate assessment of the possible hazards on any given stretch of road by using good observation and anticipation skills so not sure why accident history matters really?

What’s important is the standard of your driving and making suitable allowances for the conditions at the time you’re traveling on the said road. Accident statistics are historical – what actually matters is what’s going around you at the time and in the near future.

But next time you are hurtling down an unknown road at 70mph when it is inexplicably signed as a 40, think about all the information you don’t have, that the person setting that limit may have considered:

What’s the accident history of the road? Maybe there are concealed entranceways somewhere ahead? Maybe there is a loose gritty road surface ahead? Or mud on the road from tractors? Do they get a lot of fallen trees here? Or wildlife? Or people walking on the road? Maybe they are slowing people down because that innocuous looking corner ahead is actually much sharper than it looks and tends to catch people out on its weird camber? Maybe there is often stationary traffic ahead? Maybe they get a lot of cyclists using it?

That’s totally what proper observation when driving is for. If you don’t know how to anticipate or make consideration for all the above when driving (whether traveling above or below the posted limit) then it’s probably time to consider taking an advanced driving or observation course. This is exactly the sort of stuff they’ll equip you to deal with and would be why this sort of training would be beneficial for all drivers after they’ve passed their test and then again at regular intervals thereafter.

My gripe is that they’re very binary. There’s no differentiation between someone momentarily breaking the speed limit and a habitual speeder

I frequently and intentionally travel quickly, but at a speed suitable for the conditions. I’m aware 100% of the time what speed I’m traveling at and match any increase in speed with a suitable increase in observation, awareness and an allowance for the actions of others.

To be honest I’d be more worried about those speeders who momentarily break the limit but have not even been aware that they’ve done so – the accidental speeders! If you break the limit accidentally or without realising then what does that say about the general standards of your driving and observation skills?

We need more dash cams and then a system put in place to make it easy to use the footage to grass on other road users

Absolutely not. Having cameras in cars and bikes seems to only provoke either a) extreme risk taking by the user trying to record their own dangerous driving/riding to impress their mates, or b) vigilante, self righteous and militant style driving/riding creating unnecessary frustration and bad feeling between drivers and/or cyclists, or c) provides a prop for those who generally feel un-confident on the road where more training would actually make them safer.

What’s needed to improve road safety is simply:

a) greater investment in road and cycling infrastructure allowing vehicles to travel faster than they currently do where safe to do so, or slower than they currently do where unsafe to do so (variable limits).

b) greater education with a forced re-test of drivers to retain their licenses every 5-10 years. Compulsory motorway training for new and foreign drivers living in the UK (who often seem currently unfamiliar with how a UK motorway works).

c) a much bigger incentive for drivers to further their skills (e.g. advanced driving tuition) which could offer a significant incentive on insurance discounts, VED tax etc.

Oops just seen you’ve already called the police.

Get his details from DVLA, contact him and ask him to pay for damage or else you’ll report it to both police and insurance.

Trust me it would be by far in his best interests to pay up, he should see sense. Don’t tell your insurance company, not worth it for the hassle and probable increase in your premium despite being non-fault.

Whatever you think of Jeremy Vine, no cyclist deserves this sort of treatment from such a foul mouthed and unsavory individual. Fingers crossed the police will throw the book at her, attempted assault, no tax, no insurance. Hopefully a large ban coming her way.

Sorry but if the tide goes out 1.5miles, and takes roughly 6 hours to come back in, then I make that 0.25mph, not 3mph???

This is the reason I rarely cycle on the road in the UK these days (unless it’s small section to link up some off road trails). Countless drivers on their phones, bad observation, aggression, thoughtlessness, and little margin for error close passes.

Visibility from cars thanks to thicker pillars & smaller windows is much worse than it used to be 15-20 years ago (drive an old car and you’ll be amazed how much glass there is and how much better visibility you have). Modern sound deadening, increased refinement and more in car distractions have made a lot of today’s drivers seemingly unaware of their surroundings half of the time.

At least if I come off the mountain bike and hurt myself then it’s my own fault and I’ll accept that, but you just hear of far too many cyclists on the road going about their daily business only to be wiped from the face of the earth by some vehicle that they didn’t even see coming. That’s not a risk I’m prepared to take any more so unless it’s just a quick jaunt on the road to the local shop or to visit friends, generally I’ll drive these days.

Wrong ‘plaice’ to ask that sort of thing surely?

Kitesurfing has never really appealed to me. People seemed to get to the stage where they could sail out and back reasonably quickly and then not have many other challenges. From then on it all appeared to be aerial antics.
Maybe(hopefully) its changed now but when I was down the beach regularly there was a bit of hostility between the 2 camps. Some beaches more than others.

Loads of challenges in kiting, not just aerial stuff but wave riding, distance stuff, downwinders, different locations & travel, directional/twin tip/foil riding etc, etc.

Kited in lots of locations and never had a problem with windsurfers. All I’ve met have been friendly, chatty and happy to share a beer afterwards. The two sports although different, share a common love of wind, the waves and the ocean. The people doing both seem quite similar and many friends both kite and windsurf. Know lots that have gone from windsurfing to kiting, but not any who’ve gone the other way round. Not sure why though?

To put it into context a guy I know from back in school now fell runs. Competes in 50-100 mile ultra races. Those lot wouldn’t even consider 26 miles as a warm up!

26 miles could be completed at a fast walking pace or slow jog in around 5 hours so. Yes it will hurt but if you’re used to dealing with pain (which you must be as a 24hr bike rider) then I’d say no problem. You’ll ache next day though.

Don’t listen to the negative buggers on here, of course you can do it. If you have a good base level of fitness and are in the right frame of mind then you’ll stand a good chance. Pace yourself during training, stretching, the odd sports massage, and running 26 miles on the day really shouldn’t be that difficult.

Whatever you do get them to blank off the mating faces of the wheels before they powder coat, otherwise you could
be running the risk of a warped set of brake discs once the wheels are refitted.

Think the key either way is not over stretching yourself with the purchase price in the first place (yes easier said than done with today’s prices). We were offered a loan of nearly £400k but rather than max this out as many friends seem to have done we decided to look for property below the stamp duty threshold (the old £250k threshold). Observing the local market for over a year whilst renting we knew the place we bought was good value before getting another £10k off the asking price on negotiation. That £10k saved payed for a new kitchen, flooring, decorating and furniture throughout.

Reypayment mortgage over 15 years means total interest payed, despite us fixing for 5 years at the wrong time (interest rates were supposed to go up) is not that much. Overpaying every year too so hoping to have it all cleared in 10 years.

These people have just survived a plane crash, to be fair to them it’s doubtful that they’re in the best state of mind to behave in the most rational of manners. Most will probably be acting instinctively I’d have thought. Whilst not ideal, human nature I’m afraid, and everyone was still out of the aircraft in way less than a minute – pretty impressive really considering. Would perhaps be more relevant to hear someone’s point of view on these peoples actions from someone whose been in the same situation themselves.

just get a transit.

1) it’s what Guy martin drives
2) they’re really good
3) they’re a bargain compared to VW’s.

Yes very good vans, nice to drive too but that’s what they are – just vans, very basic. T5’s are more expensive but you get a much nicer environment to sit in, plus they hold their value a lot better, and there’s way much more you can do with them (more easily) as the whole camper scene is built around VW.

Depends what you want from it – if you enjoy tinkering with a vehicle that always has something wrong with it or always needs something doing, have access to a second vehicle for day to day stuff, and you enjoy the journey and driving a vehicle with ‘character’ just as much as being at your actual holiday destination (because it will take a while to get anywhere) then buy a SS or T2.

If you would like to know that you’re actually going to get to the destination quickly and in comfort, and it’s more about what a van enables you to do with your leisure time (rather than the actual van itself) then buy a T4 or T5.

Always wondered about the safety thing with SS’s and T2’s. Surely any sort of frontal impact wouldn’t end very well?

Wow, lovely location :)

HH was it the beach and forest just south of here?

Ardtoe

If so guessing no restrictions on water access? Stealth nightime kayak beach drop of some hard liqour, a couple of leather whips and a pot of chocolate body paint should make things much more interesting for the next episode :wink:

Surely the benefit of a new car (which you’re paying a lot of extra money/lease/depreciation for anyway over second hand) is that it doesn’t need expensive servicing and has a warranty to cover major repairs?

With due respect sounds like you don’t know a lot about cars. Swapping to a 7 year old BMW just because it’s the same price as your Astra doesn’t sound like the way to buy a car to me. Suggest you work out what car you’d like (buy some car magazines, read reviews, go for test drives, do some research on Autocar website or similar). Once you’ve narrowed it down to the model you’d like then do more research, common faults, things to look out for specific to that model etc. It’s all out there online if you look. You’ll then go into a prospective purchase armed with all the information you need.

For example, if you’d looked into BMW’s you’d have found that the 320d (diesel) is held in far higher regarded than the 320i (petrol) both in terms of reliability, characteristics and driving experience.

Or you could bypass the above thinking it seems like too much hassle and then end up getting shafted or with another car that’s no better than you currently have?

Maybe time for a rethink on her business model?

On what grounds are you objecting? Isn’t it just a case of ‘not in my back yard’? With people prepared to complain about anything these days it’s no wonder it’s only the big boys building acres of uniform soul destroying brick boxes who have the finance and might to take on the objectors. An individual wanting to build something unique and different stands almost no chance these days. Result – a nation where it’s almost impossible to build your own home and if we want a new home we have to live in a Wimpy box!

Maybe it’s your observation? Are you just reacting and going as soon as the light hits green (which takes to by surprise) or are you looking around you, at the opposite set of lights turning orange/red, or what the opposite set of traffic is doing if you can’t clearly see the lights and making your preparations to go then so that your green light is not a surprise? You can actually hang back 1/2 car length from your lights so that you can go on orange and be already rolling over the line once your light turns green if you’re really serious about getting a jump on the next car.

I’m dying to know what he actually suggested… Did he try to “get the dog in the bath”?

Maybe he asked if she’d ever wanted to “look like a decorators radio” ?

Explain “unexpected”

As in expecting to receive a massage, not to get ‘whacked off’

Does an unexpected ‘happy ending’ count?