pb21
Well-known member
- Apr 23, 2010
- 6,984
I'm largely sympathetic, but what speed is "natural" to drive a man made mechanical 1,000+ kg machine?
[Travel] Potential Speeding Ban
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If you can keep within 5mph constantly, then credit to you - unless you're using some kind of limiter and staring at the dash most of the time.
I'd rather I crept walking pace above that limit and concentrated on the bigger issues.
And, as I've said, we're not talking about abusing the limit, merely creeping above a very low bar.
Fair question - perhaps the city centre should be limited to 10 mph, and woe betide you if you exceed 12 mph.
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
- 15,568
I'm not sure why you keep referring to 'walking pace above that limit'. It's as if your saying the extra speed is so low that it wouldn't make a difference?
Hitting somebody at walking pace probably wouldn't do much damage. Hitting somebody at walking pace PLUS 20mph, which is what you're talking about, would certainly do damage! The 20mph limit is there for a reason.
There's plenty of articles and videos online about the affects of being hit by a vehicle at different speeds can have. It's scary how much difference just a few mph can have.
This is part of the issue - a simple and light touch can easily push you over such a low limit unwittingly, unless your main focus is on on that marginal increase. Given the ease of exceeding by a few mph, I'd far rather my attention was on the road ahead.*
*This by no means condones speeding per se, just using common sense and 45 years of experience, and only 3 points given in the mid 80's and none since.
No, its not walking pace PLUS 20 mph, it's 20 mph PLUS walking pace, which is simply the lightest touch of the accelerator to do. It's easy to know (without looking) if you're doing 30 in a 20 zone, but without constantly checking, that 'walking pace' extra is barely discernible -that's the issue.
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
- 15,568
Yes, and the Freemasons are not a secret society, they're a society with secrets.
Brian Fantana
Well-known member
I’m also not a big fan of leniency when it comes to this. You get 3 chances (to get you to 9 points) in a 3 year period. That seems more than enough chances to change your behaviour. Turning down speed awareness course seems a bit daft too.
I'd love to be a fly on your (and others) windscreen, and see how frequently you all exceed the 20 mph centre limit, by a few mph, without spending an inordinate amount of time looking at your speedo, with no limiter fitted.Yes, and the Freemasons are not a secret society, they're a society of secrets.
Hell, I bet you'd do it even more than I do.
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
- 15,568
It's not an us and them argument though is it.I'd love to be a fly on your (and others) windscreen, and see how frequently you all exceed the 20 mph centre limit, without spending an inordinate amount of time looking at your speedo, with no limiter fitted.
Hell, I bet you'd do it even more than I do.
No one that has ever driven a vehicle on the road is likely to have never broken the speed limit.
I mean, take me for instance. I was wrong once, but it was a very, VERY long time ago
Jokes aside. It's about what you learn from and about speeding that's important. Rather than seeking to defend it, which is what so many people seem to do.
- Oct 17, 2008
- 17,097
I’ve always wondered if it’s possible for a limiter to be fitted which links up somehow to a sat nav, to cap the top speed of the vehicle to whatever the speed limit is on that particular road.
TomandJerry
Well-known member
- Oct 1, 2013
- 12,653
I think Volvo is trying that out?
https://www.volvocars.com/en-om/sup...ric/article/942792f9af978bd8c0a8015168e33c11/
PascalGroß Tips
Well-known member
- Jan 29, 2024
- 1,222
I use Waze when driving - not because I need help with where I’m going, but because I’ve got it set to bleep at me if I go more than 3 MPH over the speed limit. I try my best not to speed. I can’t see the point as there’s very little to gain in journey time unless you’re smashing the speed limit. But the occasional Waze bleep is very handy as a backup to trying to drive sensibly.
100% this. All I'm trying to do is highlight the absurdity of lowering the limits to such a degree that it's nigh on impossible to stay within them, other than being a robot, having a limiter fitted or spending more time checking for those few mph, than for using that time to anticipate what's ahead of you.It's not an us and them argument though is it.
No one that has ever driven a vehicle on the road is likely to have never broken the speed limit.
I mean, take me for instance. I was wrong once, but it was a very, VERY long time ago
Jokes aside. It's about what you learn from and about speeding that's important. Rather than seeking to defend it, which is what so many people seem to do.
Again (and I've stressed this many times), I do not in any way condone speeding, merely pointing out that the parameters have actually made people more conscious of being over the limit by a very small amount, rather than a bigger picture.
Maybe you're right, and I should spend a lot more time checking I'm not a few mph over a low limit. I just hope that I don't miss something more important whilst doing so.
PascalGroß Tips
Well-known member
- Jan 29, 2024
- 1,222
You’ve made this very same point countless times now. But really, if you’re going to drive, you should be able to do both. If you can’t …
Average speed cameras aren't a problem. It's the really good ones you need to worry about.
I simply disagree. My priority is checking for hazards ahead, not checking a speedo every few seconds (for that's what you have to do, to avoid gaining a few mph).
Edit: May I ask at what speed you would consider it pointless? You surely must know that at 10 mph it's easier than breathing to travel at 12 mph, without looking anywhere but the speedo? What if you hit someone at 10 mph?
"Sorry your Honour, I didn't mean to run him over, but I was concerned that I may have gone a few mph over the limit, so I thought than 10 mph would be fine."
A silly example, yes, but the point stands. Without an artificial limiter, at what speed does your focus become more about the hazards than the speedo you're focusing on?
I'm genuinely interested.
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What about the pedestrian impact protection systems that have been built into many cars for years ? I had someone literally run across the road right in front of me outside the Amex (from between two buses). He bounced off the wing, onto the bonnet and his head hit my windscreen. He went to hospital for checks but was uninjured - police told me he was lucky the PIP system saved him from getting hurt. The wing was designed to crumple, the bonnet senses the impact and pops up instantly on small hydraulic struts that ‘soften’ it and the windscreen flexed without shattering when his head hit it (there was an obvious head-shaped dent).
BTW I wasn’t speeding and (police and stewards both confirmed) there was nothing I could have done to avoid what happened. Cost £3,000 to fix the damage the idiot caused though
Get a car with a heads-up display
PascalGroß Tips
Well-known member
- Jan 29, 2024
- 1,222
Your priority should be about driving at the correct speed whilst also looking out for hazards etc. An experienced driver would not need to check their speed every few seconds. They would be in the correct gear for starters. As someone else suggested 2nd for 20 and 3rd for 30. This will certainly help and you should be able to set a speed with your foot at the right pressure to keep the speed steady. If you start going slightly downhill then adjust as appropriate - maybe even braking slightly. It’s basic stuff and failure to be able to do this would result in a fail if taking a driving test.