[Travel] Potential Speeding Ban

[1066familyman]

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

Fair play. I got the impression that it was one way traffic.

Either way, it's easy to see how modern vehicles, and cars especially, tend to isolate/ insulate drivers from other road users. Road rage being a classic example of that.

 

[birthofanorange]

Get a car with a heads-up display

I don't have a car - I drive a large vehicle for a living, and have done for 30 years. I owned my last vehicle over 20 years ago, and have no need for one.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Not proud of it, but I had a similar issue a few years ago. I pleaded guilty but begged to not be disqualified due to the impact it’d have on my work, staff and clients.

I’d just accumulated too many 3 pointers.

Most courts won’t want to see you out of work.
I wasn’t banned (thankfully) but was given 3 points to total 12 and no ban due to ‘exceptional circumstances’.

Was it a light bulb moment?

 

[dazzer6666]

I don't have a car - I drive a large vehicle for a living, and have done for 30 years. I owned my last vehicle over 20 years ago, and have no need for one.

….yet you can’t sense an increase in speed

 

[birthofanorange]

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.

There are no gears....and I really am very experienced....and I know that gaining a mere 5 mph can happen within the blink of an eye. Any driver with any experience can attest to that.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

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.

I’m starting to think you shouldn’t be on the road if you are unable to do the simple multi-tasking which is involved in driving a car safely. It truly isn’t difficult to maintain awareness of other road users and hazards and stick to the speed limit.

 

[birthofanorange]

….yet you can’t sense an increase in speed

...by 5mph? What do you think you 'feel' whilst looking ahead? It's hardly pulling 10G's.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

There are no gears....and I really am very experienced....and I know that gaining a mere 5 mph can happen within the blink of an eye. Any driver with any experience can attest to that.

Unless you put pressure on the accelerator, a quick acceleration from 20 to 25 is not going to happen unless there’s a problem with the car?

 

[birthofanorange]

I’m starting to think you shouldn’t be on the road if you are unable to do the simply multi-tasking which is involved in driving a car safely. It truly isn’t not difficult to maintain awareness of other road users and hazards and stick to the speed limit.

I don't drive a car. I don't own a car, and haven't done for 20 years.
I have, however, been safely driving a large vehicle for 30 years with no problems/accidents whatsoever.
My approach has worked just fine, thanks.

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

I don't drive a car. I don't own a car, and haven't done for 20 years.
I have, however, been safely driving a large vehicle for 30 years with no problems/accidents whatsoever.
My approach has worked just fine, thanks.

You keep saying ‘large vehicle’ as though you don’t want to tell us what you’re actually driving. Is it a secret?

 

[dazzer6666]

...by 5mph? What do you think you 'feel' whilst looking ahead? It's hardly pulling 10G's.

If you can’t sense a 25% increase in speed ‘in the blink of an eye’ you’re a danger to any other road user in your ‘large vehicle’

 

[birthofanorange]

Unless you put pressure on the accelerator, a quick acceleration from 20 to 25 is not going to happen unless there’s a problem with the car?

A simple gradient can cause such a thing. Maybe it's a good thing you've only driven for 2 years.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I don't drive a car. I don't own a car, and haven't done for 20 years.
I have, however, been safely driving a large vehicle for 30 years with no problems/accidents whatsoever.
My approach has worked just fine, thanks.

Why are you complaining it’s difficult then?

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Why are you complaining it’s difficult then?

They find driving so easy that they need something to keep them occupied while they're doing it.

 

[dazzer6666]

You keep saying ‘large vehicle’ as though you don’t want to tell us what you’re actually driving. Is it a secret?

Probably a train (or a barge)

 

[birthofanorange]

If you can’t sense a 25% increase in speed ‘in the blink of an eye’ you’re a danger to any other road user in your ‘large vehicle’

Can you sense if you're walking at 3, 4 or 5 mph? 25% is very noticeable at increasing speeds, but at lower ones....no, it isn't.

 

[dazzer6666]

Can you sense if you're walking at 3, 4 or 5 mph? 25% is very noticeable at increasing speeds, but at lower ones....no, it isn't.

We’re talking about cars. How would you know, you don’t drive a car ?

…..and walking ? 100% yes. Absolutely critical to meet ultra distance checkpoint cutoffs.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

You keep saying ‘large vehicle’ as though you don’t want to tell us what you’re actually driving. Is it a secret?

A UFO?

 

[Zeberdi]

...by 5mph? What do you think you 'feel' whilst looking ahead? It's hardly pulling 10G's.

I think this is the perfect car for you - a L5 vehicle that can operate entirely without human intervention in all conditions



BTW change of speed is very noticeable from 4mp to 8/9mp - I do it nearly every day on a mobility scooter!

 

[birthofanorange]

Why are you complaining it’s difficult then?

I'm saying that it's very easy to exceed a low limit, by a few mph, whilst driving safely and competently, yet still technically breaking the Law.
I'd challenge a single person (who doesn't use a limiter), to swear that they never (or even rarely) break the limit by 5 mph.