Speeding facts vs fiction

[Jantar]

....I agree regarding the roundabout - that said, it used to say in the road code that you indicate right to join the roundabout and then left to exit - ......

Strange. I can't ever remember that being in the road code. The earliest I can rmember of any mention of roundabouts was to treat them as T intersections when joining and always indicate to leave.

[Jantar]

Sometimes I wonder if our speed limits are too low, then I remember the people who change lanes through intersections, fail to signal, fail to give way, and generally display a complete lack of ability to safely operate a vehicle. These people are the reason we have speed limits. .....

Sorry, but I fail to see to see any connection between speed limits and changing lanes, failing to signal, inability to opearte a motor vehicle. All of these are offences in their own right, and far more likely to cause an accident than simply exceeding an abitary taxable number.

All of the evidence shows that raising the speed limits doesn't mean that everyone will drive to that new limit, but rather they will drive to a limit they feel comfortable with and spend more time watching the road and other traffic than watching their speedo. IOW they will drive safer with a higher limit.

Take this past holiday weekend as an example. The speed limit didn't change, but because of the reduced tolerance there was a perception of a reduced limit. And we had an increase in crashes. Very few of those involved were travelling in excess of the speed limit, and I haven't heard of any that were with the 104 - 110 range.

[Big Dog]

Speeding has been taxed heavily as long as I have been alive because it is a fact that can be represented with scientific measure and is difficult to refute once they get a lock. Failing to indicate is word against word.

Globally a large number of wanted criminals are caught because of petty offences such as speeding and driving visibly unsafe vehicles.
Taxing speeders is just good police work in that light.

I do think it is long overdue to return to the old national speed limit from before the 70s oil crisis when the national limit was dropped temporarily to lower our national fuel bill.

There are no doubt older riders here oh can tell you what it was. I was in nappies.

With the exception of the sub 400cc bikes most I have ridden have been more stable and handled better at 120-140 than 100-110. The increased braking distance compensated for by the increased need to focus.
On the southern motorway at 100 or less religiously I get drowsy even when well rested it is so straight and monotonous. This is made worse by the gentle undulations in the road created by the way the road is sealed.
At 110 these undulations are less noticeable. When my speed had crept a little higher I find i suddenly feel less sleepy and am more alert to my surroundings.
I believe our roads would be safer if the national speed limit was 140 with a 10% tolerance.
Assuming we also had 100km signs where appropriate. Assuming we also had harsher penalties for exceeding that tolerance.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

[haydes55]

Any speed limit is a target, and tolerances are just a new limit to aim for. I'd rather no speed limit at all. Drive at a speed which you, an individual, feel safe and in control. Many people aren't safe and comfortable at 100km/h yet feel pressured to go 100km/h because everyone else is. This is where crashes can happen. If the limit was 140km/h, people would try get to 140km/h in their '94 Corolla, when their driving experience consists of sweet fuck all.

No matter what the speed limit is, one thing I know for certain is that every 'people mover' will still drive at 80km/h on the open road and 80km/h in town....

[SPman]

And that folks, is the crux of the matter - everybody thinks regular retesting etc is a 'good-idea' (tm).

But nobody wants to pay for it.

And non-licenced types will still be just that.

If you've got a pilot's license, you have to take regular check flights with an experienced instructor to keep up your license - and you have to pay for it!

So....why not with road vehicles.

[TheDemonLord]

If you've got a pilot's license, you have to take regular check flights with an experienced instructor to keep up your license - and you have to pay for it!

So....why not with road vehicles.

Well Flying is more likely to bite if you get it wrong - if you run out of fuel on the motorway, pull over and call the AA, at 1,500 ft, its a slightly different story, you have to find a field and do an emergency landing. Imagine you have a major component failure in a Car, generally you will be able to bring the car to a stop or at worst be involved in an accident in the process of trying to come to a stop. In a plane, a major component failure can very easily result in a crash and Death.

As much as I hate to say it - look at Colin McRae (RIP) absolute legend on 4 wheels, a better driver than most of us could ever dream to be and capable of driving in a manner that even the best of us are unable to.

He failed to keep his Helicopter licence current and engaged in unsafe piloting and sadly paid the price.

Would keeping his licence current prevented the accident - probably not, although it might have refreshed him on safe piloting

[Big Dog]

Any speed limit is a target, and tolerances are just a new limit to aim for. I'd rather no speed limit at all. Drive at a speed which you, an individual, feel safe and in control. Many people aren't safe and comfortable at 100km/h yet feel pressured to go 100km/h because everyone else is. This is where crashes can happen. If the limit was 140km/h, people would try get to 140km/h in their '94 Corolla, when their driving experience consists of sweet fuck all.

No matter what the speed limit is, one thing I know for certain is that every 'people mover' will still drive at 80km/h on the open road and 80km/h in town....

And if speed limits were less punitive people would drive at speeds they felt safe at instead of trying to keep up. The Corolla would play up for a while. Most drivers do anyway.
One of three things would happen over three years.
1 the drivers skills improve and with it his choice in car.
2 The driver would learn it is not smart or clever to drive faster than is safe and we will be mocking corolla drivers for only doing a 100.
3 the driver would not learn, this weakness would be removed from the gene pool.

Darwinian evolution at its finest.

Number 3 is why the politicians will always shy away from removing the temporary lowering of the national speed limit that has been in effect for approx 40 years.

A proposal to go back to the old limit was before the house in the 80's. It looked promising that the limit would be lifted. I wasn't yet a teenager. From memory: A minister lost a family member. Speed and alcohol were factors. The proposal went away quietly.

For those too young to know, that is why open road signs don't have a speed on them. So that this number can be arbitrarily changed. Otherwise there would be no need to have two different signs.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

[Big Dog]

Myself in my 4wd there are massive stretches of open road I will not go over 80. Even in good weather. It is just not good driving to do so. There are stretches of the motorway I would happily do 120 or even 140 if I was not speeding to do so. Discretion of the driver exists.

We would have to update the rules around using the "fast lane" to keep those using their discretion from holding up traffic. But this either needs review or enforcement with the current limit.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

[Swoop]

Why would they stare at their speedo?

There's no time to look at a speedo now! Keeping an eye out for roadside taxation specialists is taking up every nano-second of a driver's attention!

... unlike a Warrant, you can't just drop the car off and pick it up on your lunch break.

It's much faster to get one off of the printer! Photoshop has a LOT of uses!

If you've got a pilot's license, you have to take regular check flights with an experienced instructor to keep up your license ... So....why not with road vehicles.

What!? I wouldn't get in a car with most pilots! Crazy fuckers, most of 'em!

[The Reibz]

It's much faster to get one off of the printer! Photoshop has a LOT of uses!

How much do you charge? Can you do rego labels too?

[haydes55]

How much do you charge? Can you do rego labels too?

Not much use, they just run the number plate. If the system says you aren't rego'd but your sticker says you are, they will scan the barcode and see it's a fake

[The Reibz]

Not much use, they just run the number plate. If the system says you aren't rego'd but your sticker says you are, they will scan the barcode and see it's a fake

Will get you past random roadside checkpoints mate

[MarkH]

If you've got a pilot's license, you have to take regular check flights with an experienced instructor to keep up your license - and you have to pay for it!

So....why not with road vehicles.

How many pilots are there?
How many people with drivers licenses are there?
If there are over 2m people with car driving licenses then just how practical would it be to test each one every 5 years?

[Akzle]

Not much use, they just run the number plate. If the system says you aren't rego'd but your sticker says you are, they will scan the barcode and see it's a fake

unless you put a legit barcode on. Or one that says 'fuckoff'
or maybe a bobby drop tables...

[bsasuper]

Speeding has been taxed heavily as long as I have been alive because it is a fact that can be represented with scientific measure and is difficult to refute once they get a lock. Failing to indicate is word against word.

Globally a large number of wanted criminals are caught because of petty offences such as speeding and driving visibly unsafe vehicles.
Taxing speeders is just good police work in that light.

I do think it is long overdue to return to the old national speed limit from before the 70s oil crisis when the national limit was dropped temporarily to lower our national fuel bill.

There are no doubt older riders here oh can tell you what it was. I was in nappies.

With the exception of the sub 400cc bikes most I have ridden have been more stable and handled better at 120-140 than 100-110. The increased braking distance compensated for by the increased need to focus.
On the southern motorway at 100 or less religiously I get drowsy even when well rested it is so straight and monotonous. This is made worse by the gentle undulations in the road created by the way the road is sealed.
At 110 these undulations are less noticeable. When my speed had crept a little higher I find i suddenly feel less sleepy and am more alert to my surroundings.
I believe our roads would be safer if the national speed limit was 140 with a 10% tolerance.
Assuming we also had 100km signs where appropriate. Assuming we also had harsher penalties for exceeding that tolerance.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

Bloody hell!, I hope I don't ever have to share the road with you with that sort of thinking, If you feel you have to do 140 on our crap roads, best go to a track day once a month and get it out of your system.