Speed Awareness Course

[John Brown]

It is unfortunate that cruise control/speed limiters often won't work below 30.
I use to scoff at people who said they had to drive whilst staring at the speedometer, as I could stick at a constant speed fairly easily. However, having driven hybrids for a while, I find it much trickier.

 

[Rewound]

As mentioned 20 mpg here in wales in urban areas ( rubbish report says we are not driving any slower- that may be true in Cardiff at rush hour but not in mid wales )
where we are it is being imposed reasonably sensibly with 30 still where houses only on one side of the road but it does mean you are watching out for speed signs and concentrating more on your speedo and not on the traffic and pedestrians
my analogue speedo is way out so rely more on my sat nav for accurate speed

isnt it incredible that within all the space age technology that is lavished upon our cars, they still have not worked out how to monitor its speed accurately. I wonder how many people have ever said to the salesman, how accurate is the speedometer?

The sooner automatic speed limiting arrives the better, and in the mean time double fines, hide cameras and allow local authorities to fund themselves through speeders and drivers playing with mobile phones.

I really would have a war on drivers and probably remove 50% of all driving licences.

 

[raybo]

A motorcyclist on my stretch of (30mph) road was apparently clocked at 80mph. Hard to believe but I guess early hours / empty road etc it does happen.
Assuming he had no previous convictions; are the penalty points / fine the same for another driver doing 35mph (with no previous convictions) on that road ?

A friend of mine was clocked at 82mph in a 40mph stretch on a straight road through a village, while out on his motorbike.
A policeman further up from the one with the speed gun flagged him down and asked if he knew what his speed had been.
He replied 79mph! The policeman said "we registered it at 82mph sir".
My friend said he was not going that fast and disputed the policeman's claim. He said he would argue that he was not doing 82mph in court but would admit he was doing 79mph!
When I asked him why, he told me that doing twice the speed limit or more was an automatic ban offence, whereas less than that was a fine and points but he would keep his licence.
He said the police would rather prosecute him at 79 and get a guilty plea than spend time and money on lawyers etc proving he did more than double!
He got the points and the fine but kept his licence.

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

The sooner automatic speed limiting arrives the better,


On 6th July 2022, speed limiters became a legal requirement for all new cars manufactured in Europe. From 7th July 2024 onwards, all car manufacturers will be legally required to ensure any cars on sale in their showrooms have speed limiters fitted.

Speed limiters are not the same as speed restrictors. With a speed limiter fitted, you can select a speed that, until you choose to turn it off (which could be yards or weeks, totally up to the driver) the car will not go above in normal driving.
Apparently you can 'push through' the limiter in an emergency.

 

[stuart little]

No I wouldn't have dared. North side there are long wide straights in between the hairpin bends and there was no traffic at all and a clear view. Was in a bit of a hurry as it was cold at the top!

I've spent several hols in & around Bedouin, making several journeys up & down Ventoux, both sides. On one of my early trips to the top, a signal from the radio station on top operated my car central locking/alarm. Good job I had taken out the key!

 

[Terry - Somerset]

The rules are clear. Speed and you risk points, a course, or a ban. Road conditions, time of day, etc are not an excuse. It is not unfair, unlucky or a scam.

20 years ago I managed two tickets in a couple of weeks. First - 45 coming into a 30 limit at about 1.00am. Second - bright sunny morning, M5, light traffic, slowing from 70 to a 50 limit through roadworks, went past a camera at 60.

Neither was a danger to anyone, but I was exceeding the speed limit. Reliant on the car and concerned to avoid more points, I bought a camera detector + changed driving behaviour.

I have adopted "unstressed" driving, now firmly embedded - eg: not 80-85 on motorways but typically 65-70 - faster than HGVs but no risk of speeding. Tom-tom satnav with camera warnings.

The time savings through driving more slowly are minor. A 125 mile journey at 75 will take 1hr 40mins. At 65 it takes 1hr 55mins. The maximum difference of 15 minutes is overstated as inevitably road works and congestion would slow both to the same speed.

My wallet also benefits - fuel consumption at 75 vs 65 is ~15% worse. The hypothetical 125 miles trip will use ~2L - a saving of ~£3.

 

[quintain]

I was annoyed when I got done ("why aren't they catching the real criminals" etc etc), and yes, clocking people over the limit is easy/lazy policing, but it is still breaking the law so we just have to accept the consequences.

I previously mentioned that I found the speed awareness course pretty good, and it's interesting to note that others have had the same experience; so I'd strongly suggest doing it over taking the points.

On the subject of speeding in 30 limits; the wife (NHS doctor) once noted to me that, if hit at 30mph most kids survive. If hit at 40mph most kids do not survive. The rather more chilling part was the assessment that those hit at 40mph who do survive are - I'm sanitising the language here - not necessarily lucky to survive (given the severity of the injuries). It's something that's always sat in the back of my mind when travelling through 30 zones.

I support sploo words "The rather more chilling part was the assessment that those hit at 40mph who do survive are - I'm sanitising the language here - not necessarily lucky to survive"....... I was a fireman and had the awful words from a woman survivor, 5+yrs after her high speed car crash "I regret you were so good at your job (my crew) I wish every minute of every day that I had died" she continued to apologise for her words.

 

[Rewound]

Speed limiters are not the same as speed restrictors. With a speed limiter fitted, you can select a speed that, until you choose to turn it off (which could be yards or weeks, totally up to the driver) the car will not go above in normal driving.
Apparently you can 'push through' the limiter in an emergency.

I was more thinking of a smart type device that would know exactly what road you were on and never ever allow any speeding ever. Probably be best when the entire car is ai controlled - too many people arejust mentally not suited to it, like to drive fast and suffer from road rage.

 

[Lons]

Any money raised by speed cameras isn’t a ‘money making scam’ - consider it a tax on delinquent behaviour. it’s spent on road safety initiatives.

That's highly questionable.
* reportedly, speed cameras raked in £391m in 5 years
* over the same period "Uk police, councils and transport authorities spent £28.7m maintaining the country's 3328 fixed speed cameras and 807 average camera schemes"
* Reportedly the police get paid £45 for every attendee on an awareness course.
* The money goes into Central Government Consolidation Fund and fed back to local authorities pro rata as grants so there's an incentive to use cameras as a cash cow.

* no wonder the public see them as money spinners given the number of validated reports questioning their use and motives. e.g. Are Speed Cameras More For Monetary Gain Than Safety? | SMF Motor


Just to clarify I believe that the cameras do reduce speeding but they should be placed where there is a history of accidents, that's not the case with some in my area and complaints are met with silence or unjustifiable reasons despite strong evidence to the contrary.
I went on an awareness course 5 years ago after being clocked at 34mph in a 30 limit. A camera van caught me exactly on the 30mph sign after I had passed a tractor and trailer and was braking. Fair cop but a bit harsh I felt as this was 50 yards before the village and I was under the limit within a few yards. The van was partly hidden so didn't see it at first and the locals said it catches out hundreds while further up the road there is a blackspot never policed.
I go through there 3 or 4 times a month and the van is there at on least half those trips.

 

[Adam W.]

I was more thinking of a smart type device that would know exactly what road you were on and never ever allow any speeding ever. Probably be best when the entire car is ai controlled - too many people arejust mentally not suited to it, like to drive fast and suffer from road rage.

Having suffered quite badly at the hands of a road rage psychopath, I think that many people are just not suited to be in charge of a motor vehicle.

I have no sympathy for those who get caught speeding or going through red lights, they should just be banned from driving. The law is too lenient towards motorists in my opinion.

 

[DrPhill]

Having suffered quite badly at the hands of a road rage psychopath, I think that many people are just not suited to be in charge of a motor vehicle.

I have no sympathy for those who get caught speeding or going through red lights, they should just be banned from driving. The law is too lenient towards motorists in my opinion.

Apparently (* no idea where the research was, take with a pinch of salt) more than 90% of people think their driving is above average. If that is true then it means that 40% of drivers seriously over-estimate their (relative) abilities.
Who here thinks that there driving is below average? I will put my hand up to 'about average, decreasing with age'.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Sorry, just posted a video from a well know Cornish comedian about speeding … but then realised it had a couple of rude words in it so have deleted to avoid getting a black mark from the moderators!

 

[selectortone]

8

I was more thinking of a smart type device that would know exactly what road you were on and never ever allow any speeding ever. Probably be best when the entire car is ai controlled - too many people arejust mentally not suited to it, like to drive fast and suffer from road rage.

The technology already exists to do that. Just about every modern car has sat nav, cruise control and Internet connection. Google sends me an email every month reminding me where I've been in my car. It would be a relatively trivial software mod to control a car's maximum speed remotely based on its location. I'm sure that 'facility' is just a download away.

However, it would likely be political suicide for any political party to support that in an election manifesto.

 

[Jacob]

...

However, it would likely be political suicide for any political party to support that in an election manifesto.

I don't think that is necessarily true. We have feeble leaders of both main parties now and popular opinion is general far more progressive than either of them.

 

[selectortone]

I don't think that is necessarily true. We have feeble leaders of both main parties now and popular opinion is general far more progressive than either of them.

I'm just saying... The Tories holding on to Uxbridge at the recent by election because of their anti-ULEZ position, and the recent furore over the Welsh 20mph speed limits suggest that the majority of popular opinion isn't in favour of political interventions where motoring is concerned.

 

[Jacob]

I'm just saying... The Tories holding on to Uxbridge at the recent by election because of their anti-ULEZ position, and the recent furore over the Welsh 20mph speed limits suggest that the majority of popular opinion isn't in favour of political interventions where motoring is concerned.

There's a lot of noise being made but polls seem to say that they aren't majority opinions and didn't necessarily swing that election. Plenty of other issues could be the reason and 20 is going down OK in Wales apparently.
In any case leaders shouldn't be led by the mob. Still less wind them up and encourage them, as Johnson did!

 

[Just4Fun]

Apparently (* no idea where the research was, take with a pinch of salt) more than 90% of people think their driving is above average.

That sounds reasonable to me.
What percentage of drivers do you think have more than the average level of driving skills?
What percentage of drivers do you think have more than the average number of arms?

 

[selectortone]

Oh come on Jacob, everybody knows that threatening motorists' 'freedoms' is a hugely emotive subject. Why do you think Sunak in his desperation is jumping on that bandwagon.

 

[Jacob]

Oh come on Jacob, everybody knows that threatening motorists' 'freedoms' is a hugely emotive subject. Why do you think Sunak in his desperation is jumping on that bandwagon.

A hugely emotive subject but to a minority of the electorate, who just happen to make the most noise - assisted and encouraged by the right wing press.
Similar mobs have objected to every improvement in road management at every level, from early days, but get over-ruled and quite rightly so. Remember the breathalyser or seat belt intros, or removal of lead? Mass hysteria from the mob!

 

[selectortone]

A hugely emotive subject but to a minority of the electorate

Would you care to quantify that assertion?