Speed Awareness Course

[Jacob]

Would you care to quantify that assertion?

https://www.onlondon.co.uk/poll-mor...ll, carried,right-wing media and politicians.https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminsti...lished in,the year before its implementation.
But in any case it is up to the government (and the opposition) to explain convincingly why ULEZ and 20mph are good things, and not to be led by the mob. We have no leadership.

 

[selectortone]

I knew this was a bad idea. What I said was that threatening motorists' freedoms was a hugely emotive subject, to which you replied that it was only hugely emotive to a minority of the electorate.

 

[bansobaby]

What follows may be helpful even though not directly relevant to courses. Yes, motorway phones are c 1 mile apart but it can vary with terrain and junctions. What doesn't vary though are the marker posts, although some may be missing mid junction. Small white post, blue type figures.

They are serial numbered from the official start of the motorway. The top number is Km, the lower one is 100m. So, example, a marker post on the M6 might have a 40 as the top number, with a 3 below. That means it 40.3 Km from the start. Next post will be 40 with 4 beneath (if you are going South it will be 40, 2). So it will go 40,4, 5 etc then 41,0, 1 etc. On a quiet stretch you can time yourself between 10 or 20 markers, no need to count just note the numbers, and calibrate your speedometer.

The markers are triangular, and the least known but potentially most useful feature is on the side away from the carriageway, an arrow pointing towards the nearest phone. You should never need to walk more than half a mile, if you made a random choice it could be 0.9 miles. Less relevant in the days of mobile phones but helpful years ago.

Marker posts are not accurate either, they are often only accurate to about 10 metres or so. Other items take precedent and the markers are often the last things to be installed when us surveyors have long gone.......

The best way to check distance and speed is with the GPS data on your phone or SatNav....

 

[Jacob]

I knew this was a bad idea. What I said was that threatening motorists' freedoms was a hugely emotive subject, to which you replied that it was only hugely emotive to a minority of the electorate.

Well that is how it seems to be. You can see it even in this thread - quite a sensible level of agreement of the majority.

 

[John Brown]

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?

Amusing, but not really a fair comparison, as you probably well know.

 

[John Brown]

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.

GPS is very accurate over a fair distance, but not so good at slower speeds/shorter distances. GPS can also be totally useless in certain high rise areas, my phone often plays up in Bristol.
Speedometers can be inaccurate because of tyre wear or under inflation. Doppler radar bounced off the road surface would probably be pretty good.

 

[Rewound]

GPS is very accurate over a fair distance, but not so good at slower speeds/shorter distances. GPS can also be totally useless in certain high rise areas, my phone often plays up in Bristol.
Speedometers can be inaccurate because of tyre wear or under inflation. Doppler radar bounced off the road surface would probably be pretty good.

if a manufacturer can only make a speedometer 90% accurate, then their vehicles should be automatically limited to 90% of the speed limit - I'm sure the likes of mercedes and Audi would soon be selling cars with 100% accurate speedometers, their custmers would not be happy being stuck at 63 on a motorway.

The makers and designers of cars are very clever, they would soon find away to monitor speed accurately if they had a reason to do so.

 

[Bingy man]

Last night I was diverted off the A38 heading back home to the Midlands - no diversion signs that I could see so let the sat nav take over. Narrow twisting country lanes , literally middle of nowhere no speed signs anywhere for several miles but ended up in a village or town called dunstall and out of the dark a speed sign for 40 mph

closely followed by one for 30 mph . I was driving carefully as I didn’t know the roads or area but I wasn’t going above 40 mph there no street lights and about 30 yards after the 30 mph sign sat a large police van with the rear cameras . If i was travelling above 30 then it’s my fault but if I get a letter through the post but the 1st vehicle I come across in all the blackness of these country lanes was this very sneaky police speed van sat just behind a 40/then 30 mph sign waiting.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Seat belt laws were introduced 40 years ago in 1983. Drink driving laws 56 years ago in 1967.

They were seen at the time as an threat to civil liberties. That they have now become embedded as reasonable and sensible is largely due the passing of time - only pensioners and almost pensioners have personally experienced the time when "freedom" ruled.

Leaded petrol was banned 23 years ago in 2000. As hardened valve seats had been fitted by most manufacturers for the preceding 15-20 years it was only owners of old and classic cars affected. They similarly protested but formed only a small group.

I think there would be a large anti speed control contingent. Whether it would affect the outcome of an election given other equally contentious issues - eg: Brexit, party gate, NHS, mortgage interest etc etc etc - is debatable.

All are entitled to personal views - asserting a majority share ones views is questionable. Describing those whose views don't align as "mobs" is insulting - they may even be right!

 

[John Brown]

Seat belt laws were introduced 40 years ago in 1983. Drink driving laws 56 years ago in 1967.

They were seen at the time as an threat to civil liberties. That they have now become embedded as reasonable and sensible is largely due the passing of time - only pensioners and almost pensioners have personally experienced the time when "freedom" ruled.

Leaded petrol was banned 23 years ago in 2000. As hardened valve seats had been fitted by most manufacturers for the preceding 15-20 years it was only owners of old and classic cars affected. They similarly protested but formed only a small group.

I think there would be a large anti speed control contingent. Whether it would affect the outcome of an election given other equally contentious issues - eg: Brexit, party gate, NHS, mortgage interest etc etc etc - is debatable.

All are entitled to personal views - asserting a majority share ones views is questionable. Describing those whose views don't align as "mobs" is insulting - they may even be right!

Surely it was illegal to drive while drunk before 1967. The breathalyser was introduced in 67, before that you had to prove your sobriety by walking in a straight line, touching your nose and saying "The Leith Police Dismisseth Us".

 

[Just4Fun]

Amusing, but not really a fair comparison, as you probably well know.

What is unfair about using terms like "average" accurately?

 

[llywmog]

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.

Many cars now have sign recognition which can work in conjunction with adaptive cruise control to keep the car's speed within the speed limit, as well as slow down and speed up the car to a set distance to a vehicle in front.

 

[John Brown]

Many cars now have sign recognition which can work in conjunction with adaptive cruise control to keep the car's speed within the speed limit, as well as slow down and speed up the car to a set distance to a vehicle in front.

It could be argued that, on motorways, for example, where there's less chance of a child jumping out in front of you, the distance from the car in front is more relevant than the speed.

 

[Rewound]

Many cars now have sign recognition which can work in conjunction with adaptive cruise control to keep the car's speed within the speed limit, as well as slow down and speed up the car to a set distance to a vehicle in front.

Yes, but they need to be a legal requirement, not a 'you can use it if you want nonsense.

As for sign recognition, ours has that and it is very poor, it also has a habit of recognising any wide-ish modern single carriageway road as 70mph. i pointed this out to mercedes but to say they couldn't care less would be an understatement, their representative even laughed and said 70 was entirely safe in a car like this.

 

[Keith Cocker]

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.

He should have been banned for life - what a plonker.

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

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.

Raybo I believe you when you say your friend told you this, but it is almost certainly not true.
This story, or similar in all details, has been told as a story for decades with all relevant points being the same.
Firstly, you are NOT pulled over if a speed gun is used, you're a mile down the road before the officer has looked at and registered the speed, and they virtually always work alone. There isn't an officer down the road. If there was, the second officer would only be asking the motorist to wait for the arrival of the one with the gun, as they are the only one with any proof of an offence having happened. The officer doesn't need any evidence obtained by questioning from the speeder as it is an absolute offence. Neither does the officer fear a not guilty plea, they are happy to submit their statement to the court in person if necessary.
None of the people who have so far admitted on this forum to being caught speeding (myself included) have been pulled over.
Nice story, but just that, a story. Didn't happen.

 

[artie]

Firstly, you are NOT pulled over if a speed gun is used, you're a mile down the road before the officer has looked at and registered the speed, and they virtually always work alone. There isn't an officer down the road. If there was, the second officer would only be asking the motorist to wait for the arrival of the one with the gun, as they are the only one with any proof of an offence haven happened. The officer doesn't need any evidence obtained by questioning from the speeder as it is an absolute offence. Neither does the officer fear a not guilty plea, they are happy to submit there statement to the court in person if necessary.
None of the people who have so far admitted on this forum to being caught speeding (myself included) have been pulled over.
Nice story, but just that, a story. Didn't happen.

Well I can tell you, I have been pulled over by a constable, the very one with the speed gun in his hand.

He can clock you when you are approaching and step into the road with his hand in the air.

Of the three times this happened, Once I was sent on my way with a warning, once he said my speed was ok but my off side headlight was out, told to get it fixed, and once he showed me the gun which showed a speed of 45, this was in a thirty. He told me first time he clocked me I was doing more than that but I must have slowed before he clocked me again.
Fined £25 in my absence at court.
One and only conviction, although I deserved many more.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I expect Mr Barnard will be along soon to wag his finger and go "Tsk tsk"

Oh sensitive aren’t you. Probably a guilty conscience.

For what it’s worth I was fined for speeding several times in my younger years and took an awareness course during the Covid period. I was caught out by a new 20 zone. I missed the 20 on the way in and of course there are no other signs until you leave. I got clocked at 29.

My whole problem with speeding is people bitching that the world is persecuting them when the limits are there for the protection of others. Speeding is selfish act.

 

[paulrbarnard]

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.

ISA, intelligent speed assist is becoming mandatory for new vehicles from next year. All new vehicles will have to show the driver what the speed limit is and achieve mandatory levels of accuracy. My wife’s car, Volvo, already has it and can limit the vehicle to the speed limit automatically.

 

[John on the Wirral]

Hi,
My teccy son has come over from the US to stay with us and has "found" my adpaptive cruise control on my Kia Niro and it works great especially useful in our big brother blanket 20mph limit. My son set it at 20mph- most of us in our area now realise that it virtually impossible to stick to 20mph manually which is highly dangerous to atempt. With no feet on the pedals the car stops and starts by itself and even steers itself round bends. This is fine at that sort of speed but he used the same system at all speeds including 70mph as we did some long trips. My wife and I don't normally drive at that sort of speed (retired etc- no need to hurry!) The issue of "being ready" for total autonomy arrises. We were quite terrified the car would stop itself even though he set the distance space at the longest distance. At that sort of speed this no wiggle room and we did have one incident on the freeway - sorry,motorway! when a crazy driver zig zagged in and out of all lanes at about 80mph and it threw the system out so even my son put his foot on the break. IMO so long as their is one crazy guy on the roads total autonomy is out of the question unlees can run on tracked roads.