Speed Awareness Course

[Geoff_S]

If you had read the thread you would see that I have and attended a course.

The problem is people, while admitting they were speeding, continue to justify why their actions were safe. That’s the entire point of the speed awareness courses. It’s to change that attitude. There is no justification for speeding. It’s a blatant case of someone putting their own attitude ahead of others.

There is one.

The speed limit sign has been knocked over.

 

[Jacob]

Maybe a bit tangential but interesting article here on how cars can/are being made safer for pedestrians ...

business-66912123

Article here pointing out that they are being made more dangerous (bigger, faster etc)
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/11/birmingham-streets-cars-are-king-people-feel-scared

 

[sploo]

There is one.

The speed limit sign has been knocked over.

Does it count if you knocked over the sign whilst speeding? Asking for a friend.

Anyway, on this subject, I guess this guy just wanted the police to "leaf" him alone.

I'll see myself out.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Article here pointing out that they are being made more dangerous (bigger, faster etc)
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/11/birmingham-streets-cars-are-king-people-feel-scared

I'd say that's a rather disingenuous representation of the article which is much more about the way people behave when driving being a problem.

 

[Nick.]

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

Hi Dolau, I was working in South West Wales last week and to be honest I found it bizzare. Went down a fairly main road in Cardiff which has a fixed speed cam but it still had 30mph signs in front of it - some drivers then dropped to 20 suddenly, others went through at 30 - no one knew what to do. I did 20 to be on safe side.

Then there was a mile stretch in Carmarthen that used to be 30 & has houses set well a distance back from the road, and as I travelled on cruise at 20, I found myself actually not concentrating on the road as much and started looking at the houses I was passing which I've never done at 30 over the 20 years I've driven that road - it seriously felt like I was walking along.

I think even 20 is too high in some built up residential areas, but the blanket change to 20 on many roads could well be detrimental to safety.

 

[Jacob]

....

......, but the blanket change to 20 on many roads could well be detrimental to safety.

Seems very improbable, once people have got used to it.

 

[Nick.]

Seems very improbable, once people have got used to it.

Just saying my experience Jacob - I was going so slow I started looking at houses not at the road. Not very counter intuitive, but I did.

 

[Geoff_S]

Just saying my experience Jacob - I was going so slow I started looking at houses not at the road. Not very counter intuitive, but I did.

Were you looking at houses on the left or the right?

 

[Nick.]

Were you looking at houses on the left or the right?

All of them, both left and right I was going that slow - guess I just had time on my hands to look at things as well as the road ahead
- it's just what happened

 

[Lons]

Yes and I'm waiting for the next episode in Lons's amazing adventure.

Send me £20 and you'll get it pronto.

 

[Noel]

All of them, both left and right I was going that slow - guess I just had time on my hands to look at things as well as the road ahead
- it's just what happened

See any nice or interesting ones?
I tend to think that the colour and type of front doors are interesting, but that's me............

 

[Nick.]

See any nice or interesting ones?
I tend to think that the colour and type of front doors are interesting, but that's me............

Hi Noel, yes quite a few I've never noticed before doing 30mph & I thought - nice house, I'd be happy to live there. And ha yup plenty of different colours and doors lol.

 

[Nick.]

Anyway, on this subject, I guess this guy just wanted the police to "leaf" him alone.

Haha - that's quite ingenious, & hi @sploo

About 25 years ago, my old boss of a certain German woodworking brand I won't name had to go to court for having a radar/laser jammer fitted in his front grill on his new Audi. (it was actually fitted by the engineer at our company too lol)

They tried to zap him speeding & when no readback was available they chased / pulled him & investigated, then found it.

Massive fine he told us and I think the charge was 'perverting the course of justice' which is a very serious one that often carries a jail sentence.

 

[sploo]

Haha - that's quite ingenious, & hi @sploo

About 25 years ago, my old boss of a certain German woodworking brand I won't name had to go to court for having a radar/laser jammer fitted in his front grill on his new Audi. (it was actually fitted by the engineer at our company too lol)

They tried to zap him speeding & when no readback was available they chased / pulled him & investigated, then found it.

Massive fine he told us and I think the charge was 'perverting the course of justice' which is a very serious one that often carries a jail sentence.

Ooof. Yea... that's one of those high risk decisions, and it really didn't pay off.

 

[RogerS]

Cue the apocryphal story of the Chief Constable and an RAF base CO.....

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Radar detectors are illegal across all or most of Europe. I am not sure how the UK managed to avoid this sort of legislation when in the EU.

In car sat navs with camera warnings are also frowned upon - I think the alerts can be disabled. AFAIK the use of map based warnings cannot be detected outside the car, unlike radar detectors which plod can detect.

 

[artie]

radar detectors which plod can detect.

Isn't it a bit late, when you detect the radar, hasn't it already detected you.?

 

[paulrbarnard]

Radar detectors are illegal across all or most of Europe. I am not sure how the UK managed to avoid this sort of legislation when in the EU.

In car sat navs with camera warnings are also frowned upon - I think the alerts can be disabled. AFAIK the use of map based warnings cannot be detected outside the car, unlike radar detectors which plod can detect.

Detectors can’t be detected, they are passive devices. It’s radar blockers that can be detected. Blockers are illegal.
When I used to have fast cars I had a detector and it worked OK but no where near as good as the map based warnings we have now.

 

[Lons]

When I used to have fast cars I had a detector and it worked OK but no where near as good as the map based warnings we have now.

Paul Barnard said

The problem is people, while admitting they were speeding, continue to justify why their actions were safe. That’s the entire point of the speed awareness courses. It’s to change that attitude. There is no justification for speeding. It’s a blatant case of someone putting their own attitude ahead of others.

When compared to your previous comments it rather sounds like a case of do as I say not as I do or did you feel a radar detector would be useful even though you didn't break the speed limit which is after all in your words "an absolute offence" Just sayin.

 

[sploo]

Well... it could be argued that if fixed speed cameras are there for safety (placed in areas where accidents have occurred) then a map based speed camera notification is simply giving you early warning of a potentially hazardous area, and is a good safety feature... officer.