Speed trap

[drfchound]

I don't speed in town but it just seemed to me a coincidence that on the first busy day back they are there with the money box. It's nothing to do with road safety, it's a money making exercise.

Only if you make it a money making exercise for them. Blame yourself, not others.

As for 'it's nothing to do with road safety', I take it you've never done the speed awareness course.

No I haven't done the course. I haven't had need to because I don't speed around town.

You dont have to get caught speeding only in town to get the option of a speeding course, known as a driver awareness course.
The courses are available for people who get caught out in other areas too.
In a 60 limit for example, if you get caught doing 68 to 75 mph you get the
 option of attending a course rather than get points or a fine.

It isn’t all about not speeding in town.

I would be amazed that anyone caught doing 75 mph in a 60 zone would get the option of a driver awareness course. Surely that is wrong?

Just type “when would you be offered a speed awareness course” into google.
30 limit....between 35 and 42mph
40 limit....between 46 and 53mph
50 limit....between 57 and 64mph
60 limit....between 68 and 75mph
70 limit....between 79 and 86mph

[BillyStubbsTears]

I was picked up doing 50 on a 40mph dual carriageway. Totally wrong of me and no complaints.

The awareness course was an eye opener and made me reflect strongly on my driving. I think and hope that I am much more careful now.

Ironically, I was speeding because I was late for a Donny match. The one where we we absolutely abject in losing 0-2 to Barnsley in early 2011 near the start of one of the worst runs in our history.

Not worth it on many levels.

BB. I understand exactly what you meant and I stand by what I said. Drivers who speed and get caught are not unlucky. They (we) get fair treatment. Like I say, the really unlucky ones are the ones who have their lives ruined by people behind the wheel who don't behave as they should.

I'm not looking for an argument because as far as I'm concerned there isn't one. I'm reminded of that everyone I see the shell of a man that my wife's cousin was left as.

[Bentley Bullet]

In that case, you were speeding intentionally and therefore not in the category I was referring to. My point is everybody at some point will break the speed limit and many of them will do so unintentionally.

[tommy toes]

If the police want to catch hundreds of speeding drivers every day they should look at White Rose Way on the approach to Hyde Park roundabout.
Every time I'm on there going home from the gym (weeks ago obviously) I'm doing around the speed limit (40)
and every time, without fail, several cars shoot past me doing at least 50 and often much faster.

[redarmy82]

I've been caught speeding three times.

Never had any complaints, my own fault.

All within the speeds posted earlier, and have never once been offered a speed awareness course.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Anybody unintentionally speeding is guilty of driving without due care and attention. But no doubt if they got caught and charged with that they'd just be unlucky.

[Bentley Bullet]

Anyone who becomes obsessed with paying too much attention to speed signs in order to avoid getting a speeding fine is guilty of driving without due care and attention to other aspects of driving.

[SydneyRover]

The answer is ..... having speed limiters and controllers on cars so they cannot be driven above the limit.

[Bentley Bullet]

The answer is ..... having speed limiters and controllers on cars so they cannot be driven above the limit.

I agree entirely. The puzzling thing is that technology for it is readily available. It's enough to make one think that the money collected from speeding motorists is too beneficial to sacrifice.

[Filo]

The answer is ..... having speed limiters and controllers on cars so they cannot be driven above the limit.

I don’t agree with that, as a professional driver I’ve come across instances where I’ve needed to accelerate to avoid a potential serious collision, if cars were limited you would just have dangerous convoys instead, we’ve seen that to a certain extent with Lorry’s being limited, nose to tale on the motorway with barely a gap between vehicles

[SydneyRover]

it's more likely to be it's effect on car sales and the lobbying from manufacturers. This is a guess but I would think that the money saved on insurance, repairs, hospitalisation and rehab and death would far outway the money collected from speeding.

[BillyStubbsTears]

In that case, you were speeding intentionally and therefore not in the category I was referring to. My point is everybody at some point will break the speed limit and many of them will do so unintentionally.

No. I wasn't speeding deliberately. I wasn't concentrating and I let my subconscious need to get someone take over.

I wasn't unlucky though.

[SydneyRover]

The answer is ..... having speed limiters and controllers on cars so they cannot be driven above the limit.

I don’t agree with that, as a professional driver I’ve come across instances where I’ve needed to accelerate to avoid a potential serious collision, if cars were limited you would just have dangerous convoys instead, we’ve seen that to a certain extent with Lorry’s being limited, nose to tale on the motorway with barely a gap between vehicles

Filo, if speed controllers were used it would reduce those dangerous situations, I can't think of a situation where avoidance and breaking wouldn't be a better option than speeding ilegally. Cruise control is used on motorways without problems.

[Bentley Bullet]

People will always want cars, and if speed limiters were fitted to all cars there would be no effect on car sales.

[SydneyRover]

it could put the breaks on fast cars?

[Bentley Bullet]

In that case, you were speeding intentionally and therefore not in the category I was referring to. My point is everybody at some point will break the speed limit and many of them will do so unintentionally.

No. I wasn't speeding deliberately. I wasn't concentrating and I let my subconscious need to get someone take over.

I wasn't unlucky though.

You'd have been lucky to get away with it, but you didn't, unluckily!

[Filo]

The answer is ..... having speed limiters and controllers on cars so they cannot be driven above the limit.

I don’t agree with that, as a professional driver I’ve come across instances where I’ve needed to accelerate to avoid a potential serious collision, if cars were limited you would just have dangerous convoys instead, we’ve seen that to a certain extent with Lorry’s being limited, nose to tale on the motorway with barely a gap between vehicles

Filo, if speed controllers were used it would reduce those dangerous situations, I can't think of a situation where avoidance and breaking wouldn't be a better option than speeding ilegally. Cruise control is used on motorways without problems.

You can always overide cruise control, I use it when towing the Caravan on the motorway, I set it at 60mph and even then you have to over ride it because some other d**khead can’t drive properly

[Bentley Bullet]

it could put the breaks on fast cars?

No cars are allowed to fulfil their speed capacity legally. The attraction of fast cars is the prestige of owning one more than owt else.

[Bentley Bullet]

I set the cruise control even on 30mph roads since the second time I got caught speeding. It stops my obsession with spending half the time looking at the speedo rather than the road in fear of getting done again!

[SydneyRover]

yes the perception that you (not you bb) with your fast car can be faster than another, which most people don't do. If that was taken away who would buy a fast car that couldn't do it? the mystique would be gone.

[SydneyRover]

it could put the breaks on fast cars?

No cars are allowed to fulfil their speed capacity legally. The attraction of fast cars is the prestige of owning one more than owt else.

I do it where possible.

[Bentley Bullet]

They could still produce prestigious luxury cars that would attract certain buyers. Buying a car that will go faster than others might be impressive even though it is of no more use than having a 20" penis in regards to using it to its full capability.

[Mike_F]

You say that, BB but with practice and the right partner I can make it work.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I've been caught speeding three times.

The one I mentioned previously.

Once in France last year where I saw a reduction from a 110kmh to 80kmh sign a fraction too late and was still doing 84 as I passed the sign which had a camera in it.

Once in Italy when we jumped in the car to go to the hospital where my father in law was terminally ill, after we'd had a call saying he was in the way out.

That last one cost us €469 after the hire car firm put their "admin costs" on the bill. But, I'll tell you what. It focusses the mind.

Italy is a good case study. They used to have carnage on the roads 20 years ago. The local news every night was full of footage of crashes. My wife's cousin was mown down in 1998 by a Kitson who was late for work, doing 100kmh in a 70 zone, clipped a kerb and lost control at the imminent corner.

They introduced much heavier speeding fines around 2002 and a points system on licences. There was uproar at the time. But look at the effect.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/694568/number-of-road-deaths-italy/

[Donnywolf]

Bloody hell 84 k in an 80 k is a bit punitive (to say the least)

Do they not operate the 10% + "a bit" rule ? Looks like they dont

[SydneyRover]

Carrots are better than sticks

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/fair-go-safe-drivers-discounted-licence-renewal

I missed out this year because of a one point demerit for 3 klm over the speed limit from 3 years ago.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Bloody hell 84 k in an 80 k is a bit punitive (to say the least)

Do they not operate the 10% + "a bit" rule ? Looks like they dont

They didn't in that case so I assume not.

That one was frustrating. I used cruise control all the way from Dover to Bologna and back and that was the one time I lost concentration. But I lost concentration. My fault. And a €60 fine to remind you to concentrate in future is not unreasonable.

[Bentley Bullet]

Those cars with satnavs that beep when there's a reduction in the speed limit are good in situations where you are concentrating on other aspects of driving or in your case when you simply lose concentration. I wish my car had that option. Perhaps all cars should?

[drfchound]

The heads up speedo on the windscreen is a big help too BB.

[IDM]

It doesn’t take much - a glance, to check your speedo, as well as staying aware of the road signs.

This is why analogue needle point instruments are better than a digital display of X mph.  It takes less time to observe where the needle is pointing - bearing in mind you would know which points 30mph etc are in the speedo - than it does to read and process an number.  Same for oil temp, fuel gauge, rev counters etc.

A head up display isn’t really necessary for normal road use, the speed we go doesn’t warrant not being able to take a split second glance at your dashboard, as well as looking at the mirrors.