Yet another ridiculous speed limit.

[dunnah01]

The limit will need some traffic calming measures otherwise many will just ignore it and try to bully those wanting to follow it

 

[Littlewheels]

I posted this on a similar thread that’s running. My 20mph experience.

”Our Village has a 20mph limit, completely ignored by 90% and 90% do not live in the Village but use it has a Rat Run even the DD buses pile through despite Speed Bumps and more importantly a School.”

 

[robnchris]

I live on a narrowish country road, just room for two cars to pass and great care when in the motorhome. Our house is also on a Z bend and yet idiots drive along the road at the legal speed limit of 60mph. I would dearly love to see a 40mph limit on roads such as mine.

We have a 20mph limit through a village close by where there is also a school. The limit is quite rightly religiously observed at ALL times of the day not just school time. I would be happy to see a 20mph speed limit in town despite the OPs objections if only to see less accidents and much less injury to persons.

France has 30km/h limits everywhere in villages, I don't see a problem at obeying these laws

Amazing but true, we turned into a very narrow lane in Cornwall yesterday heading for St Erth speed limit on main road 40mph, 20 yds into the lane there were two National Speed Limit Signposts, totally unsuitable and impossible to achieve.
Local council stupidity.

 

[huck999]

Driving through France etc without some form of speed-limit warning showing on your GPS is almost impossible. A typical country road will go from 80kph to 50 to 30 and back again in a few hundred yards.
Usually there are no signs other than the entering or leaving the village signs and nasty road humps that force you to slow to about 10mph in a van or you will have all your goods on the floor. Inevitably you will get it wrong and thats where the speed camera will be.
Looking at trends in europe, the 20mph (30kph) limit in villages and towns is becoming the norm. It will soon be in the UK as well.
But no problem; all new cars will have automatic speed control

 

[Kannon Fodda]

I was taught to drive to the conditions, so frequently the speed limit is the maximum, not the challenge.

Unfortunately the risk assesor wring the hands protagonists seem to come to the fore and its clear that their ideal would be to return to the days of the horse and cart speed with a red flag waver in front of any car. We only have to look at the temporary, becoming permanent, cul de sac blockages introduced during the pandemic to see the chaos inflicted without consultation on many communities.

20mph limits may be appropriate in residential areas, but we also need to allow us to get around. They should be set based on local circumstances and safety criteria, not a blanket coverage. There will be many larger through routes in town areas where 30 should be fine.

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[HKF]

I might have listened to what you had to say if your post hadn't been so condescending and full of self-belief.

Oh, and it's been a long, long time since the term 'RTA' has been used in the professional environment. The official term is now 'RTC' (Road Traffic Collision). For your information, this is so as not to imply innocence or guilt to any party.

 

[meanders]

The statement about pollution increasing in a lower gear is wrong. Emissions vary much much more on the amount of fuel going in, rather than the selected gear, I.e. The heaviness of the right foot. Loads of evidence that higher gears mean higher emissions when there is insufficient torque being generated for example.

I don't mind the 20mph limit in really built up areas especially when people are afoot.

What gets my goat as seen on many a rally are those people who have no understanding that 5mph means walking pace, and 10mph only slightly faster, yet drive through pedestrian areas or across rally fields at ridiculous speeds. I couldn't possibly count the number of times I have been covered with dust (itself a health hazard when breathed in) while marshalling at Warner's shows for example. Our village hall driveway has a 5mph limit as there is a kids playground adjacent yet some see it as a challenge to kill other people's kids when arriving or departing with their own in the car (most live within a 10 minute walk!)

 

[DDJC]

I’m all for it. They reduced the limit to 20 heading into Tonbridge past the School and it worked really well, less those Mr MaGoo drivers that couldn’t understand what 20 actually meant.

Agree. I drive that road sometimes. I have no problem with 20mph in resi areas or near schools or residential care homes.

I am hoping that the decrepit, arrogant, self-important old fossils who run Sevenoaks Council do the same, but I would like to see some rebalancing, by looking at more bypasses or slip roads to get onto faster roads.

 

[The Wino]

I'd be interested to see the fuel economy figures. I suspect there will be little in it one of the main effects will be drag from air resistance which increases as the square of speed. I'm pretty sure you would use

Amazing but true, we turned into a very narrow lane in Cornwall yesterday heading for St Erth speed limit on main road 40mph, 20 yds into the lane there were two National Speed Limit Signposts, totally unsuitable and impossible to achieve.
Local council stupidity.

But if they signed all bends narrow roads crests etc with different limits the cost would be huge. Just because the limit is the national one doesn't mean it safe to drive at that limit.

 

[Nigel P]

And so according to the BBC website, Wales is to have a blanket 20mph limit in towns. See here - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62020427

Bravo for the dream people. These are the idiots who do not realise that there are just a few drawbacks to such restrictions.

1. Less emissions. Err, no. Complete nonsense. You cannot drive a modern car at 20 mph without being in (probably) second gear. Anybody with the most basic understanding of the internal combustion engine will realise that a car in second gear will have many more evolutions and sparks and bangs and pops than a car in fourth. Hence we will see more pollution rather than less.

2. Ok but cars will drive through town at lower speeds. Err, really sorry but no. When I was driving for a living and covering huge distances every year (at very high speeds most of the time and over 100k a year with never an accident by the way), there was, for a time an absolutely ridiculous 30mph limit on motorways and dual carriageways through roadworks. For many years now it has been 40mph. Why was it increased? Because the average speed through road repairs WAS FASTER when the slower speed limit was in force. The reason? Because research has proven many times that when a speed limit is set stupidly low, motorists not only ignore it but drive at HIGHER speeds than they would have done before.

3. Ok but I am a know all who knows nothing really. Err, I may well be a know all (as, the flat cap, 45mph motorhome drivers who keep to that speed whatever the tailback and wherever they are, be it dual carriageways or outside schools at 3.45pm would say) but when as mayor of our village, against my vote a sensible 40mph limit was reduced to 30mph, despite the fact that the arrow straight main route only passed four grand houses and there were few if any junctions. We laughingly, in hindsight, took turns with a radar gun borrowed from the Police. Speed went UP from an average of 43mph to 48mph. And that was over several test periods. I have to say here that despite being a fast driver it was fun to see fellow motorists brake hard and the look of terror on their faces when they saw 'the gun'. I felt very big and important (a bit like traffic policemen who seemingly never try to stop dangerous drivers but only people driving sensibly but above the speed limit).

4. Well ok but people will be more aware and therefore there will be fewer accidents. On this I can only question the rather suspect logic. I have no actual example to give other than past personal experience. First, a question to you dear reader. On the docks at Dover and other places, do you stick to the 20mph limit? I fear that if you say yes then there may be a few Melton Mowberries in the air (pork pies). My personal view is that when driving at 20mph I am likely to pay less attention than when at a more sensible 30mph. I would be interested in your viewpoint.

Anyway here is to the new cloud cuckoo land of imaginary 'ideal worlds' where the Police say, there are no more RTA's (road traffic accidents), there are only offences to be prosecuted to the enth degree.

Before the deluge of complaints I would say that while I do a far lower mileage now than in my previous life, in over two million miles of motoring, I have never been in an accident other the being hit from behind when stationary, not once but seven times. Maybe they were bored and distracted with artificially low speed limits set by the flat cap wearing cyclist brigade?

Discuss fellow road warriors (and please move over if you are a slow driver to allow normal traffic to make progress). Thank you.
Paul

Contrary to popular belief it is not all guesswork, some people put a great deal of effort into researching the facts and presenting a case for change, if in fact change is required. This is a lengthy report but an interesting read.

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[PP Bear]

Agree. I drive that road sometimes. I have no problem with 20mph in resi areas or near schools or residential care homes.

I am hoping that the decrepit, arrogant, self-important old fossils who run Sevenoaks Council do the same, but I would like to see some rebalancing, by looking at more bypasses or slip roads to get onto faster roads.

I’m with you there. Also like to see some pennies spent on the state of the roads throughout Sevenoaks. I’m in Weald and on one road past the church, it’s worse than going off-road

 

[taylor354]

20mph implemented widely in Edinburgh and routinely ignored by most. Apart from a short period at the start I’ve never seeing it being policed either. What you do now get is a lot of tailgaters angry when you do try and stick to the limit.

 

[robnchris]

I'd be interested to see the fuel economy figures. I suspect there will be little in it one of the main effects will be drag from air resistance which increases as the square of speed. I'm pretty sure you would use

But if they signed all bends narrow roads crests etc with different limits the cost would be huge. Just because the limit is the national one doesn't mean it safe to drive at that limit.

So why bother with the expense of making the sign and the work involved erecting it, oh I forgot we can't think for ourselves anymore now the snowflake woke lot have taken over our decision making.

 

[Grianan]

Less people die when hit by cars that are travelling at 20 mph than at 30 mph. Isn't that enough reason to reduce the speed limit?

https://www.transportenvironment.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/11-01-T30.pdf

Agree. We have a 20mph speed limit by our school but some cars still drive down the road well above 20mph or even 30mph. As a split campus we have to walk young children across the road regularly. I wish people would think about potential consequences of their speed.
If we reduced to 20mph in towns we’d just get used to it.

 

[buttons]

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[robnchris]

Whilst on the other hand the pedestrian walking along locked into their mobile phone screen,(the worst offenders being young mothers pushing a pram), walking out into the path of an oncoming vehicle, cyclist etc.
Last few days we have seen just this, one young lady walked into a hedgerow, another a lamp post and another a parked car.

As for speed limits by Schools, Hospitals etc, simple just put a set of cameras, same thing with traffic lights, mount a camera on every set, instead of the usual ones hiding around bends or behind trees at the bottom of a hill etc.

 

[Nigel P]

Amazing but true, we turned into a very narrow lane in Cornwall yesterday heading for St Erth speed limit on main road 40mph, 20 yds into the lane there were two National Speed Limit Signposts, totally unsuitable and impossible to achieve.
Local council stupidity.

rather than stupidity it is the local authority following national protocol, in principle every road has a default position of being a national speed limit unless a specific restriction is added by a local traffic regulation order. (excluding motorways which have their own special roads legislation). If the road remains a national limit it reflects its history of having no requirement to alter it. Many narrow roads are self-regulating. No legislation will manage to regulate those who cannot drive properly in the first place.

 

[joe and sue]

20mph limits in inner cities seem to work. They keep residents safer if there’s a collision and reduce emissions. At least it’s possible to avoid city centres if you’re on a longer journey.

I wasn’t aware of the proposal to extend the scheme to all towns. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest, though, that in the areas where they have introduced 50mph limits for miles and miles of motorway (M4 at Newport and Port Talbot), there is often miles and miles of tailback, (esp at Newport) resulting in miles and miles of stationary traffic all emitting more pollution than if they had been allowed to proceed at the national speed limit on those perfectly good motorways.

Air quality at Port Talbot has been hideous for decades, in any case, due to the chemical works, not because of the traffic on the M4.

Ref your first paragraph, I have never hit a pedestrian in 55 years of riding / driving, however the number of times i have had a pedestrian walk into the side of my stationary car / van i have forgotten,
However I totally agree with your comments about motorways.
Personally I never drive / go into city centres now that i am retired, there are far more pleasant places to go !!

 

[Tonks]

Agree. We have a 20mph speed limit by our school but some cars still drive down the road well above 20mph or even 30mph. As a split campus we have to walk young children across the road regularly. I wish people would think about potential consequences of their speed.
If we reduced to 20mph in towns we’d just get used to it.

Most people would just get used to ignoring it I suspect, given how many people currently ignore the 30mph limit in my town, and the 20mph limit outside the schools. It's quite eye-opening to see the speed figures published by one of our local speedwatch groups. They get lots of hate - it's interesting how many seem to think passing the speed limit signs is when they should start to slow down, and others who seem to think they need a mile's notice - but the speed watchers have definitely slowed down the speeders in my town, particularly on one road which passes a children's nursery.

 

[DDJC]

I’m with you there. Also like to see some pennies spent on the state of the roads throughout Sevenoaks. I’m in Weald and on one road past the church, it’s worse than going off-road

I thought you had to go off-road to get to Weald! A succession of Quiet Lanes, RUPPs and cart tracks! Be a miracle to ever get above 15mph, let alone 20!
Not motorhome friendly country, but beautiful countryside on the south side of the Greensand ridge.

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[robnchris]

rather than stupidity it is the local authority following national protocol, in principle every road has a default position of being a national speed limit unless a specific restriction is added by a local traffic regulation order. (excluding motorways which have their own special roads legislation). If the road remains a national limit it reflects its history of having no requirement to alter it. Many narrow roads are self-regulating. No legislation will manage to regulate those who cannot drive properly in the first place.

So if as you say every road has a default position of the National Speed limit why bother with the sign posts, I'm just saying there was no need for them or the cost of erecting, the fact that you could hardly see them because of the overhanging hedgerow just added to the scenario.

 

[jongood]

Driving through France etc without some form of speed-limit warning showing on your GPS is almost impossible. A typical country road will go from 80kph to 50 to 30 and back again in a few hundred yards.
Usually there are no signs other than the entering or leaving the village signs and nasty road humps that force you to slow to about 10mph in a van or you will have all your goods on the floor. Inevitably you will get it wrong and thats where the speed camera will be.
Looking at trends in europe, the 20mph (30kph) limit in villages and towns is becoming the norm. It will soon be in the UK as well.
But no problem; all new cars will have automatic speed control

If you enter a place and the name sign has a red surround it signifies the 50kmh limit, the place name with a line through it means the limit has ended.

 

[MattR]

And so according to the BBC website, Wales is to have a blanket 20mph limit in towns. See here - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62020427

Bravo for the dream people. These are the idiots who do not realise that there are just a few drawbacks to such restrictions.

1. Less emissions. Err, no. Complete nonsense. You cannot drive a modern car at 20 mph without being in (probably) second gear. Anybody with the most basic understanding of the internal combustion engine will realise that a car in second gear will have many more evolutions and sparks and bangs and pops than a car in fourth. Hence we will see more pollution rather than less.

2. Ok but cars will drive through town at lower speeds. Err, really sorry but no. When I was driving for a living and covering huge distances every year (at very high speeds most of the time and over 100k a year with never an accident by the way), there was, for a time an absolutely ridiculous 30mph limit on motorways and dual carriageways through roadworks. For many years now it has been 40mph. Why was it increased? Because the average speed through road repairs WAS FASTER when the slower speed limit was in force. The reason? Because research has proven many times that when a speed limit is set stupidly low, motorists not only ignore it but drive at HIGHER speeds than they would have done before.

3. Ok but I am a know all who knows nothing really. Err, I may well be a know all (as, the flat cap, 45mph motorhome drivers who keep to that speed whatever the tailback and wherever they are, be it dual carriageways or outside schools at 3.45pm would say) but when as mayor of our village, against my vote a sensible 40mph limit was reduced to 30mph, despite the fact that the arrow straight main route only passed four grand houses and there were few if any junctions. We laughingly, in hindsight, took turns with a radar gun borrowed from the Police. Speed went UP from an average of 43mph to 48mph. And that was over several test periods. I have to say here that despite being a fast driver it was fun to see fellow motorists brake hard and the look of terror on their faces when they saw 'the gun'. I felt very big and important (a bit like traffic policemen who seemingly never try to stop dangerous drivers but only people driving sensibly but above the speed limit).

4. Well ok but people will be more aware and therefore there will be fewer accidents. On this I can only question the rather suspect logic. I have no actual example to give other than past personal experience. First, a question to you dear reader. On the docks at Dover and other places, do you stick to the 20mph limit? I fear that if you say yes then there may be a few Melton Mowberries in the air (pork pies). My personal view is that when driving at 20mph I am likely to pay less attention than when at a more sensible 30mph. I would be interested in your viewpoint.

Anyway here is to the new cloud cuckoo land of imaginary 'ideal worlds' where the Police say, there are no more RTA's (road traffic accidents), there are only offences to be prosecuted to the enth degree.

Before the deluge of complaints I would say that while I do a far lower mileage now than in my previous life, in over two million miles of motoring, I have never been in an accident other the being hit from behind when stationary, not once but seven times. Maybe they were bored and distracted with artificially low speed limits set by the flat cap wearing cyclist brigade?

Discuss fellow road warriors (and please move over if you are a slow driver to allow normal traffic to make progress). Thank you.
Paul

As the OP said it doesn't. 20mph in 2nd will always generate far more pollution.

Because the problem is most people cannot drive and maintain a constant speed.

My car (automatic) goes into 3rd gear at less than 20mph.

The British Medical journal links a report that there is a 8% reduction in NOx and PM10 for diesel cars at 20mph compared to 30mph.

Re: Twenty miles per hour speed zones do not increase emissions

www.bmj.com

In addition to all of the other benefits of reducing speed limits: https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m453

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

What happens on the busy motorway when the speed is reduced from 70mph to 50 or even 40mph for whatever reason? Congestion and nose to tail, tail backs sometimes going back miles.
Take this same thought process and have vehicles going at 60mph or 50mph going into a 20mph zone and you're going to end up with the same congestion. The result, no gaps in the traffic for very long periods which means pedestrians can't safely cross the road and any vehicle turning right out of a junction can't get out. Frustration will cause more accidents.
I have no objection to 20mph limit passing schools at school times or in selected areas where it is obviously necessary but a blanket rule in every built-up will cause more problems and danger than it will solve.
Politicians can make statistics mean anything they want them to by phrasing the question differently.
Yet another bonkers political idea coming out of Wales. Clue-less bunch of wasters.

I've got a safety issue which I've been fighting with since last December when I raised it with the council highways dept. I have had 3 different councillors on the case and can't get anywhere. It involves 2 blocked drains in a dip in the road which causes flooding which can be 6 inches deep on the pavement adjacent to a steep blind summit. Children on their way to the primary school have to walk onto the middle of the road to pass the flood. I've lost count of how many times cars have flew at speed over the blind summit and hit the floodwater. It's only a matter of when a serious or fatal accident will happen.
Our grandchildren are well warned of the dangers but not every parent will be aware of the danger. I can see it from our house.
Our county council have just announced a £7.4Million surplus in their budget. Is it any wonder if they don't spend it? They stopped sweeping roads years ago and weeds grow in the muck at the kerb side. Now they have announced that they are stopping cutting the grass/weed verges by the roadside to create more wildlife habitat ........ Really? In a rural county such as Powys.

 

[maison]

And so according to the BBC website, Wales is to have a blanket 20mph limit in towns. See here - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62020427

Bravo for the dream people. These are the idiots who do not realise that there are just a few drawbacks to such restrictions.

1. Less emissions. Err, no. Complete nonsense. You cannot drive a modern car at 20 mph without being in (probably) second gear. Anybody with the most basic understanding of the internal combustion engine will realise that a car in second gear will have many more evolutions and sparks and bangs and pops than a car in fourth. Hence we will see more pollution rather than less.

2. Ok but cars will drive through town at lower speeds. Err, really sorry but no. When I was driving for a living and covering huge distances every year (at very high speeds most of the time and over 100k a year with never an accident by the way), there was, for a time an absolutely ridiculous 30mph limit on motorways and dual carriageways through roadworks. For many years now it has been 40mph. Why was it increased? Because the average speed through road repairs WAS FASTER when the slower speed limit was in force. The reason? Because research has proven many times that when a speed limit is set stupidly low, motorists not only ignore it but drive at HIGHER speeds than they would have done before.

3. Ok but I am a know all who knows nothing really. Err, I may well be a know all (as, the flat cap, 45mph motorhome drivers who keep to that speed whatever the tailback and wherever they are, be it dual carriageways or outside schools at 3.45pm would say) but when as mayor of our village, against my vote a sensible 40mph limit was reduced to 30mph, despite the fact that the arrow straight main route only passed four grand houses and there were few if any junctions. We laughingly, in hindsight, took turns with a radar gun borrowed from the Police. Speed went UP from an average of 43mph to 48mph. And that was over several test periods. I have to say here that despite being a fast driver it was fun to see fellow motorists brake hard and the look of terror on their faces when they saw 'the gun'. I felt very big and important (a bit like traffic policemen who seemingly never try to stop dangerous drivers but only people driving sensibly but above the speed limit).

4. Well ok but people will be more aware and therefore there will be fewer accidents. On this I can only question the rather suspect logic. I have no actual example to give other than past personal experience. First, a question to you dear reader. On the docks at Dover and other places, do you stick to the 20mph limit? I fear that if you say yes then there may be a few Melton Mowberries in the air (pork pies). My personal view is that when driving at 20mph I am likely to pay less attention than when at a more sensible 30mph. I would be interested in your viewpoint.

Anyway here is to the new cloud cuckoo land of imaginary 'ideal worlds' where the Police say, there are no more RTA's (road traffic accidents), there are only offences to be prosecuted to the enth degree.

Before the deluge of complaints I would say that while I do a far lower mileage now than in my previous life, in over two million miles of motoring, I have never been in an accident other the being hit from behind when stationary, not once but seven times. Maybe they were bored and distracted with artificially low speed limits set by the flat cap wearing cyclist brigade?

Discuss fellow road warriors (and please move over if you are a slow driver to allow normal traffic to make progress). Thank you.
Paul

A “trial” of the 20pts limit was held in Magor.

At the end public opinion was anti as

it took far too long to get anywhere
traffic jams became the norm with actual speeds much lower than 20mph
air pollution increased because of cars idling in traffic


The Welsh Government (Sennedd) promised to take the results into consideration and then proceeded to institute the blanket 20mph limit.

They are more concerned with increasing the number of Sennedd Members from 60 to 96, also against public opinion.

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[joe and sue]

Amazing but true, we turned into a very narrow lane in Cornwall yesterday heading for St Erth speed limit on main road 40mph, 20 yds into the lane there were two National Speed Limit Signposts, totally unsuitable and impossible to achieve.
Local council stupidity.

Surely there are too many signs telling us what to do, hence people ignoring them, What ever happened to common sense and recognising risks, and driving accordingly ??

 

[Soycd]

What happens on the busy motorway when the speed is reduced from 70mph to 50 or even 40mph for whatever reason?

I think the whole idea of these reductions is to prevent further problems or prevent them happening in the first place? The simple fact is there are way too many vehicles on roads these days and we have to accept that keeping all vehicles moving at a reasonable speed all the time is pretty much impossible. Anyway I'm in danger of straying away from the OP. I still can't think of a reasonable excuse for not reducing speed limits from 30mph to 20mph, nor have I seen a reasonable argument to support not reducing. I will however keep an open mind, but the evidence seems stacked in favour of a reduction.

 

[DT]

In general we are becoming a country with too many rules and regulations.

 

[Soycd]

At the end public opinion was anti as

Public opinion is not fact. Reduced speed limits, save lives, particularly children and the elderly.

 

[Paul and Val]

It always strikes me as strange that everyone says there are nowadays lots of terrible drivers but I don't think I've ever met anyone who said they were. I suspect a lot have a grossly over inflated ego about their own driving skills I too haven't had any accidents whilst moving in my case in 45 years or had anyone drive into the back of me ( it seems very unlucky to be driven into the back of 7 times does that indicate not looking ahead and anticipation leading to last minute braking and increasing the risk of a rear end shunt?)
A lot of "fast" drivers I strongly suspect have watched a bit too much formula 1 and top gear. Set off 5 minutes earlier and drive slower it's not a race and if you look at the ETA on a sat nav typically driving like an a**e only saves a few minutes on a typical journey.

Dear Wino

Thank you for your lecture. Its always good to hear from perfect drivers.

Yes, I have been hit up the rear 7 times and only on the 6th time was my vehicle moving. On every other time I was stationary either in traffic or at lights.

The last time was on Fulham High Street and I watched the small van driver approaching at well below the speed limit but looking at a piece of paper in his left hand. He told me later he was looking at an invoice. He did look up at the last second and it was rather comical to see the look of horror on his face (which was probably far less than the look on mine). He never had chance to brake however and he hit me at what I would probably guess was 20 - 25mph. My brand new black C200 only ten days old was a sad wreck and it was the only time that I was hurt but luckily with nothing other than short term effects.

By the way in case in your suspicious little mind you think that I have been causing accidents in order to claim compensation, the last rear end was the only time I did so and I received a pay out of 1.500 Pounds.

I should also clarify my phrase about driving at high speed. The thing that the flat cap brigade don't realise, is that a good driver will adapt his speed to the conditions. I am a great believer in cruise control as a safety device, it allows full concentration without staring at the speedometer and can be changed at the flick of a button. I drive on cruise where possible but my foot is covering the brake all the time which slightly reduces reaction time.

On open safe roads it would normally be set to 88 - 92mph (an actual corrected speed of probably 84 - 88 mph) BUT that would constantly be turned down where there were junctions and other hazards (and before you have a heart attack, fairly obviously not in towns!). At other times in light traffic it could be higher.

The A1 was my normal arterial route initially and I knew at the time where the traffic Police would sit. By the way, always on the most open, least dangerous sections of road, never in the danger spots, but that did allow them to catch more motorists. I never found them interested in bad driving, just fast driving. Was I ever caught speeding? Oh yes, sadly. I don't think that I ever had less than 6 points on my licence but driving over 100.000 work miles a year it was an occupational hazard.

I saw I guess probably 6 serious accidents in my driving life. Only one of them had a real speeding element.

I got hit in the side when signalling and turning right quite correctly when a maniac on a motorcycle came up the outside at about 75mph in a 30mph zone. He went over the roof of my car and stopped rolling about 70 metres up the road. Apart from a motorcycle far shorter than it should have been and a huge dent in my Jenson Interceptor there was no damage apart from my nose being cut by flying glass.

Incidentally, the first comment from the attending Police Officer to the motorcyclist was, "I have seen some complete Wabbits in my time but you are the champions of champions. I shall call you King of the Wabbits". I rather like that I have to say.

The worst was driving out of Derby when an old smoky lorry changed lanes without looking and crushed an old style Mini against the Armco. The girl was badly hurt and it was shocking experience which I still think about from time to time. The girl would have had a tough life as she lost her right arm sadly.

A big multi-car pileup after a car cut across lanes and spun a Mondeo around the wrong way on an A1 roundabout. I was about the only car not to get hit but destroyed the front right wheel and tyre by deliberately running up the curb and off the road. The car behind me hit the car that had been in front of me.

I saw a girl get knocked down in a 50mph zone. The driver was superb by almost completely stopping despite the girl, who had a death wish running across two lanes of traffic with no warning and without looking. She was shocked and bruised but unhurt.

I saw an inattentive driver mow down a temporary traffic light and knock down a yellow vested worker. He was not hurt I think but the way the car was surrounded by his fellow workers meant that the driver may have been! The driver appeared to be looking but not seeing. He never even braked for the red light!

I saw a car come straight across a junction without looking and hit a passing Renault 5. Nobody hurt but both cars were absolute and complete writ-offs. The Renault was about 2 feet wide at the rear.

Actually a seventh accident has just come to mind. I saw a lorry blow a front right tyre and swerve across the dual carriageway and crush an Opel. The driver was hurt but not seriously. That was heading north out of Paris and the noise of the exploding tyre was more shocking than the accident.

Just running through them again in my mind only the first had speed as a main problem and it would not have mattered to the mad motorcyclist if the speed limit was 1mph.

'Speeding' is never a problem. Driving too fast for the road conditions is the problem. People who drive past schools at the 30mph posted limit when kids are running about are maniacs who should be locked up. There was a school in the next village to us in the UK. I saw a Police speed trap outside the school four times. Three times on a Sunday and once at 10 or 11 at night.

I rest my case. Oh and by the way Wino. I absolutely hate Formula 1 (but Top Gear is not too bad even if I don't watch it).

Have a safe and great day dear fellow road warriors.
Paul

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