Yet another ridiculous speed limit.

[cmcardle75]

But the slow terrible drivers don't have such fatal accidents as fast terrible drivers..BUSBY.

Yes, but they have more of them as the reduced stimulation sends everyone to sleep, especially with inappropriately low limits on longer distance routes.

 

[Nanniemate]

If you dont want to abide the laws of a country, its easy dont go there . Which ever country I am in, I am a visitor their respect their rules (unless of course doing a bit of wild camping) In Wales

 

[Paul and Val]

Whilst I agree that driving fast and driving dangerously are not necessarily the same, rules come about to cater for the least able, bit like pitching lessons in mixed ability classrooms. The general standard of driving in the UK is not great, although individually people think they are brilliant! The considerations for lower speed limits, especially in urban areas, have some basis in science, an average car travelling at 30 mph carries around twice the kinetic energy of one travelling at 20 mph. If drivers could historically show that they can be relied upon to drive quickly, safely there would be little reason to intervene. Sadly the stats speak for themselves, one of the leading factors in collisons is 'failing to look properly', the faster the travel the less information is processed by the driver, leading to less awareness of scenarios. Poor analysis leads to poor decision making and when it goes wrong the outcomes are often very much a function of speed.

An excellent and balanced response.
Thank you.

 

[Paul and Val]

I think you will find that it is Yorick on the bike on a race track

Obviously. I presume that he is a motorcyclist on the road as well? Or maybe he saves his vast skills foir the racetrack only?
My comments were about the number of terrible motorcyclists out there all of whom claim to be 'safe'. Not all obviously, but a very high proportion of motorcycle riders are far more dangerous (in my humble opinion) than any other drivers on the road.
It would also be nice on just an occasional basis to read a positive comment from Yorick rather than just consistent negativity to whatever is being discussed. We are old sparing partners who never agree on anything it seems!
This house believes that motorcyclists are in general, very poor road users! Go discuss, and enjoy!

 

[dazandandrea]

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.

Just because the limit is 60 doesnt mean you have to do 60

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[Nigel P]

Imo speed limits only control law abiding motorists, the reckless get away with it.

I would think the 2.5million annual speeding offences suggest they are not getting away with it. Around 86% of annual motoring offences are for speeding.

 

[Two on Tour]

Just because the limit is 60 doesnt mean you have to do 60

This is the green lane at the end of our lane, 30mph limit in our lane and national speed limit on the green lane, and going by the engine revs when they pass the signage, 60mph is a target.

 

[Paul and Val]

This is the green lane at the end of our lane, 30mph limit in our lane and national speed limit on the green lane, and going by the engine revs when they pass the signage, 60mph is a target.

View attachment 648249

View attachment 648250

It would be interesting to see ant mad motorcyclists or car drivers doing 60mph to suddenly find that gate closed................

 

[63720]

I would think the 2.5million annual speeding offences suggest they are not getting away with it. Around 86% of annual motoring offences are for speeding.

Thanks but I find this totally meaninglessness. Every day in my urban surroundings I see and hear boy racers with blingy wheels and boom boom stereos going horrendous speeds even over short distances to the next traffic light, how is a 20 or 30mph speed limit going to stop this?

 

[gus-lopez]

Now they have announced that they are stopping cutting the grass/weed verges by the roadside to create more wildlife habitat .....

Just a ruse to save even more money by the ****s too lazy to cut it. Like lottery wins to councils that scenario.

Every body does it without moaning.

You must lived in a different 'spain'to me? 20kmh here yet no one pays the slightest attention to limits, even the police.

That is interesting info. Are cyclists legally required to obey traffic lights do you know?

Yes & all other rules of the road.

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[kevenh]

Yes & all other rules of the road.

Even the wearing of seatbelts?

Also, earlier in this thread we learnt/were reminded that there isn’t a specific speed limit rule for cyclists. Just ones about unsafe riding.

 

[busby]

Don't know about the islands, but on the mainland in Galicia, the locals used to make a point of increasing their speed when entering a restricted speed zone, not reducing it. I asked one spaniard why they all seemed to do that, and he said it was a hangover of the Franco years and when democracy returned, the Spanish make a point of putting up two fingers at "authority".

Things may well changed recently, but I lived there for three years and was gobsmacked at the carefree manner in which the average local treated the road restrictions (speed limits, traffic lights, road crossings (dangerous for the pedestrian), ignoring one way streets and no entries and triple parking on the roadside (never seen that anywhere else in the world)). You say they now do comply with restrictions without moaning, things must have changed dramatically if that is the same scenario throughout Spain, because the horn honking that used to go on as soon as the lights changed green (from the few motorists that did stop) was always deafening.

Not now and their consideration for cyclists is unbelievably,,,Cannot believe how Spanish driving has improved in the last 20 years
..and the female drivers Really can parallel park..BUSBY.

 

[busby]

Yes, but they have more of them as the reduced stimulation sends everyone to sleep, especially with inappropriately low limits on longer distance routes.

What's worst a small shunt or death..I am now a very steady driver,,not much point in rushing to the next traffic jam and passed my test 60 years ago next week..Not had a blameworthy accident since 1963,,,and I drove for a living,,Lucky bugger.BUSBY.

 

[cmcardle75]

What's worst a small shunt or death..I am now a very steady driver,,not much point in rushing to the next traffic jam and passed my test 60 years ago next week..Not had a blameworthy accident since 1963,,,and I drove for a living,,Lucky bugger.BUSBY.

We all want greater safety. However, even well rested, some people will simply go to sleep at 50mph whilst staying alert at 70mph, especially on a low stimulation environment like a motorway. What is worse a death (which you can easily get at 50mph) or no crash at all?

I'm not talking about 20mph zones in congested centres, BTW. They are often quite sensible.

 

[Verteuil Man]

About 5 years ago a friend of mine who was a motorbike who rode quite fast and often above the speed was berating cars for pulling out on motorbikes. I told him than on the previous Sunday I have been coming back from a rally with our caravan. We had come through Lach Dennis and were at the junction with the A50 to turn right to Holmes Chapel. To the left is a very long straight. I checked right, left and right. Looking left again I could see a single headlight. So I said to him. My decision was, is that a mpoed doing 30mph, or is it a motorbike doing the speed limit of 60mph, or is it you doing 140mph. After 2 seconds I pulled out and he walked away shocked. At speeds in excess of the speed limit ground gets eaten up very quickly.

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[busby]

We all want greater safety. However, even well rested, some people will simply go to sleep at 50mph whilst staying alert at 70mph, especially on a low stimulation environment like a motorway. What is worse a death (which you can easily get at 50mph) or no crash at all?

I'm not talking about 20mph zones in congested centres, BTW. They are often quite sensible.

Well most trucks I drove in 60s and 70s were flat out well below 50 mph,,Didn't seem to take much longer back then to do journeys although there was less traffic and less motorways,,No M25 it was north circular or through town and over Vauxhall or through Blackwell..Mind you the noise or the cold probably stopped us nodding off..I only travel through Europe at just over 50mph now and never nod...BUSBY.

 

[The Wino]

I think if you can't stay awake it's time to stop and take a break. Presumably it would be safer for us all to drive at 120 mph and do handbrake turns as we'd be more awake!

 

[Nanniemate]

I think if you can't stay awake it's time to stop and take a break. Presumably it would be safer for us all to drive at 120 mph and do handbrake turns as we'd be more awake!

not sure my van would make 120 down hill with a tail wind and the demons from hell chasing me (I may run faster)

 

[NigelNovice]

I went to Wales (Tenby) once, it rained, not been back since, now another reason not to go

 

[jongood]

I would think the 2.5million annual speeding offences suggest they are not getting away with it. Around 86% of annual motoring offences are for speeding.

As a cynic I would suggest that 86% of motoring convictions are for speeding because it can easily be detected and proved by cameras. Inattention or incompetence - which IMHO are both more likely to end in damage or injury requires a trained police office to identify and prosecute which is far too costly for them.

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[joe and sue]

I think it all comes down to being able to "read the road" conditions. and applying a bit of common sense, plus having respect for others, regardless of what they are doing !!

 

[kevenh]

There’s a huge 20mph speed limit section in & around Kingston upon Thames.
Because it’s so much longer a reduced speed than I’m used to, on one straight hazard free section my speed had crept up.
Luckily not by one of the many speed cameras.
I haven’t driven into London’s deeper road system for years but with these huge 20mph sections common - not even near schools - have deterred me

 

[Nigel P]

As a cynic I would suggest that 86% of motoring convictions are for speeding because it can easily be detected and proved by cameras. Inattention or incompetence - which IMHO are both more likely to end in damage or injury requires a trained police office to identify and prosecute which is far too costly for them.

Yes, 96% of speeding offences are camera detected. Statistics tend to show that those offences that can be detected by automated systems (Gatso, ANPR etc.) lead to a reduction in those offence types, speeding, vehicle registration offences, insurance, MOT, tax, disqualified driving etc. So logically that should produce more enforcement time for those offences you mentioned. Driver behaviour is an interesting subject, it appears that the deterrent value of a sentence is pretty much non-existent if there is no perceived risk of detection. Mobile phone use is probably the prime example, detection risk is tiny so drivers happily carry on using the phone despite quite a severe penalty if caught.

 

[tribalbrit]

Obviously. I presume that he is a motorcyclist on the road as well? Or maybe he saves his vast skills foir the racetrack only?
My comments were about the number of terrible motorcyclists out there all of whom claim to be 'safe'. Not all obviously, but a very high proportion of motorcycle riders are far more dangerous (in my humble opinion) than any other drivers on the road.
It would also be nice on just an occasional basis to read a positive comment from Yorick rather than just consistent negativity to whatever is being discussed. We are old sparing partners who never agree on anything it seems!
This house believes that motorcyclists are in general, very poor road users! Go discuss, and enjoy!

If all motorists were forced to pass a test on a motorcycle before being allowed a car licence the roads would be a far far safer place.

 

[63720]

Scrapped, nothing to see here, move along please. .

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[The Wino]

If all motorists were forced to pass a test on a motorcycle before being allowed a car licence the roads would be a far far safer place.

Our son's driving instructor said everyone ought to be required to ride a moped.

 

[Nyvern]

How do German drivers manage to survive with some areas with no speed limit?

 

[tribalbrit]

How do German drivers manage to survive with some areas with no speed limit?

Better drivers.

 

[busby]

Our son's driving instructor said everyone ought to be required to ride a moped.

Don't get me started on driving instructor's,,,BUSBY.

 

[cmcardle75]

I think if you can't stay awake it's time to stop and take a break. Presumably it would be safer for us all to drive at 120 mph and do handbrake turns as we'd be more awake!

But even well rested, 50mph on an empty dual carriageway will send people to sleep.

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