149 MPH - 6 month ban

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As I was driving from Storrington to Brighton today on the A283, a 60 mph national speed limit road, a complete knob headess pulled out from the Partridge Green road and proceeded to slow down a stream of traffic travelling at about 55 mph to 30 mph, and kept it that way until Shoreham which is about 7 miles.
Thick, pig ignorant, stupid, dangerous, witless, good driver bad driver?
Give me clue, personally the thought that this individual has passed a driving test and is allowed on a motorway, to teach others, to drive at night, to drive a moped, a 7.5 tonner and a Ferrari leaves me cold.
I'm sure she causes more dangerous incidents than the most useless speeder

Ah but at least she was safe because she was driving slowly...speed kills remember! ;)

Seriously though, in my opinion, it's the difference in speed, especially when combined with excessive lane changing with inattentiveness added in that causes nasty accidents. If I had one pound for every numpty that pulled into my motorway lane without the usual mirror-signal-manoeuvre I would be very happy. For whatever reason, said numpties fail to calculate the speed difference between their 55mph and the 70mph of the car they pull out directly in front of. Very very dangerous. One needs to use the mirrors properly to know that by pulling out, one is not going to cause said approaching car to have to brake. In this scenario, the combination of inattentiveness and speed difference are the factors that cause a high risk of accident occurring.
 
Seriously though, in my opinion, it's the difference in speed, especially when combined with excessive lane changing with inattentiveness added in that causes nasty accidents. If I had one pound for every numpty that pulled into my motorway lane without the usual mirror-signal-manoeuvre I would be very happy.

I've emboldened two parts of this, a sentiment with which I generally agree. Rather than all the "Speed Kills" signs around, perhaps we should have many that declare: "Inattentiveness Kills". Apart from traffic volumes, driving has become a lot easier so many people feel less need to concentrate. Combine that with inappropriate speed (the same driver, or different drivers sharing the road) and you have the recipe for disaster.

The second part of that statement that I've highlighted is the phrase "my motorway lane". Despite what you say, you don't own any motorway lanes. I know that's not what you meant, but it's what far too many people think. Unless it's clearly marked by signs, there is no right of way anywhere on UK roads. There is no "my lane" or "my bit of road". Of course moving into the path of a vehicle already on a section of road is at the very least inconsiderate, and possibly dangerous. But being on a piece of road doesn't give you any "right" to it; you're still responsible for progressing safely no matter what some numpty may do to impede your progress.
 
I agree with your first paragraph, but not your second one so much. As I was typing 'my lane' I realised your kind of comment would likely arise, and unfortunately it did. I should have followed my instincts and rewritten 'my lane' to be instead 'the lane I was currently travelling in', but for brevity used the former without ever intending ownership of the lane.

Out of interest, do you have any evidence to back up your opinion that people really do believe the lane they are travelling in, or move into, to be 'their' lane?
 
I agree with your first paragraph, but not your second one so much. As I was typing 'my lane' I realised your kind of comment would likely arise, and unfortunately it did. I should have followed my instincts and rewritten 'my lane' to be instead 'the lane I was currently travelling in', but for brevity used the former without ever intending ownership of the lane.

Out of interest, do you have any evidence to back up your opinion that people really do believe the lane they are travelling in, or move into, to be 'their' lane?

In response to your first point, I did say:
I know that's not what you meant ....

My evidence regarding too much apparent belief in ownership is demonstrated on our roads on a regular basis - something I'm sure I'm not alone in noticing. Combine this with the regular phrases used on public forums when discussing motoring incidents: "It was my right of way" and "It was my lane", and there you have it. I'm not suggesting that there are any drivers who truly believe that any part of the road is their property complete with title deeds. A vast number of motorists give the impression by way of actions, vocally or in print that they are more entitled to be on parts of the road than anyone else. This may be intentional due to arrogance or unintentional due to a misunderstanding of the rules of the Highway Code. The more they read, hear and say "My lane" and/or "My right of way", the more they believe it. And the more they become aggrieved when anyone else dare to trespass on "their road". I'm not being pedantic about the use of English, I'm showing a concern for the way we drive and the way we think about driving - consciously and subconsciously.
 
Making personal motorised transport unpleasant has long been a strategy of (what used to be called) Transport 2000 and various other self-appointed "guardians of the planet/human race".

In this thread Germany has been raised as an example of a place with a different attitude to speed limits and enforcement. My experience (albeit limited to a few holidays there) is that 15 - 20 years ago, where limits were posted either on autobahns or other roads, they were generally respected. In the years since, the Greens and various other groups have been successful in having limits introduced on autobahns in particular for all manner of reasons including noise reduction, pollution reduction, etc. plus a proliferation of 30kph zones. The perverse effect of that seems to be that the limits are often ignored - perhaps because if you make enough pointless rules, people will assume that all are pointless and therefore ignore them? A fine example of enacting so many laws that everyone becomes a criminal.

What bugs me most about road safety in the UK is the one-club-golfer approach that says reducing speed limits and rigorous speed enforcement is a panacea. The simple fact is that speed limits are no more than a proxy for the type of behaviour expected and required of drivers, but their significance has been raised far above that to the point where driving 1mph below the limit is extolled as being inherently safe, while driving 1mph above is the mark of an axe-wielding murderer. This is plain nonsense, but it is pedalled incessantly to the point where people start to believe it.

Do I believe that people should be able to drive at whatever speed they like, anywhere they like, with impunity? Of course not. But there needs to be an acceptance of the fact that the vast majority of people, left to their own devices, will select a speed of travel that doesn't represent undue risk to themselves or others around them. The task then becomes to address the (very) small minority who either wittingly or unwittingly decide to travel at an inappropriate speed, instead of criminalising the reasonable actions of the majority.

Well said.

To understand why 'speed kills' has become an effective mantra, Google 'effective propaganda'.

In essence, tptb consider that we are unable to understand shades of grey, so they dumb down messages to us in mono syllables, in a manner of speaking, so that all of us 'get it'.

So to reduce deaths on the road they use 'speed kills' as their panacea message to us rather than driving according to the highway code rules and making heavy reference to 'look where you're going and bloody pay attention to your driving'. Etc

Oh, and they can't measure 'inattentiveness', but they can measure speed for enforcement purposes.
 
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In response to your first point, I did say:

My evidence regarding too much apparent belief in ownership is demonstrated on our roads on a regular basis - something I'm sure I'm not alone in noticing. Combine this with the regular phrases used on public forums when discussing motoring incidents: "It was my right of way" and "It was my lane", and there you have it. I'm not suggesting that there are any drivers who truly believe that any part of the road is their property complete with title deeds. A vast number of motorists give the impression by way of actions, vocally or in print that they are more entitled to be on parts of the road than anyone else. This may be intentional due to arrogance or unintentional due to a misunderstanding of the rules of the Highway Code. The more they read, hear and say "My lane" and/or "My right of way", the more they believe it. And the more they become aggrieved when anyone else dare to trespass on "their road". I'm not being pedantic about the use of English, I'm showing a concern for the way we drive and the way we think about driving - consciously and subconsciously.

Thanks. I do still say that perhaps it's more perception than real evidence that some people may consider that the lane/road etc is theirs, although not literally theirs.

I agree that we should all be concerned about our and others' driving...life is precious and irreplaceable.

It's a pity that inattentiveness leading to dangerous driving & accidents can't be monitored and fined, rather than just simply speed. The number of numpties pulling out 'into the lane I am travelling in' without looking properly is really dangerous. However, who wants technology continuously spying on our driving? We should be careful what we ask for ;) Anyway, if driverless cars become legal and popular, perhaps manual driving will be made illegal, then 'speed kills' will become irrelevant? I hope I never see that day though.
 
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