An experiment to try.

[Bobby Dazzler]

I stick to the limits, but I do not dawdle or slow down ridiculously before bends and the like. I move along quite swiftly in fact and get as annoyed by dawdling as you.

At risk of deviating from topic...

...when towing we usually keep up with the flow of traffic without any problems at all, however people overtake - or try to overtake - in situations where they probably wouldn't had I not been towing.

It's almost as if people see 'CARAVAN', think 'SLOW' and decide 'OVERTAKE' and end up cutting into a space that's too small, and cause me to have to slow down to allow sufficent space ahead!!

 

[BTB 500]

It's almost as if people see 'CARAVAN', think 'SLOW' and decide 'OVERTAKE' and end up cutting into a space that's too small, and cause me to have to slow down to allow sufficent space ahead!!

People with the same mentality pull out of side turnings etc. in front of me - 90% of the time they then drive slower than I was going! OK so this happens occasionally without the caravan, but it's very noticeable when towing. I've had to brake really hard on a couple of occasions when they've pulled out ridiculously close.

 

[Brian WH]

I agree, I always stick to the speed limits.

Lier I hear you all say, the only point is they are not the posted ones but Posted +10% +2mph. That way I get away with it.

By the way you can get done for driving Toooo slow as well.

 

[BTB 500]

By the way you can get done for driving Toooo slow as well.

Yup a friend of mine was, on the M25 in a Suzuki Vitara!

 

[MBManInKen]

By the way you can get done for driving Toooo slow as well.

And rightfully so, because that can be quite dangerous too!

 

[ShinyF1]

I like that phrase

Thats the second phrase or word today that I've made a mental note of.

The other one was my son incorrectly pronouncing powercut. Instead he said powergut.

A marvelous description for those that don't sport a six pack I thought.

...and better than the alternatives [to powercut that is]. A misplaced n here or there

 

[ShinyF1]

Up to about 3 months ago (when I splashed out and bought my C200K) I drove a Clio 1.2.
Without wishing to incriminate myself, I find I drive the Mercedes slower that the Clio 99% of the time. I have tried to figure out why this is, but cant think of a valid reason why this should be.
And the strange thing is, most journey times dont seem to be discernably different despite my generally slightly slower pace.

I found the same. I graduated to my 320CDI from a BMW 520i and drive the Merc in a much less 'stressful' manner. Still a tad too fast on motorways but me and cruise control could not be better friends....

 

[shadowninja]

I have done a similar experiment and found it to be dangerous. Apart from the tailgaters, sometimes you get someone driving at 25 when 30 is perfectly safe. Or you're following a bus which stops at every bus stop. You go to overtake and reduce the time it takes, hit 30 and realise you need to turn off the limiter to reduce the time spent on the wrong side of the road. Good driving (and its associated observation) would save far more lives. Having a limiter just means people can switch off their brain even more than they already do. Perhaps everyone should be made to read Roadcraft. I just don't think the government want us to think, despite telling us to.

 

[Merc-C180K]

I just don't think the government want us to think, despite telling us to.

Vote Labour.

To help you in doing so you ballot paper will come pre filled in and pre posted for you.

If you wish to object/change your vote please call 0906 LABOUR

 

[shadowninja]

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Yup a friend of mine was, on the M25 in a Suzuki Vitara!

Were they done for driving too slow ...or for driving a Vitara??

<< Ducks and hides waiting for Gina to read this >>

 

[BTB 500]

Were they done for driving too slow ...or for driving a Vitara??

Sadly having poor taste in vehicles isn't a crime ... yet

He actually had some problem with the vehicle and was trying to get to the next exit. The police pulled him over for driving too slowly (which he was prosecuted for), and made him wait for a tow truck.

 

[DieselE]

I agree, I always stick to the speed limits.

Lier I hear you all say, the only point is they are not the posted ones but Posted +10% +2mph. That way I get away with it.

By the way you can get done for driving Toooo slow as well.

What is the speed limit on the waterway for a CLS?

 

[DieselE]

I have done a similar experiment and found it to be dangerous. Apart from the tailgaters, sometimes you get someone driving at 25 when 30 is perfectly safe. Or you're following a bus which stops at every bus stop. You go to overtake and reduce the time it takes, hit 30 and realise you need to turn off the limiter to reduce the time spent on the wrong side of the road. Good driving (and its associated observation) would save far more lives. Having a limiter just means people can switch off their brain even more than they already do. Perhaps everyone should be made to read Roadcraft. I just don't think the government want us to think, despite telling us to.

This is similar to the very valid point made by BTB500 and I agree with both of you. Given that published government and police statistics now confirm that exceeding the speed limit is the primary cause in somewhere between 5 and 8% of accidents, it would be a lot more use if the campaigns concentrated on driving at a speed appropriate to the conditions.

 

[Colin_b]

It depends where you're driving really.

E.g. stuck on a NSL single carriageway road behind someone who slows down to a crawl for every bend, then speeds up to 55 on the straights. It's not normally possible to inch past (as you could on a motorway or dual carriageway) ... safer to accelerate (which would be a 'fail' as far as this experiment goes) then slow down again when past.

This really sums up the problem. I live in a rural area, so roads are single carriageway (nearest motorway 53 miles, dual carriage 15 miles, and that is two miles long!)

Look where the A595 goes....

 

[Goldfish11]

My journey to work is 43 miles.

7 miles of B roads including a couple of villages with 30mph limits and 36 miles of motorway.

I once drove back as fast as I could I did speed particularly on the motorway. My fuel consumption was 37.5 mpg and it took me 42 minutes door to door and was quite a stressful experience.

When I drive nicely not exceeding the speed limit (maybe a tiny bit on the motorway, but not over 78 on speedo (probably 75 real speed)). My fuel consumption is 42mpg and my journey time is 44 minutes.

This perplexed me slightly so I modelled it and realised the only way I could get a significant reduction in my time was to travel through the 30 zones at a rediculous speed.

In summary, I use speedtonic everywhere and set it to the speedlimit. Its great for fuel consumption and safety.

The next great experiment is to not take the vehicle over 56mph on a motorway. I think my E220 would do over 50mpg based on experience of long sets of roadworks.

 

[Ian B Walker]

I agree, I always stick to the speed limits.

Lier I hear you all say, the only point is they are not the posted ones but Posted +10% +2mph. That way I get away with it.

By the way you can get done for driving Toooo slow as well.

Brian I remember a trip down the A59 a while ago. Speed limit??

 

[Satch]

I have tried this a few times but sadly find in near impossible in my MB because it is quite stressful, especially on the M25. Found myself being hemmed in by heavy vehicles, tailgated and flashed or on one happy morning undertaken by a lunatic in a heavily laden minibus on the hard shoulder because he could not wait the few seconds until the exit filter lane came to be.

It actually gets to be quite hard work, aided or unaided by cruise control or distatronic and quite often the easy way out is to take a more "positive" driving stance and boot away from the source of the problem if possible.

Oddly enough I find no such problem in my Land Cruiser. May be down to a much higher vehicle, the fact that nobody expects 2 1/2 tons of suspension lifted muddy diesel off roadyness to be doing much more than trolling along at 70 max.

But also do I drive it differently. Not in any big, deliberate or intimidating way but pretty clear that my expectations of and attitude toward some of the more gormless road users is different. More of a resigned indifference to the endless and pointless human follies going on about me I think.

 

[Satch]

My journey to work is 43 miles.

This perplexed me slightly so I modelled it and realised the only way I could get a significant reduction in my time was to travel through the 30 zones at a rediculous speed.

Yes, have to work quite hard to get the average speed differential up by a worthwhile degree.

Drive at average speed of 70mph rather than 50 and your journey time will have reduced by about 40%. Sounds good.

But drive at 90 rather than 70mph average (much, much tougher other than on a motorway in a normal car) and jouney time reduces by only 28%. Only possibly worth the aggro over longer distances: over 50 miles that would only give a 9 1/2 minute time difference.

 

[MBManInKen]

Found myself being hemmed in by heavy vehicles

Like the ones with the legally obligatory speed limiter?

Or, is this during the majority of weekday hours that speeds on the M25 are about 20mph because of congestion? Or during most of the other times, when the variable speed limit of 40/50/60mph is set with the gantry cameras active?