Calls for 'speed-limiting' cars

[andy_k]

How do you get off the motorway from the outside lane would be another problem, fighting your way across?

following your logic and description of motorway use getting off the motorway would be a piece of cake

If you are in the outside lane you are moving faster than the lane to your left so are in a perfect position to move into a gap between two cars, same for moving into the inside lane.

Just like it works now in fact, it's called anticipation - unless of course you drive a BMW/Audi where you drive along in the outside lane until 200 metres from the junction then dive across all three lanes

 

[Brian WH]

following your logic and description of motorway use getting off the motorway would be a piece of cake

If you are in the outside lane you are moving faster than the lane to your left so are in a perfect position to move into a gap between two cars, same for moving into the inside lane.

Just like it works now in fact, it's called anticipation - unless of course you drive a BMW/Audi where you drive along in the outside lane until 200 metres from the junction then dive across all three lanes

Yes, but because cars would probably be driving closer together there would be less "gaps" to drop into.

 

[andy_k]

Yes, but because cars would probably be driving closer together there would be less "gaps" to drop into.

ah so we have gone from assuming that voluntary system would be compulsory, that every one would abide by the rules you described and that they would all drive nose to tail.

Sorry, that's a lot of assumptions all in one example to rubbish an experimental system we know very little about

Perhaps we could also assume that cars may also have a "two second" gap between them and the car in front automatically created by the same (or future generation) system - surely that would solve the problems in your example?

 

[Brian WH]

Perhaps we could also assume that cars may also have a "two second" gap between them and the car in front automatically created by the same (or future generation) system - surely that would solve the problems in your example?

We could always fit them with compulsory Distronic as well.

 

[grober]

A little help please!

I have long felt that the motorist has been placed at at a disadvantage with regard to his ability to comply with the increasing demands made on him as an individual to obey traffic laws. The traps for the unwary are manifold especially when on roads he is unfamiliar with. Most motorists want to obey the law, not because they like it but because they wish to avoid the fiscal and social consequences of breaking it. Witness one posters plight to be on his last warning before losing his licence. While the "AUTHORITIES" have doppler shift radar, digital speed cameras, speed averaging cameras and processing, automatic numberplate recognition, CCTV lane monitoring and computerised vehicle registration databases the motorist driving the average mid range saloon or family MPV is given a speedometer costing £10 as an aid to complying with all these legislative demands. I grant you that on high end cars such as Mercedes the owner can opt for cruise control and satellite navigation but even that often comes at a considerable additional cost. So "in principle" I am in favour of any system which "helps" a driver to obey the law since its about time some technology was implemented on the drivers side. :bannana: IMHO many motoring offences are committed involuntarily by drivers who in the main try to obey the law within reason as best they can.

 

[jimti]

Can you imagine the future motorways.

Inside lane - Lorries doing 56mph and trying to overtake when they catch anyone doing less.

Middle lane - Overtaking lorries and overcautious drivers of other vehicles, plus coaches.60-70mph

Outside lane - Cars ALL doing 70mph one behind the other, mile after mile, till they fall asleep bored to tears.

How do you get off the motorway from the outside lane would be another problem, fighting your way across?

A row of cars all doing 70mph one behind the other - Used to be called A TRAIN.

We already have a model showing what happens with speed limiters fitted to vehicles, IE Trucks & Coaches, they have very accurate Tachometers and speed limiters fitted, yet the speed of each individual vehicle is slightly different resulting in very slow overtaking, it is very very very frustrating sitting behind a vehicle going 2 or 3 miles an hour slower than you when you have to drive large distances every day so the result is they take up two lanes overtaking for mile after mile, as it goes there is more tail gating now than there ever was before limiters and contrary to some peoples beliefs it does not make for a more relaxing experience for any road user, coach drivers are the same, restricted to 65 MPH and not allowed into the outside lane on a 3 or more lane motorway, so get stuck behind trucks, and generally have to live in the center lane. I think they should only be fitted to vehicles driven by drivers who have proved themselves incapable of obeying the law on receiving their licence back after a ban for speed related reasons.
Leave the rest alone.

I cannot think of one instance when I have had to accelerate to get out of trouble.

I don't know if this counts

Hi Gang

Just had the scare of our lives, just returned from Doncaster after the usual madness of Christmas shopping and decided to go in the Scooby estate for loading room and in case of any car park dings this time of year. Coming back through a small village in a 30 mph limit I was in 2nd gear as I was showing the kids where the guy who owns DFS lives so was pootling along quite nicely, then to my suprise right in front of my eyes a 7.5t box lorry comes hurtling around the left hand bend at considerable speed, looses the back end and over it starts to come, only option is to try and accelarate hard through the gap between the side of the lorry as it comes round and the wall to my left, as it overturns it hit the deck behind us skated down the road on its side and wedged itself bewteen a stone wall and bus stop. If I had braked or been in one of our other cars I am convinced the lorry would have landed right on top of us and taken us out completely. Stopped the car in middle of road headlights and hazards on got the kids out who could not stop shaking and went to help the driver (although if he was not injured I felt like giving him a good kicking) as I got there he was climbing out of the passenger door mumbling I don't know what happened. Called the police who were actually there within a few minutes, when I was interviewed they asked me to estimate his speed which I thought was about 50 - 55 mph. They later told me the tacho was showing about 62mph (in a 30) !!!!!! I hope they throw away the keys.

So to all you doubters out there who say you can never accelarate your way to safety, then I beg to differ and believe me and my family are living proof that you can and that advanced driving skills and quick reactions have allowed us to see another Christmas.

May I wish each and everyone of you out there a Merry Christmas and a very Happy, Healthy and Properous New Year and most of all stay safe you never know what is around the corner

 

[Dryce]

We already have a model showing what happens with speed limiters fitted to vehicles, IE Trucks & Coaches

I can recall that close tailgating by trucks was commonplace before speed limiters.

There are more bigger trucks now.

The solution to the 'overtaking problem' for HGVs is to calibrate the speed limiters so there is no practical variation. Then specify a minimum separation between vehicles. There is still an issue with regard to overtaking on hills where vehicles may not be able to maintain regulated speed.

 

[Dieselman]

Can you imagine the future motorways.

Inside lane - Lorries doing 56mph and trying to overtake when they catch anyone doing less.

Middle lane - Overtaking lorries and overcautious drivers of other vehicles, plus coaches.60-70mph

Outside lane - Cars ALL doing 70mph one behind the other, mile after mile, till they fall asleep bored to tears.

That sounds like just about every motorway I travel on, except they aren't maintaining 70mph in the outside lane, more like 65.

 

[Dieselman]

A button would worry me.

in the heat of an impending potential accident, who will remember where the button is?

My assumption (possibly incorrect) is that this would be a function of full throttle acceleration and doesn't require a 'button' at all.

It wouldn't make any difference whether the car is auto or manual when the pedal is fully mashed you receive full power. Our cars currently do this, including switching off the air-con and canceling the speed limiter, so it's definitely possible.

Of course a driver might try driving 'mashed' but if anyone has actually tried that, it's not sustainable and rather frightening.

 

[st4]

I think GPS capping of cars is dangerous, and flania1's example is good enough for me as an example of why speed above the speed limit may be needed. I also think it is an intrusion into our lives if such a system was capped.

How many folk here have overtaken a car on an A road that was going say 45mph and maybe for the sake of doing the manouver safely have strayed above the speed limit, not by much but still quantifiably above it and doing so was safer than doing the manouver completely in the bounds of the law.

The Japanese have a more effective system, limits in cars capped @ 112mph IIRC. There is no reason on a public road why a device like this would ever invade upon a drivers control unless they were driving (well like me) well above and intentionally above the speed limit. It also pleases the "anti big brother brigade" which well, is me and a significant amount of others (where is recycled when you need him)