FAO Dave E. and Others

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GrahamC230K

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 14, 2002
Messages
9,755
Car
Audi A3 & S4 quattro
Dave/Others,

Sorry, but you seem to be in the spot light at the moment! &nbsp;<img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>

I hope you don't mind me asking, but when I figure out what everybody else does, I'll be asking them questions in their areas of expertise too &nbsp;<img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':laugh:'>

You may or may not be able to answer this question, I will understand totally if you cannot. These are genuine things I have wondered and I would appreciate your point of view. They are not meant antagonistic in any way.


1. You pull over a vehicle for breaking the speed limit (not by a large margin).

Before you actually talk to the driver, you clock a GPS/Radar Camera detecting device of some sort in the car.

Does this affect your perception of the driver at all? Do you assume that perhaps this person is a regular speed limit breaker or a perhaps just a driver who likes to protect his license in these modern times?

Fear of being treated differently has actually put me off using a dashboard top device.


2. Also, what is the point of the Question asked at the roadside, having been pulled over - &quot;Do you have any points on your licence?&quot;

Is this to help a driver who is already on 11 points or to give 3 to a driver with a clean license as it will not really affect them much?

Does the answer to this question alter the officers resulting action?


3. Why do some traffic patrol cars drive at 50 mph in the inside lane of a busy motorway, where they obviously cause a traffic flow problem?


thanks in advance for any replies you can give.
 
Good questions. <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbs:'>

My point of view:

1) When I was younger and more carefree with no responsibilities, I used to drive like a knob! I even had a BMW <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>  

As I have 'matured' and also becuase I have seen too many accidents and heard lots of scary stories of accidents I feel my driving style has changed a lot. I admit I am no saint and sometimes  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/dontgetit.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':dontgetit:'> I exceed the speed limit BUT only on open 'safe' roads. I never speed in built up areas, towns, villages etc where there is a speed limit. 30, 40, 50mph I do stick to it.

I feel that no matter how good a driver you may be, you may not be able to stop in time if a kid runs out in front of you, so driving at 30 instead of 35 is fine by me, it still may not save that child if it did run out but it may help.

I used to drive 40-50K miles a year and found that driving at 80mph on a 150 mile trip doesn't gain you much over driving at 70mph.

I do have a radar detector but it is in a box somewhere in the garage. As they say &quot;Stick to the limit and you wont get a ticket&quot; <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbs:'>

Now some of you will think I am old fuddy duddy, goody two shoes but I'm not, I'm a young responsible driver who values my license and mine and others lives and cars. <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

2) I would like to know why that is asked if it is asked, I have been stopped by 'traffic' twice and have not been asked that.

3) They do that so they can catch people speeding past I guess. I have lost count of how many times I have seen near accidents as people brake, pull in and bunch up behind a patrol car. If everybody didnt panic and carried on at 70 - 75 there wouldn't be a problem.

I don't think you would get pulled for doing 75 on a motorway would you?

I got stopped three years ago by a patrolman on a bike. I was in my Vito travelling up the M1 at 75mph, I saw the copper on the bike, the traffic was light so I carried on past him and left him behind. About ten minutes later he was alongside me and waved me to pull off at the up coming junction.

Anyway he asked me to go to a weighbridge and weigh my van which turned out to be 20% over loaded, he was a nice enough bloke and felt sorry for me as I was sure that I had loaded 1000Kg on the van that it was supposed to carry. He gave me a prohibition notice so that I could not move the van until it was re-weighed after I had gotten rid of some of my load.

The funny thing was, I started to unload the excess load and deposit it in a skip near the weighbridge, the copper then threatened me with a ticket for unlawful tipping and littering. <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hehe:'>

I was taken to court and got off very lightly with a £125 fine. It turns out that the stealer sold me the Vito as capable of carrying 1050Kg, I used to load it with 1000Kg but after weighing the van empty it could only carry 850Kg without exceeding the GVW. The dealer put this down to some optional extras that I had fitted, alloys, CD changer, ply wood lining, towbar and alarm. <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wallbash.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bash:'>

The dealer stood by me but MB didn't seem to care and were not at all helpful or sympathetic. Although this experience was annoying and inconvenient, I still have the greatest respect for the police, rules are rules.

To get back to the point, the copper never mentioned that I passed him at 75mph or so, he just pulled me over for a routine check. I remember when they used to 'hide' between lorries but the truckers don't seem so keen to oblige anymore.

Sorry for waffling on. <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>
 
Graham/Jimmy

Let me start by saying that what i will say is my opinion and not the Gospel.

1) If i stopped someone for speeding, then it will be because they were exceeding the limit by an amount that is worth speaking to them about, (we do have guidelines that i'm not going to divulge), anything in between the limit and our guidline will probably attrack a &quot;care bear stare&quot;. If i saw any kind of detector, it wouldn't alter my actions, as said above if i've stopped them, then they are going to get it!!

2) The reason for the question is to establish if they are elligable for a ticket, you are no doubt aware that earning 12 points will render you liable for a period of disqualification.

Scenario 1. I stop you for doing 95 on the motorway, i intend to issue a fixed penalty ticket, i ask if you have any points on your licence, you reply 3, (i then think, well you've got 6 now lead foot....lol), in this intance i can issue the ticket, as the speeding offence will get you 3 more. (you can do the sums)

Scenario 2. As above, but your answer is, &quot;yes i have 10 current&quot; i now can't issue the ticket as it would take you over the magic 12

Hopefully this shows why the question is asked. Its a bit like the one you will all expect, &quot;Is this you car?&quot; answer yes, no worries, answer no, leads me straight into wondering if you are insured to drive it. See how our brains have to operate??

Re the overwieght, i think your fine was  extremly generous, if you disagree, then don't get caught down here, the magistrates work on the £2 per kilo over rate, eeeeeeek

But looking at what you've said that you have added in the way of tow bar and boarding, then thats where your payload has gone. And 75mph wouldn't be enough even to get a &quot;care bear stare&quot;.

Hope this is of some use.   <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>
 
thats interesting.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Re the overwieght, i think your fine was  extremly generous, if you disagree, then don't get caught down here, the magistrates work on the £2 per kilo over rate, eeeeeeek
</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

The policeman who stopped me said the fine would be hefty and could be upto £500 per axle overloaded, obviously I was very worried but considered myself to be very lucky with just a small fine and no points. Looking back now I feel grateful that I was stopped as I had been overloading my van on occasions for nearly three years, could have been dangerous and damaging to my van.

On another point, would I be right to presume that there is a 10% tolerance for speeding to allow for speedo inaccuracies? Theoretically you could get away with 33 in a 30, 44 in a 40 and 77 on a motorway?

And something that puzzles and annoys me, if all HGV's are mechanically/electronically restricted to 56mph why do they overtake each other? <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hmmm.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hmmm:'> And hog both lanes of the A14 for miles and miles in order to pass another truck. <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wallbash.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bash:'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wallbash.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bash:'>
 
The 10% tolerance is just about right, down here anyway.

believe it or not, not all truck manufacturers can get their trucks to limit to exactly 90kph (56mph), Renault for instance its either 85kph, or 95kph <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wallbash.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bash:'> this is what a mate tells me, he is a transport manager for a local firm with a fleet of Renault.

So along the A14 if you've got one going at 85kph, and the next at 95kph, there is the overtake, but like you say it takes light years for them to pass each other.

We get it down here, they come out of the channel tunnel together, and its then a huge convoy of trucks all the way up the M20 in lanes 1&amp;2, when you eventually get past the m/way is clear till you catch up with the convoy from the previous train.
 
Just today i had a truck next to me doing 65mph...explain that (anyone).

Didnt take note of what make/model etc it was, all i know is it was going for it...

That really scares me when i see trucks goin crazy... <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>
 

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