Motorway speeding ticket for 80mph?

[BTB 500]

Driving sensibly and courteously on a motorway in good conditions it's extremely unlikely that traffic officers would show any interest if you were doing 80 mph (in England anyway - Scotland may be different). Pass a fixed speed camera though and you'd be quite likely to get an FPN (or SAC invitation). Actually most of the forces down here abandoned 'patrols' on motorways many years ago. So if you see a car it's almost certainly on its way somewhere, making it even less likely they'd want to get involved in a stop for simply doing 80. IMHO.

 

[Dippo]

Most people might argue that driving past a marked police car at 80 mph is not driving sensibly.

 

[BTB 500]

Most people might argue that driving past a marked police car at 80 mph is not driving sensibly.

"Most people" refuse to pass one even when it's driving at under 70. And do the same for Highways Agency vehicles. And brake for speed cameras when already driving below the limit. I wouldn't class those as sensible either

 

[GeordieN]

You are a fool then

If that's the case yes I may be but I bet I ain't the only one, all cars speedo,s read under, to allow for tyre wear and tolerances, so an indicated 80 on you clocks would probably be 75-76 true speed tops.
For the record I don't agree with you would be a more polite reply than your a fool.

 

[GeordieN]

Although I agree with the current speed limits in built up area's as in 30mph and 20mph around schools parks ect. don't you think in some cases and it seems a lot more cases, the speed limits of roads are been reduced, two lane highways that used to be 70mph widened into three lane highways and speed dropped to 50mph or even 40mph, what is the point of that. yes there are some stretches of Britain's highways you would not want to drive over 70mph on but there are plenty that could have a speed limit of over 70mph. this limit was introduced when cars were running cross-ply tyres, suspension from an old cart and brakes that kind of worked if adjusted correctly.

 

[219]

Bit harsh?

It wouldn’t end well for him if he tried it here .

 

[219]

If that's the case yes I may be but I bet I ain't the only one, all cars speedo,s read under, to allow for tyre wear and tolerances, so an indicated 80 on you clocks would probably be 75-76 true speed tops.
For the record I don't agree with you would be a more polite reply than your a fool.

Actually they are allowed to read up to 10% OVER , so that at a true 70 for example , they can indicate up to 77 . They can never indicate less than true speed by any margin at all .

Having said that , most comparatively recent car speedometers are surprisingly accurate , judging by roadside radar signs or GPS devices , and my own ones at indicated 70 never disagree by 1 or 2 mph , which is the sort of difference tyre wear can make .

Passing a marked police car at 10 mph over the limit is just asking for trouble , and will guarantee you a ticket hereabouts - so I stand by what I said .

 

[219]

Although I agree with the current speed limits in built up area's as in 30mph and 20mph around schools parks ect. don't you think in some cases and it seems a lot more cases, the speed limits of roads are been reduced, two lane highways that used to be 70mph widened into three lane highways and speed dropped to 50mph or even 40mph, what is the point of that. yes there are some stretches of Britain's highways you would not want to drive over 70mph on but there are plenty that could have a speed limit of over 70mph. this limit was introduced when cars were running cross-ply tyres, suspension from an old cart and brakes that kind of worked if adjusted correctly.

The problem with speed limits is that some drivers are highly competent and trained to drive safely at high speed , but you can’t have one speed limit for certain drivers and different ones for those less capable - hence we legislate for the lowest common denominator.

You also have to bear in mind that
an old granny pootling along , or a mum with two unruly children distracting her from the road might not react as you’d hope or expect when you come swooping up at 80 , no matter how good a driver you might think you are .

We all make mistakes, myself included , speed limits are there to protect us all , and generally are set for good reason .

Similarly , even back in the 50s or 60s , before the NSL was introduced, cars varied widely in performance and safety .

Yes , there would be some vehicles I wouldn’t want to go particularly fast in , but a Mercedes-Benz of that era would be surprisingly competent . Yes , earlier models had swing axle rear suspension and single circuit unassisted brakes , but they had serious stopping power , even with Alfin drums . I have owned and driven such cars at high speeds ; they’re not the death traps you imagine .

Come up to 1968 , just after NSL introduced , and try a W114 : all round dual circuit disc brakes , all round independent suspension, semi trailing arms , radial tyres ( although bias ply tyres were especially developed for the W113 being introduced back in 1963 ) and you have a very stable car which really drives just as capably as present day cars ( and I know having done 270000 miles in my 280E , including a good many on the continent ) .

There were lots of perfectly safe and stable cars back in the sixties , but again the legislators can’t have one rule for the lucky few and a different rule for the plebs .

Speed limits are set for the poorest drivers in the worst vehicles and under the worst conditions.

We do now have variable limits in certain places , but they still have to apply to all road users .

 

[SW18]

they still have to apply to all road users .

This is the crux of it isn’t it?

I reckon the most contributors on here, being car enthusiasts, tend to get into our cars and then devote the majority of our brains to concentrating on the driving. This does not, however, appear to be the norm. I reckon that most drivers are spending most of the time with their minds elsewhere, which means that there is a need for quite restrictive rules of the road to protect everyone.

 

[BTB 500]

As an aside ... in Europe many motorways cross borders between countries, and at that point the speed limit often changes by 10 km/h in line with national limits. So same road, same vehicles, same drivers, same conditions ... yet a speed that is legal and 'safe' one moment suddenly becomes illegal and 'dangerous' the next?!

 

[Dippo]

If the border you are crossing is between Germany and Belgium, it might be worth remembering that Belgium only introduced mandatory driving tests in 1977, so there could be a difference in the degree of risk in those countries.

 

[renault12ts]

As an aside ... in Europe many motorways cross borders between countries, and at that point the speed limit often changes by 10 km/h in line with national limits. So same road, same vehicles, same drivers, same conditions ... yet a speed that is legal and 'safe' one moment suddenly becomes illegal and 'dangerous' the next?!

This happens when you cross the border from NI to RoI.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I've done hundreds of thousands of motorway miles with my limiter or cruise set at an indicated 83 knowing that the speedo was over reading by at least 3mph.

During that time I have observed many police cars, static cameras and operator cameras on bridges and not received a single speeding ticket as a result.

I'm not saying that anyone else should do the same but throwing insults around is a little unthoughtful.

 

[AMGeed]

^ It would appear that the Scots police forces apply the rule of law far more rigourously than most English police forces.
Wasn't the North Wales police chief Richard Brunstrom in favour of zero tolerance sometime ago?

This West Mercia police chief didn't get much support from either fellow officers or lawyers when he mooted the idea of zero tolerance.
Backlash hits police chief over zero tolerance on speed | Daily Mail Online

I was always under the impression that motorway patrol cars didn't act until speeds of over 85mph were attained or the high speed was unsuitable for the road/traffic conditions at the time. If I get a ticket for following my own rule its my own fault. As yet, nothing in the post.

 

[219]

This is the crux of it isn’t it?

I reckon the most contributors on here, being car enthusiasts, tend to get into our cars and then devote the majority of our brains to concentrating on the driving. This does not, however, appear to be the norm. I reckon that most drivers are spending most of the time with their minds elsewhere, which means that there is a need for quite restrictive rules of the road to protect everyone.

So do we all - just sometimes . I'll admit it

^ It would appear that the Scots police forces apply the rule of law far more rigourously than most English police forces.
Wasn't the North Wales police chief Richard Brunstrom in favour of zero tolerance sometime ago?

This West Mercia police chief didn't get much support from either fellow officers or lawyers when he mooted the idea of zero tolerance.
Backlash hits police chief over zero tolerance on speed | Daily Mail Online

I was always under the impression that motorway patrol cars didn't act until speeds of over 85mph were attained or the high speed was unsuitable for the road/traffic conditions at the time. If I get a ticket for following my own rule its my own fault. As yet, nothing in the post.

I had a ticket , a good many years ago , for doing 82 mph , confirmed by VASCAR , as a patrol car , unseen by me , came down a slip road behind me . And I was in my W116 280SE , on a dry ,empty road , so not particularly 'dangerous' ...

 

[E55BOF]

I think we might agree that, at least so far as speed limit enforcement is concerned, it appears the 'real world' in Scotland is not the same as the 'real world' elsewhere, thank goodness.

 

[219]

I've done hundreds of thousands of motorway miles with my limiter or cruise set at an indicated 83 knowing that the speedo was over reading by at least 3mph.

During that time I have observed many police cars, static cameras and operator cameras on bridges and not received a single speeding ticket as a result.

I'm not saying that anyone else should do the same but throwing insults around is a little unthoughtful.

I never threw any insult around .

Passing a police patrol car well in excess of the limit is like sticking two fingers up at them : pretty foolish .

Anyone who does that is a fool .

Pretty simple really .

Fine to pass a police car if you’re on the limit ; but to do so 10mph over is just asking for trouble: it’s like the old ‘attitude test’

 

[GeordieN]

The problem with speed limits is that some drivers are highly competent and trained to drive safely at high speed , but you can’t have one speed limit for certain drivers and different ones for those less capable - hence we legislate for the lowest common denominator.

You also have to bear in mind that
an old granny pootling along , or a mum with two unruly children distracting her from the road might not react as you’d hope or expect when you come swooping up at 80 , no matter how good a driver you might think you are .

We all make mistakes, myself included , speed limits are there to protect us all , and generally are set for good reason .

Similarly , even back in the 50s or 60s , before the NSL was introduced, cars varied widely in performance and safety .

Yes , there would be some vehicles I wouldn’t want to go particularly fast in , but a Mercedes-Benz of that era would be surprisingly competent . Yes , earlier models had swing axle rear suspension and single circuit unassisted brakes , but they had serious stopping power , even with Alfin drums . I have owned and driven such cars at high speeds ; they’re not the death traps you imagine .

Come up to 1968 , just after NSL introduced , and try a W114 : all round dual circuit disc brakes , all round independent suspension, semi trailing arms , radial tyres ( although bias ply tyres were especially developed for the W113 being introduced back in 1963 ) and you have a very stable car which really drives just as capably as present day cars ( and I know having done 270000 miles in my 280E , including a good many on the continent ) .

There were lots of perfectly safe and stable cars back in the sixties , but again the legislators can’t have one rule for the lucky few and a different rule for the plebs .

Speed limits are set for the poorest drivers in the worst vehicles and under the worst conditions.

We do now have variable limits in certain places , but they still have to apply to all road users .

Actually they are allowed to read up to 10% OVER , so that at a true 70 for example , they can indicate up to 77 . They can never indicate less than true speed by any margin at all .

Having said that , most comparatively recent car speedometers are surprisingly accurate , judging by roadside radar signs or GPS devices , and my own ones at indicated 70 never disagree by 1 or 2 mph , which is the sort of difference tyre wear can make .

Passing a marked police car at 10 mph over the limit is just asking for trouble , and will guarantee you a ticket hereabouts - so I stand by what I said .

Sorry terminology wrong saying under but the example is shown correct, I obviously didn't see the flag as your avator as this would explain a lot lol. I have driven in Scotland quite a few times and I can say hand on heart I do not go over the speed limit there as the motorist Tax squad is fanatic up there.

On the car front my point is you could take any modern vehicle and put it next to a comparison vehicle back from the day and the modern will always win in handling and stopping distance. Tyres alone from Wet A rated to wet F rated is 18m, that's some difference in wet stopping distance just from tyres alone. Now put a A rated tyre against a tyre back from the day and i would love to know the wet stopping difference. On the whole suspension, brakes, steering have all being improved massively over the years.

I also understand speed limits are there for all uses of all different driving abilities but in general, the only dodgy drivers are the ones who think they can drive so they buy a big powerful flash motor but cant, so the power/skill ratio leans towards disaster from the off. My dear old granny will still potter along in lane one if she ventures out of the city, and poor old mum needs to sort her children out if they are that unruly as to distract her from driving, pretty sure there would be a law covering that one.

I was not speaking of varying speed limits as we now have them on some highways because people cant keep there foot off the bloody brake, and before you know it the highway is all backed up, but no accident.
We have all been there.
No I was talking about the increased number of roads that are getting updated, widened ect and more lanes then when works finished the speed limit is 20mph slower than before, so is this newly surfaced with a extra lane highway more dangerous to drive along than before it was updated.

Go and drive on any highway with a speed limit of 70mph in England and count the cars that overtake you and count the cars you overtake, i am not saying it is right but still think speed limits need looking at on certain roads, stretches of roads to go up as well as down.

Speedometer accuracy I think will differ massively between car makers so some practically spot on and some not.

 

[219]

Although I am Scottish , the flag is my avatar out of respect to DRUK , like many others on here . For a very long time my avatar was one of my cars .

Yes , in many ways things have moved forward: tyre technology being a good example , but in others it has moved backward : ‘over tyring’ cars to the point that there is less contact pressure and traction is lost - so many modern cars are useless in snow & ice , yet my older ones just keep going ( and on standard tyres ) .

It is , of course , possible to fit updated versions of tyres to older vehicles : I ran my Ponton through the 80s & 90s on 6.70 R13 radials instead of the 6.40 x 13 crossplies that were original fitment back in 1957 - to good effect . Many manufacturers, certainly Continental & Michelin have ‘heritage’ versions of older tyres , but with modern compounds . My old W114 , shod as I did for a time with Pirelli CN36s , was impressively good at stopping , although being pre ABS you had to employ cadence or threshold braking at times

Things like ABS , first introduced as an option on the W116 , are a great benefit such that almost every car made nowadays has adopted it . I had a very impressive demonstration of ABS in the W126 launch vehicle ( the actual car reviewed in CAR magazine ) by an MB driver who took us up to circa 130mph , on a dry road and absolutely flattened the pedal . A friend at the police college did similar in a Jensen Interceptor fitted with the old Dunlop system , which they had on loan for a time .

While 50s cars with swing axles could be a handful for the unfamiliar, they could be learned; but the later cars with semi trailing arm suspension ( everything from about 1970 onwards ) really don’t give that much away to the newer ones and my W115 220/8 with the smaller engine , therefore better balanced than the 280 with the big lump up front , was eminently ‘chuckable’ could easily be put into and recovered from power slides and four wheel drifts .

The main advantage of the multi link rear suspension was that it was more compact , allowing it to be fitted into smaller cars , specifically the W201 for which it was developed - but a W115 would handle just as well . Really some things haven’t changed as much as might be imagined .

Oh , passive safety too , I had a massive crash in that W115 when a drunk driver came around a bend on my side of the road , overtaking an Artic , leaving me nowhere to go : I braked some of my speed off , but the other guy just crosses his arms in front of his face and gave up - his stolen Capri hit my car head on , flipped up and flew over my car and landed in the field behind without breaching the hedge . My front end was crumpled right in but the safety cell was completely intact , my door still opened and closed like before . I stopped the engine which was still running ! , undid my seat belt and stepped out - my only injury being a bit of glass in my eye from the shattered windscreen, toughened glass in those days.

The other guy fared much worse : 3 broken limbs , broken ribs , car folded up like a pack of cards , when we tried to get him out , the door skin came away so we had to wait for the fire brigade .

That was 1978 , and the primary reason I’ve stuck with Mercedes-Benz ever since : safest cars in the world.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

"Most people" refuse to pass one even when it's driving at under 70. And do the same for Highways Agency vehicles. And brake for speed cameras when already driving below the limit. I wouldn't class those as sensible either

Very many hit the brakes upon sight of one of those motorway assistant guys in their liveried Land Rovers as well.

I wouldn't call them fools though.