Speeding

[E55BOF]

Wow, that's good going on UK roads; nearly 300 miles in four hours. After four hours driving to average over 70 mph, I'd be pretty tired before I started work, largely because I'd be concentrating quite hard watching out for speed cameras...

 

[A.J.]

Just received a "notice of prosecution " from the Kent constabulary for a braking of the speed limit on the A20 in Maidstone 36mph in a 30 zone .
It's only the second time ever I've been caught (if that's the right word) ,the first time was many years ago while out on the bike.
I'm hoping I'll be able to take the speed awareness course that's mentioned

That’s what you have Cruise Control for I haven’t had a speeding ticket since fuel crisis year in 1972, I think that is the correct year for the fuel crisis.

 

[Petrol Pete]

I find Cruise control is almost unusable on a busy UK motorway . It might work if you set it to 54 mph in lane one ...until you approach a truck locked in on 50 or 52 mph.

It works for me on the M4 at 11:30 PM but not when busy, unless I feel like being a moving roadblock.

 

[Paulhick]

Wife has informed me I have a NIP waiting for me when I get home for getting caught doing 43 in a 30. I’ll hold my hands up as I am guilty but it’s the first points ever on my license in 30 years of driving.

 

[rayaans]

Wife has informed me I have a NIP waiting for me when I get home for getting caught doing 43 in a 30. I’ll hold my hands up as I am guilty but it’s the first points ever on my license in 30 years of driving.

I believe 43 in a 30 is classed as a Band B offense. So likely 100% of weekly income fine and 4-6 points.

The hidden cost is worse though. My insurance went up by £200 a year so you have that to enjoy for 4 years!

 

[A.J.]

I find Cruise control is almost unusable on a busy UK motorway . It might work if you set it to 54 mph in lane one ...until you approach a truck locked in on 50 or 52 mph.

It works for me on the M4 at 11:30 PM but not when busy, unless I feel like being a moving roadblock.

I use it everywhere Pete, even in 30mph limits, it takes away the concentration needed to monitor your speed and allows you to concentrate more on what is going on around you

 

[whitenemesis]

I use it everywhere Pete, even in 30mph limits, it takes away the concentration needed to monitor your speed and allows you to concentrate more on what is going on around you

I would have thought the speed limiter would be a better option. Rather than the car constantly trying to maintain a set speed, you, the driver, can modulate the speed freely up to the set limit (and beyond in an emergency)

 

[A.J.]

I would have thought the speed limiter would be a better option. Rather than the car constantly trying to maintain a set speed, you, the driver, can modulate the speed freely up to the set limit (and beyond in an emergency)

I have never used the speed limiter and consequently never think about using it. My subconscious tells me that if I do need a bit extra the limiter will stop me using it. I know that that isn't the case as you can boot through the limiter but I would still prefer to use the Cruise Control. When traffic is moving slower than the legal limit it is quite easy to adjust your speed to match the car in front of you. When it is a clear road then it's Cruise Control for me every time.

We live in Suffolk at the moment, (shortly moving to Norwich), and there are more than a reasonable amount of 20mph limits imposed in the most unlikely places. Now there are very few drivers who respect the 20mph limits and it would be too easy to go with the flow. CC is ideal for those situations

 

[Paulhick]

I believe 43 in a 30 is classed as a Band B offense. So likely 100% of weekly income fine and 4-6 points.

The hidden cost is worse though. My insurance went up by £200 a year so you have that to enjoy for 4 years!

That’s what I was scared of but it says if I pay within 28 days it’s 100 quid and 3 points.
The more concerning thing is they didn’t send a photo as proof.

 

[ALFAitalia]

They don't for speeding offences anymore (if you where done by a man with a speed gun there would be no photo of course). You can request it though. As one of my colleagues found out recently you do still get the photo sent if you get caught by the cameras having jumped the traffic lights!!!

 

[rayaans]

That’s what I was scared of but it says if I pay within 28 days it’s 100 quid and 3 points.
The more concerning thing is they didn’t send a photo as proof.

Id say thats pretty lucky then! Still annoying as to the insurance change though!

 

[ALFAitalia]

Possibly won't be any.....many don't penalise you for one or even two mild level speeding convictions these days. Even the insurance companies know how easy it is to be caught a few mph over the limit.

 

[clk320x]

Possibly won't be any.....many don't penalise you for one or even two mild level speeding convictions these days. Even the insurance companies know how easy it is to be caught a few mph over the limit.

^^^this

 

[Paulhick]

I’ve done a quick check on the insurance sites and there is little to no difference in the quotes they gave me

 

[Piff]

Hence Miss Daisy, she drives a bit lower than the speedo that reads high and the queue behind is doing 23 / 24 in a 30.

I remember, way back in my day, when you fail the driving test for not making sufficient progress.
Now it seems that anyone attempting to do that, on the rare occasions that the conditions allow, is a hoodlum.

Number 2 son (about 12 or 13 years ago) failed his first driving test for slightly exceeding a speed limit. He failed his next driving test for going too slowly. He passed at 3rd attempt

 

[BigEyd]

Some instructors are jobsworths either way

 

[ajshughes]

Correct.....my workshop manager just took the points and fixed fine. Made no difference on his or the company insurance....not until he gets 6 points....even the insurance companies know how easy it is to wonder above the limit and how easy it is to be caught these days! The course is about the same cost as the fine and since he did a SAC many years ago he said that be would rather take the points than "be spoken to like a naughty school boy by some condescending ****" who had probably done a couple of mph over the limit driving to the course just like everyone else! He was doing 36 in a 30 on and empty country lane.....
As for those "holier than thou" types saying about "don't speed and you won't get caught"....well we all WITHOUT exception speed.....I don't mean silly three figures speeding or even 40 past the school at closing....I mean little bits here and there so any of you could be nicked at some point. No one gets down to sub 30 EVERY time before the 30 limit sign and no one does not start pushing the throttle down a bit before the 30 limit ends once in a while.....NO ONE!
Oh....and for clarity I have been lucky.....last (and only time) I was nicked for speeding was 1989....I.was 22!.....41 in a 30 on my GSX600F!

We do all wander above 30 now and again, myself included. We also all know that the speed limit for residential areas is in place to save lives, because the potential of serious injury is related directly to speed. If we know this, why do we allow our speed to ever wander above 30? I would suggest it is in part because of the relatively trivial penalty (as mentioned above - neither private persons nor insurance companies are bothered) If this trend continues, the solution to preventing speeding might (should?) be far more severe penalties - such that we drive at 25 by default, and then we can safely wander up to 30

 

[whitenemesis]

Or all new cars fitted with speed limiters that cannot be easily or routinely cancelled. Those EU regs come into force imminently

 

[BTB 500]

We do all wander above 30 now and again, myself included. We also all know that the speed limit for residential areas is in place to save lives, because the potential of serious injury is related directly to speed. If we know this, why do we allow our speed to ever wander above 30?

I suspect because many speed limits are inappropriate.

Of course we would all (hopefully) stick to the limit down narrow residential roads where there's potential for a kid/dog/etc. to appear from between parked cars ... in fact 30 is too fast there. But at the other end of the scale if you're on a wide open road with good visibility, no side turnings, no housing, etc. then a 30 limit makes little sense and many people won't respect it. I'm sure we all know examples of this, sometimes with fixed speed cameras despite there being no history of injury accidents (let alone fatal ones) on that stretch.

 

[Petrol Pete]

There is a short bit of twisty undulating road near me , every bend is blind , two hidden farm gates and a traffic light immediately after the last bend that leads to a 90 left turn to a single lane under rail tunnel.

It has a posted 50 mph limit . It takes a brave person to drive it at 50 even with local knowledge. Not the point I know as the 50 is the max speed allowed , but if it were changed to a 30mph nobody would care.

Probably left at 50 because no houses nearby but if you applied the same 'rule' to a motorway compared with this short stretch the M way limit would be 120 mph.