Zero-tolerance speed limits could put drivers in greater danger.

[Deleted member 37751]

I seem to remember a case study where they took a mixed bunch of drivers out on the road and got them to drive at whatever speed they felt the road dictated and I'm sure that over three quarters drove slower than the limits in town and only slightly quicker on A roads etc.

 

[Ted]

Smoke a couple of spliffs and 70 feels like 90.
Problem solved.

 

[geraldrobins]

No you are quite correct, the square law works at 30 MPH just the same so we should observe the 30 limit too but I'm still concerned at the prospect of being forced to trundle around at 25mph when it's safe to do a real 30.

Just chill and follow them. 5 miles at 30 takes 10 minutes, 5 miles at 25 takes 12 minutes, factor in junction lights etc its not really relevant.

 

[oldguy57]

Agreed but there are speed limits in areas that are not particularly built up. I suggest more signs would help remind drivers.

Must admit that I have found the proliferation of road signs to be confusing at times and very distracting but there seems to be fewer and fewer speed limit signs particularly in the north west. The other thing we have been inundated with is 20mph limits all over the place - very hard to comply with especially going down a steep hill.

 

[pipmk]

Where is the evidence that show this tight adherence to speed limits will cut accidents? Inappropriate speed is far more likely to cause an accident, drive at the 60 limit on some roads and you'll land in someone's garden. Surely better education, encouraging people to slow down in the right places, would have a far greater effect.

Trouble is inappropriate speed is always the other guy.

 

[Driver15]

Are you sure that the DVLA set the threshold?

No idea... all I know it's not me

 

[cb1965]

It's to do with revenue raising and controlling the population and nothing more. Anyone who waffles on about road safety and all that garbage should be campaigning for an end to driving full stop or they should STFU as who are they to decide what the levels of acceptable risk are on the road (for that is what a speed limit defines in essence... don't kid yourself otherwise).

 

[tec]

As the original post was about Scotland, it's unlikely to affect anyone from England.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

It's to do with revenue raising and controlling the population and nothing more. Anyone who waffles on about road safety and all that garbage should be campaigning for an end to driving full stop or they should STFU as who are they to decide what the levels of acceptable risk are on the road (for that is what a speed limit defines in essence... don't kid yourself otherwise).

Oh righto, I'll STFU then.

Over to you sunshine, educate me.

 

[pipmk]

It's to do with revenue raising and controlling the population and nothing more. Anyone who waffles on about road safety and all that garbage should be campaigning for an end to driving full stop or they should STFU as who are they to decide what the levels of acceptable risk are on the road (for that is what a speed limit defines in essence... don't kid yourself otherwise).

Oh dear! I think someone's medication ran out.

 

[renault12ts]

Oh dear! I think someone's medication ran out.

...weeks ago.

 

[cb1965]

And here they are... the forum dullards!

Now why don't you all get back to telling us how perfect you all are?

 

[cb1965]

Oh righto, I'll STFU then.

If only....

 

[pipmk]

If only....

What a loss to the Diplomatic Corps,obviously away when the class did tact and charm.Never learned that abuse is the last refuge of the intellectually bankrupt.

 

[E55BOF]

I confess to often exceeding the speed limit, particularly on motorways and dual carriageways (but never near schools during or near school hours), but not by much, only when I perceive it as safe to do so, and at worst generally within the ACPO guidance. I see little risk in doing 155 mph in a roadworthy E55K on a bone-dry, deserted motorway in daylight, but I would never do it; firstly I'm chicken, and secondly it's too risky - I need my licence.

Police traffic patrols, which are so few on the roads these days that the risk of being caught by one is pretty slight anyway, will I suspect have no interest at all in issuing tickets for 71 mph speeders; they have better things to do. What worries me is the cameras; they have no discretion to exercise.

The problem is not speed per se, but inappropriate speed - driver behaviour, in other words. This whole thing smacks of nothing but a politically-inspired soundbite measure. "We want to impress the public with our concern for road safety; it can't cost much, because we can't afford much, but we have to do something; that's something, and it sounds good, so let's do it."

Scotland today, the rest of the UK in due course? We the driving public can't stop it, but let's just wait and see what actually happens...

 

[cb1965]

What a loss to the Diplomatic Corps,obviously away when the class did tact and charm.Never learned that abuse is the last refuge of the intellectually bankrupt.

Intellectually bankrupt????? LOL! Whatever. I will tell Mensa to revoke my membership.

It's the sycophantic moralising of half of this forum that gets wearisome... it tries my patience.

 

[Dryce]

This should just bring about a culture change with people driving a small margin under the limits , just to be on the safe side , rather than right on it , or a little over , as some do .

My view is that the 10% protects people from the different viewing angles of the speedo depending on the driver (look down on some speedos and the needle can appear to be on say 30 but is just above).

Whether individual police officers choose to enforce this is another matter , but anyone who speeds in the vicinity of a police car is inattentive at best or just plain stupid .

They will be instructed by those-on-high. And those-on-high are the ones instigating this policy change.

My view of road policing and traffic policy in Scotland is that in the last two or three years it is becoming about dogma and self-righteousness of the politicians and authorities.

I think a serious question has to be asked because in the last 18 months the police have been more zealous and petty in Scotland with road enforcement as a result of instructions from on-high with the justification that it is the policy of the Chief Constable to reduce casualties.

And yet in that period the casualties went UP! Sounds like a policy fail.

But never mind as result they are making the setup even more zealous.

Scotland seems to becoming a more pernicious and self righteous didactic little state (though with some irony the man at the top behind these speeding enforcement changes isn't Scottish).

My feeling is that practical standards of driving are dropping year on year while the police focus on the wrong things. The knee jerk at the top is to tighten the rules and be more didactic rather than do the harder work of making the rules work.

I do wonder when I hear politicians speak about road and traffic policy (at both Westminster and Holyrood) how many of them actually have what might be a normal pattern of car usage.

 

[E55BOF]

I'm just waiting for one of you to say "Do you want some?"...

 

[renault12ts]

Intellectually bankrupt????? LOL! Whatever. I will tell Mensa to revoke my membership.

If only....

 

[Wheelsnuts]

As the original post was about Scotland, it's unlikely to affect anyone from England.

I live in England but Scotland is just over the border so far as I am concerned and I regularly drive on Scottish roads. So the original post is certainly a timely warning for me.