Speeding.....when do you do it?.....is it ever 'OK'?

Lum

Not really, "Maximum safe speed" refers to a clear road on a clear dry day. If the road is congested then you can no longer do that speed.

Hammyman

crazylegsr65 wrote: »

The speedlimit is the maximum safe speed for that section of road.
.

Bollox. I've driven tons and tons of single track country roads with high hedges that are national speed limit. There's also plenty of roads locally that had the speed reduced from NSL to 50 for no reason other than a few out of the millions of journeys resulted in a crash. Some have even been returned to NSL.

Thinking like yours results in accidents.

To those that speed can you honestly say that you can stop in time if something unexpected happens? I drive as fast as I can see to stop (within the limit) & never had an accident.

I've driven 1.8 million miles points and accident free in a range of vehicle from a car up to a 100 tonne lorry. I've exceeded the speed limit for a fair amount of that. Speed does not kill, bad driving does and even the Police finally admitted a couple of years ago that speed is only a prime cause of accidents in a very small percentage (4% OTTOMH)

sniper666

AlexisV wrote: »

A lot of people don't understand their cars only have maximum hp at about 6000RPM. They don't like overtaking because they instinctively change up at about 3000 and so think their car can't go as fast as it actually can.

Yeah this is so true.

Tinks74

Lum wrote: »

Drive such that you know you can stop within the distance you can guarantee to be clear is one of the basic principles of safe driving.

My biggest pet peeve when driving is that some drivers seem to think that if the space is big enough to get a car in then it is big enough to drive into. What about the safe gap I had been maintaining?
I know the HC says I should ease off and increase the gap to a safe distance if that should happen, I've done that only to have the new gap filled by another inconsiderate driver.

When I learned to drive my Dad, who used to be a police driver, told me to drive as if all other road users are idiots, meaning don't assume anything about what anyone else is going to do or not do. Maintain sufficient distances to keep yourself safe, be aware of other cars and don't begin a manoeuvre you cannot complete safely or that would cause another vehicle to have to alter their course or speed.

I hasten to add that doesn't mean driving slowly, I can and do drive fast however I don't drive aggressively.

optimus_primera

crazylegsr65 wrote: »

The speedlimit is the maximum safe speed for that section of road.

The 70mph motorway limit was only introduced as a knee jerk reaction to AC cars road testing the Cobra on the M1 at full bore ..... (iirc it was around 160mph+)
So what is the maximum safe speed for the M1???
No one can say.
It depends entirely on the weather conditions,the condition of the car being driven,the capability of the driver.
Given these variables, there is no way of determining a 'set safe speed'.

You can argue all you want that speed is dangerous,no it not, its inappropriate speed that kills and its bad driver judgement that kills.

As has been previously said, car technology has moved on with regard to brakes and suspension technologies.
Same with the manufacture of tyres.

The only thing that never seems to improve is the person behind the steering wheel.

We all (and i include myself here) take out driving licences as a 'right' so some degree or another.
I drive a forklift, and the licence only lasts for 3 yrs, which i then have to be retested.
I have an IPAF Powered Access Licence, (for Scissor lifts cherry pickers etc) that only lasts 5 yrs,which again i need a retest.

So why are we allowed to drive on the road, without ever being retested? i passed my driving test 21 yrs ago, i doubt i would pass it now,along with many other people.

Rolandtheroadie

reduceditem wrote: »

Let's hear it.........

You first.............

moonrakerz

optimus_primera wrote: »

You can argue all you want that speed is dangerous,no it not, its inappropriate speed that kills and its bad driver judgement that kills.

Sanity at last !

It infuriates me when I see senior police officers and so-called "road safety experts" trotting out the same old hackneyed phrase:
"Speed Kills" followed by the totally misleading claim (lies even ?) that 30% of accidents are caused by "speeding".

This is NOT so ! 30% may be caused by "inappropriate speed" which is a totally different thing to "speeding" ie: actually exceeding the speed limit. Inappropriate speed is doing 50 mph on a foggy motorway when you should be doing 30mph - FAR more dangerous than doing 45 in a 40 limit - yet it is quite legal!

Figures are hard to come by as the police/Government don't seem that willing to release them (wonder why ??) but it is estimated that a road accident where the vehicle(s) involved was exceeding the posted speed limit on the section of road in question is around 5%. HUGELY different from the 30% figure that is bandied around claiming to represent "speeding".

95% of accidents are NOT caused by speeding - why don't the police/authorities concentrate on the other factors ?
1. They would have to admit that they were misleading the public for years.
2. How do the catch the guy on the foggy motorway and sting him for 60 quid ? A speed camera is just like a cash register: 45 on a 40 road - ching, £60 - ching, another £60. MUCH easier !

I have been driving for 40 years and never had so much as a parking ticket so I am not !!!!!ing (I used the word for a female dog there !!) just because I have been "done" - I just get completely hacked with the grossly misleading figures quoted.

PS: The roads in the UK are some of the safest in the World.

goosander

Depends on the speed limit and the reason for it being there, but in general:

20 mph: Ignore, treat as 30 mph unless road conditions dictate 20mph (or less) is sensible. Absolutely no need for these.
30 mph: Usually there for a good reason, I obey these.
40 mph: If its an urban 40 mph limit, its usually a sensible limit but if its one of the many roads that have been arbitrarily reduced from 60mph I ignore.
50 mph: Don't see the point, treat as 60mph limit.
60 mph: Drive as road and weather conditions dictate, use own judgment - will use whatever speed necessary to minimise time in danger when overtaking.
70 mph: Generally cruise at 80mph, with overtaking bursts to 90mph as required.

Kilty_2

Lum wrote: »

I do this too. Also on the few occasions when I'm stuck having to drive at an annoyingly low speed* I'll be sure to pull into laybys and let people past from time to time because I know how annoying it is.

We're definitely in the minority on this one though.

* Last time was when I was driving a manky old Passat and had a car engine in the back. One of the ropes had failed and I wasn't able to get it properly stable. Had to take corners really slowly as a result.

I also did this when I was nursing my first and last (broken) diesel car back to the dealer to tell them to stick it. :T

goosander

moonrakerz wrote: »

Sanity at last !

...

PS: The roads in the UK are some of the safest in the World.

Totally agree. We seem to have lost all proportion of risk in this country, its no longer acceptable to balance benefits with risks, risk must always be reduced no matter what the cost!

Many of the speed kill lobby won't be satisfied until they reinstate the requirment to have someone walking in front of your car with a red flag.