Speeding - by being followed

Hermione_Granger

Edwood_Woodwood wrote: »

If a cop said to me I was driving at 47mph then that is a very precise speed.

Unless I kept my eyes constantly on the speedo then I wouldn't know my absolute accurate speed, it still wouldn't be precise in any case.


I'd rather keep my eyes on the road and mirrors and the odd glance at my speed.

You keep your vision on the speedo.

I know who's the safer.

I also know who is a safer driver and it's not the deluded individual who admits that they don't know what speed they are driving at. How can that be "safe" in any way?
If your driving is that good, why were you pulled over by the police?

I don't have to keep my vision on the speedo when driving. A quick look every now any again and knowing how my foot movements affect the speed of my car generally mean that I know how fast my vehicle is moving.
Unlike you, I don't leave it to chance or guesswork.

Richard53

Hermione_Granger wrote: »

surely if you are not aware of what speed you are doing, you can't really know what sort of distance you would be able to stop in an emergency if required.

With respect, Hermione, that is tosh.


Do you really follow another car and think "hang on, (glances at speedo) I am doing x mph here, which means from my memory of the Highway Code that is y stopping distance and not forgetting z reaction time, so I need to leave p yards between me and the car in front in case of emergencies"?


Or do you judge the road conditions sensibly on the basis of what you see around you and drive at a speed which seems safe and reasonable to you?


The corollary of your argument is that if every car had its speedometer removed, we would suddenly all become dangerous drivers, because we'd have no way of knowing what speed we were doing and wouldn't know what distance to leave for an emergency stop. I am not that inept, and I don't think you are either.

Edwood_Woodwood

Hermione_Granger wrote: »

I also know who is a safer driver and it's not the deluded individual who admits that they don't know what speed they are driving at. How can that be "safe" in any way?
If your driving is that good, why were you pulled over by the police?

I don't have to keep my vision on the speedo when driving. A quick look every now any again and knowing how my foot movements affect the speed of my car generally mean that I know how fast my vehicle is moving.
Unlike you, I don't leave it to chance or guesswork.

Now, that's not strictly the case here, is it?

The cops were very precise informing the OP they were driving at 47mph.

You, taking a quick look at your speedo every now and then will not have a precise knowledge of your speed versus two cops in a car who followed you using who knows what equipment.

You will have an idea of your speed, but will you know precisely your speed?

No, you would not, so why admit you do?

almillar

Why would I admit to something I cannot confirm?

'47 ociffer? No I had no idea what speed I was doing. I'm sure it was 30 or something, or whatever the speed limit is. Shall I be on my way?'!
They'll often ASK you what speed you THINK you were doing. And judge what to do from there.

brat

I prefer to hear something like "I'm not sure exactly what speed it was, but it didn't feel fast. It felt about right for the road and conditions."

I'd much rather hear that, than have someone lie to me about their speed. Of course the road conditions (or the speed) may prevent the driver from honestly being able to say the above, but if their subsequent conversation shows they're taking their driving responsibly, they'll get little grief from me.

None of the above will protect you from speed cams, unfortunately.

Mercdriver

Edwood_Woodwood wrote: »

Now, that's not strictly the case here, is it?

The cops were very precise informing the OP they were driving at 47mph.

You, taking a quick look at your speedo every now and then will not have a precise knowledge of your speed versus two cops in a car who followed you using who knows what equipment.

You will have an idea of your speed, but will you know precisely your speed?

No, you would not, so why admit you do?

Well if they are using an approved device, tehy would know what the recorded speed was, and it would be precise. Why would they give any other figure?

Mercdriver

Richard53 wrote: »

With respect, Hermione, that is tosh.


Do you really follow another car and think "hang on, (glances at speedo) I am doing x mph here, which means from my memory of the Highway Code that is y stopping distance and not forgetting z reaction time, so I need to leave p yards between me and the car in front in case of emergencies"?


Or do you judge the road conditions sensibly on the basis of what you see around you and drive at a speed which seems safe and reasonable to you?


The corollary of your argument is that if every car had its speedometer removed, we would suddenly all become dangerous drivers, because we'd have no way of knowing what speed we were doing and wouldn't know what distance to leave for an emergency stop. I am not that inept, and I don't think you are either.

It still has to be within the law. If you wanted to enter someone's property and decided it was safe and reasonable to just walk in without knocking, would that suddenly mean you aren't trespassing? Of course not. The offence is absolute at 31 in a 30. You either are or you are not. It is your responsibility as a driver to drive within the law as prescribed by parliament. If you choose to contravene them, then you have to accept the consequences of your actions.

Too many people don't see that they have a responsibility to ensure they drive within the limits. Do I speed? Yes occasionally, sometimes without knowing it when there is a momentary lapse or miss a speed limit sign. So far I have got away with it. If I was caught, I would accept the consequences.

Edwood_Woodwood

Mercdriver wrote: »

Well if they are using an approved device, tehy would know what the recorded speed was, and it would be precise. Why would they give any other figure?

Please, it appears it is not known what equipment was being used.

Is the 47 mph precise or is it precise because cops say so?

Edwood_Woodwood

Mercdriver wrote: »

Do I speed? Yes occasionally, sometimes without knowing it when there is a momentary lapse or miss a speed limit sign. So far I have got away with it. If I was caught, I would accept the consequences.

Right, so there are times you have no idea of your speed, yet you are quite happy to admit to a speed you cannot possibly confirm!??

You simply accept what a cop says without even knowing how he determined your speed?

Retrogamer

Edwood_Woodwood wrote: »

Please, it appears it is not known what equipment was being used.

Is the 47 mph precise or is it precise because cops say so?

If they say it was the cars speedometer, that's still not a get out
If you contest it and claim the cars speedometer isn't accurate, they will get the car that followed you to drive at 47mph, read it with a laser gun then confirm with the court what speed it is reading.
If it's over 40mph, (it will be) then the OP would still be found guilty of breaching the speed limit and will still get a bigger fine and (likely) more points than accepting the fixed penalty notice.