"Speeders put lives at risk on lockdown's empty roads"

Herzlos

AdrianC said:

unforeseen said:

So the only one really is Germany 

Unlimited, yes.

But the majority are 130 (82mph), with a few 140 (88mph). Italy has legal provision for 150 (94mph), but none are currently in force. So why an arbitrary 112kph limiter? Especially given that's easily bypassed...

And then, of course, there's off-road use.

It's a 112mph (180kph) limit - far in excess of the legal limits everywhere except the unrestricted autobahn. Volvo have always been about safety.

There's been a few other cars limited to 120mph (193kph) for insurance reasons too.

AdrianC

facade said:

AdrianC said:

Except now you've trained the driver to ignore the signs, because the car does all that for him. Just put foot flat, and nothing can possibly go wrong.

Apparently, the reason insurance premiums are still going up is that the number of accidents stayed the same in lockdown, and they were even more spectacular than usual due to the much higher speeds.

I don't believe that for one second.

Apart from Admiral, the Ryanair of insurers, giving all their policyholders £25 back because they predicted far lower claims, it's waaaaaaaaaay too early for any actuarial stats to feed into premiums.

"Modern" cars train the "driver" to not be able to drive at all.  In my Nissan, I can treat all the controls- brake, steering, accelerator as binary switches, off or full on and the com-pu-tah just sorts it out, reducing the throttle to stop wheelspin, chopping the brakes to avoid locking, banging on the odd brake if it is understeering because I've just wound it on full lock at 60, so I don't have to bother with any mechanical sympathy or worry about the road conditions. In the Suzuki, it even bangs on the brakes by itself if I can't be bothered to make any effort to move my foot or look where I'm going.

This is great, until the "driver's" demands exceed the laws of physics,  at which point there is a crash, and the "driver" hasn't a clue why it happened.

Meanwhile I drive past wondering how someone managed to turn their car upside down and hit a lamppost on a completely straight road   ....

Exactly my point.

 Some years ago, when parking binglers were new, I eavesdropped on a conversation between several young ladies of the demographic that Daddy bought them a new car. One was most indignant because she'd reversed into a signpost and the binglers hadn't bongled in time. She was most adamant that the Audi dealer should take full responsibility, and thought it terribly unfair that Daddy didn't agree with her on that.

Herzlos said:

AdrianC said:

unforeseen said:

So the only one really is Germany 

Unlimited, yes.

But the majority are 130 (82mph), with a few 140 (88mph). Italy has legal provision for 150 (94mph), but none are currently in force. So why an arbitrary 112kph limiter? Especially given that's easily bypassed...

And then, of course, there's off-road use.

It's a 112mph (180kph) limit - far in excess of the legal limits everywhere except the unrestricted autobahn.

No, I'm talking about the arbitrary 70mph/112kph limiters for UK market cars that Supersonos proposed at the start of the thread. IYR, t'were I who pointed out that one particular manufacturer was currently unilaterally introducing a voluntary limiter.

Volvo have always been about safety.

Or so their marketing claims...

 Meanwhile, Japan long had a "Gentleman's Agreement" between their manufacturers that domestic-market cars should be restricted to 180kph and 280bhp, with a 105kph warning chime. Strange how that doesn't appear to have either stopped them building much faster cars or having limiters that are easily bypassed, eh?

unforeseen

Herzlos said:

AdrianC said:

unforeseen said:

So the only one really is Germany 

Unlimited, yes.

But the majority are 130 (82mph), with a few 140 (88mph). Italy has legal provision for 150 (94mph), but none are currently in force. So why an arbitrary 112kph limiter? Especially given that's easily bypassed...

And then, of course, there's off-road use.

It's a 112mph (180kph) limit - far in excess of the legal limits everywhere except the unrestricted autobahn. Volvo have always been about safety.

There's been a few other cars limited to 120mph (193kph) for insurance reasons too.

No. Its 112kph which is 70mph

AdrianC

unforeseen said:

Herzlos said:

AdrianC said:

unforeseen said:

So the only one really is Germany 

Unlimited, yes.

But the majority are 130 (82mph), with a few 140 (88mph). Italy has legal provision for 150 (94mph), but none are currently in force. So why an arbitrary 112kph limiter? Especially given that's easily bypassed...

And then, of course, there's off-road use.

It's a 112mph (180kph) limit - far in excess of the legal limits everywhere except the unrestricted autobahn. Volvo have always been about safety.

There's been a few other cars limited to 120mph (193kph) for insurance reasons too.

No. Its 112kph which is 70mph

Volvo's limiter is 180kph, 112mph.
Supersonos started the thread by suggesting the limiter should be the UK m'way limit - 112kph, 70mph.

Marvel1

Scrap the speed awareness course and issue £1000 fines.

DoaM

AdrianC said:

unforeseen said:
No. Its 112kph which is 70mph

Volvo's limiter is 180kph, 112mph.
Supersonos started the thread by suggesting the limiter should be the UK m'way limit - 112kph, 70mph.

You'll actually find he said it should be 80 mph.

Supersonos said:

The technology has existed for decades to limit a vehicle's speed, so all cars sold in the UK should have to have an 80mph limiter.

AdrianC

130kph. My bad.

facade

AdrianC said:

facade said:

Apparently, the reason insurance premiums are still going up is that the number of accidents stayed the same in lockdown, and they were even more spectacular than usual due to the much higher speeds.

I don't believe that for one second.

Apart from Admiral, the Ryanair of insurers, giving all their policyholders £25 back because they predicted far lower claims, it's waaaaaaaaaay too early for any actuarial stats to feed into premiums.

What, you are suggesting that this isn't true, and they are just putting up premiums because they always do, but now there is an excuse??  (Blame it on the Covids)

Surely not

Kattekwaad

@Supersonos is this you annual post about speed limits?  Last year's post:-

"The EU have agreed that all new vehicles sold from 2022 will have a 'black box' and speed limiters. Sounds like a bad idea to me - drivers will get used to the car deciding the maximum speed and then carry on at that speed in heavy rain/fog.

But at least it'll mean people might actually do 20mph in a 20 zone."

What I don't understand is why you would go out and buy 354bhp BMW X4?

Robisere

I have been driving for 57 years. For most of those years, driving standards were quite good, in the majority. But in the last 20 years or so, standards have gradually deteriorated, until now I believe they are absolutely abysmal, even before the coronavirus situation. I have a theory about this which others may find wrong: there is too much emphasis upon the Theory side of the driving test, and not enough on actual driving, on the road, in all conditions and all visibility. It is far too easy to learn everything in theory, parrot fashion, in order to pass a written exam and fill in check boxes. It is harder to develop skills that will keep drivers safe and allow their brains to learn by actually driving.

From my driving history, I am probably going to be informed that I am an unsafe old guy who holds up traffic by driving slowly and has the reactions of a goldfish. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I am a good driver, and that is the verdict of a young, pursuit-trained police officer son of a friend. I have driven many different types of vehicle in my time and although I observe the legal limits, I do like to drive at the limit where it is safe to do so. If there comes a time when I think my driving ability is deteriorating, I will immediately give up my licence. I only wish that the many younger drivers I see taking stupid risks, or failing to indicate a turn, or using a roundabout in the wrong way, would give up theirs!