What is reasonable speed?

What is reasonable speed?

Author
Discussion

hertsbiker

Original Poster:

6,317 posts

273 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2002
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hi all,

just wondered what you chaps considered a "reasonable speed" on NSL roads?

Consider the various combinations of traffic + side roads, and lemme know what YOU think is ok !

rgds, Carl

PS no reason for this apart from curiousity.

ZZR600

15,605 posts

270 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2002
quotequote all
With the way cars have moved on 70-80 to me seems resonable (thats what i do anyway),
60 to me feels like im walking and i get bored thats when i tend not to concentrate ,
so i feel that faster is safer
(im going to get a grilling for saying that !)
on the bike though i am up round 100 and that feels safe to me
But then everyone is different



Edited by ZZR600 on Wednesday 2nd January 15:29

Gasblaster

27,428 posts

281 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2002
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My rule of thumb: Reasonable speed is the maximum speed you can travel at whilst being able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear.

hertsbiker

Original Poster:

6,317 posts

273 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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cheers to those of you who replied, I had hoped for a few more opinions.. but that'll do nicely. Got to admit that the 60 NSL feels way too low a limit, up until the point where some numbnut pulls out of you - and that's where I'm usually glad I wasn't going *too* fast to stop or go round them.

Seems to me that the limits are set to cater for unobservant idiots doing stupid things, rather than people who are genuinely keen and safe road users.

C

apache

39,731 posts

286 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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Carl,

these limits were set years ago, cars have developed past this by a long way, have you ever tried driving at the speed limit anywhere? you'll end up with an irate convoy behind you. I think they need to be brought up to date but that aint gonna happen. Speed limits are too general and don't reflect local conditions, they have now put speed cameras on the A9 to keep people from going over 60 and in most parts of the road you can see 2/3 miles ahead and theres f**k all around except fabulous scenery

Paul V

4,489 posts

279 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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It really does depend on the roads, when recently in the lake district I drove some great roads, if they were open I would happily do 90 on some of the narrow twisty bits 40 was all I’d do. This is where appropriate speed shows itself again.

500 GRF

99 posts

274 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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I would much rather speed limits be kept as they are at the moment, thereby meaning that there is an element of flexibility in going over the stated limit for the road you are on (especially motorways where I always cruise at around 90-95). If they were to increase the limits to match more "modern" driving styles/cars then they would have to be more strictly enforced and alot more of US would loose out.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

286 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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I think you have to factor in old git syndrome and 18 yr old superman.

hertsbiker

Original Poster:

6,317 posts

273 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
quotequote all
huh ! you are very lucky if people drive AS FAST as the limit round my way! most drive 45 in a 60, which makes me so mad. Then they carry on doing this in the 30, and get ahead, or catch me up.

Strangely enough, these people are often in the "safe because I am old" category, and "never have accidents" ! tee hee.

apache

39,731 posts

286 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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glad I'm not the only one who gets pissed off at this

Jason F

1,183 posts

286 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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They are endemic on our roads I'm afraid....One Speed Man I call `em

Herts, I agree with Paul, I don`t see how there can be such a blanket answer.. Many roads that are NSL I cannot get past about 45-50 before slowing down to a crawl to get round a 90 degree bend (and to aviod the local yokel who knows that I will not be round the corner and so borrows my lane) and some NSL roads that I have never been on I am happy to get to 80.



Edited by Jason F on Thursday 3rd January 13:28

TheNeed4Speed

71 posts

273 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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MUNGO,what car do you drive as i live up the road from jtn8

m soper

.mark

11,104 posts

278 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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Must be a south thing. There I was driving off Hayling Island this morning in a 40mph limit, someone pulls out onto the main road from their driveway and proceeds along at perhaps, ohhhh, 25-30. No one coming the other way so I stay at 40 and glide by, said person got most upset and was flashing like mad!!
Reminds me of another story when I overtook an old biddie on a motorway sliproad, I checked my mirror to move back in front of them and they were leaning across towards the glovebox area then I notice them with a bl@@dy camera - DRIVING - taking my photograph! I can imagine the scene now at the police station
Driver - I got overtaken today by this car in this photo.
Copper - Were you driving the car sir?
Driver - Why yes at a steady 35 on the motorway officer.
Copper - how did you get the photo sir?

hertsbiker

Original Poster:

6,317 posts

273 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
quotequote all
Just to state the obvious;-

It really seems that a blanket limit is totally inappropiate, and that to do 60 at times is dangerous, and at other times it is perfectly safe to do 90-100.

Ok, I'm glad we're all in agreement, so how come we have the stupidity that is our road system today?

You've already proved you're not irresponsible maniacs, so why do we get treated as such?

Grrrrr! the more answers I get, the more questions I want to ask !!

Once again, cheers for the replies.

tvradict

3,829 posts

276 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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Does anyone remember the Story, I think it was on here, I might be wrong, about the Polive and Insurance companies 'cracking down' on people who deliberatly Emergency Stop in front of pensioners? This is one thing really annoys me, Somebody mentioned One Speed Drivers, 46 wherever they go, well I was nearly hit by an old woman driving a Pug 205 a couple of months back in Paisley, Two lane road (Dual Carriageway) but it was a 30 limit, inside lane full, my lane full, this woman, all over back of me, I brake for Traffic lights, she doesn't react THEN realises i'm stopping, she skids and just stops then jumps out of her car and starts going off on one AT ME!! Claims I pulled a Deliberate Emergency stop yada yada yada and that I shouldn't be on the road! I politely informed her that the speed limit was 30 and it was rush hour, the roads were crammed and the way she was driving was dangerous to her, me and other road users! Her comment was "I've been driving for 40 years, I've forgotten more than you'll ever know, it's perfectly safe for me to do 50mph down this road..."
If I carry on I'll explode!! Excuse me, I must go and take a cold shower!!

.mark

11,104 posts

278 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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quote:

.mark, TheNeed4speed - You are both local to me, we must get together for a blast one day



Caterham 7, Cerbie and me in a 4.0 Chimaera? I'll feel like the poor/slow relation!!!

ZZR600

15,605 posts

270 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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tvradict, those are the morons that need to be taken off the road , im all for speed out in the open but in a built up area no chance, as the police say "what if a child was to run out in front of you" last thing i want to do is kill someone

.mark

11,104 posts

278 months

Thursday 3rd January 2002
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quote:

.mark - 4 litre Chimeara's pull just fine