Speed traps how to avoid

[Vipers]

Jon1967x said:

You'd be surprised at how many people don't know some basic facts about our roads.

So many have absolutely no idea about box junctions or bus lanes.

[JagXJR]

g3org3y said:

NoNeed said:

There really isn't any need for snide remarks and sarcastic responses, we are not all driving gods or there would be no such devices on the market.

Tiresome isn't it?

Tbh, it's what I expect on PH now, especially in the SP&L section.

OP's wife is an easy target for the PH comedians to attack. I suppose every fat balding middle aged bloke can be such a 'hero' behind a keyboard.

I wonder when starting a topic themselves if they'd like to be treated in a similar manner.

When posters talk like idiots and you lower yourself to their level, you tend to get tarred with the same brush (as I have on occasion), so probably best to ignore them I guess. Arguing back seems to give them a rise. Can be difficult though.

Cruise control is the best feature for me as you set and forget and can concentrate on hazards and surroundings. You can speed up and slow own if needed.

Agree with the poster that suggested driving at 30 if not sure, I did this recently (40 in a 60) as missed the NSL sign. Was in an unfamiliar place and was driving to a place using Sat Nav so was paying more attention to the road than the signs or Sat Nav display. My Sat Nav in the Subaru has audible alerts for exceeding the limit so is quite useful but not for driving too slowly No biggie as speeded up when I saw the next sign and remained within the law As it was a uphill stretch with 2 lanes did not hold anyone up either.

Jon1967x said:

The speed limit thing is, I find, useful on motorway sections with reduced speed limits. Its easy to get sucked along in a line of traffic over a long distance. I actually think cruise control should be banned as it allows you to take your feet off the pedals which means you're not in a natural position to hit the brake should you need to but that's another story.

That's a bizarre point of view. The feet will remain in the pedal area of the footwell as people don't drive (or shouldn't) riding the pedals so no difference. Being able to set the car at a safe and legal speed allows concentration to other areas than constantly having to check the speed, taking eyes off the road momentarily so must be safer?

Edited by JagXJR on Sunday 20th April 11:27

[Jon1967x]

JagXJR said:

Jon1967x said:

The speed limit thing is, I find, useful on motorway sections with reduced speed limits. Its easy to get sucked along in a line of traffic over a long distance. I actually think cruise control should be banned as it allows you to take your feet off the pedals which means you're not in a natural position to hit the brake should you need to but that's another story.

That's a bizarre point of view. The feet will remain in the pedal area of the footwell as people don't drive (or shouldn't) riding the pedals so no difference. Being able to set the car at a safe and legal speed allows concentration to other areas than constantly having to check the speed, taking eyes off the road momentarily so must be safer?

Why bizarre? Cruise control sets the miminum speed, speed limit sets the maximum. Cruise requires no feet on the pedals, speed limit requires you to have your foot on the accelerator. I don't think many people would consider their foot on the accelerator "riding the pedals" in the same way as your foot left on the clutch

If you want to move at a constant speed, speed limit does that and gives the same benefits of cruise control but requires your foot to be in the normal driving position ie on the accelerator. But how many times have you had to do an emergency stop with you foot nowhere near the accelerator? Whats your point of reference? How much longer would it take you to do? What are your chances of hitting the accelerator instead of the brake? Try it..

That's why I think cruise shouldn't be allowed.. but speed limit should

Edited by Jon1967x on Sunday 20th April 12:26

[Riccardino]

Jon1967x said:

One useful outcome of the SAC is they (try) to teach you to read a road and what its speed limit is likely to be if you can't see speed markings. For instance.. any street lighting except on a motorway and in the absence of any other indications and its a 30.. including a dual carriage way. And then they also teach you what a dual carriage way is. And what the national speed limit is. etc. You'd be surprised at how many people don't know some basic facts about our roads. This alone should help avoid speeding.

Must be a good reminder. As said heard a lot of good things on those courses and I am sure it is going to be beneficial also for my wife to relax
Agree that after so many years of driving license and driving in different countries a good reminder can help (maybe also me)

Jon1967x said:

I also loved the excuses for speeding. Common themes were "new car which was quieter, faster, easier to drive and didn't realise" but the corker from a elderly chap was "may car won't do 30 in top [gear]"

When I mentioned that it was not an excuse. However I think that it is a fact that if you drive at 30 mph in my first car (a FIAT 850) vs a similar base car today like a FIAT 500 you do realise that they are quieter, faster, easier to drive, giving you less the feeling of speed. Not saying that that is a reason for speeding but it is probably easier to do mistakes in that respect (and a lot of the new electronic aids available now are to better cope with more performance and speed)

Jon1967x said:

The speed limit thing is, I find, useful on motorway sections with reduced speed limits. Its easy to get sucked along in a line of traffic over a long distance. I actually think cruise control should be banned as it allows you to take your feet off the pedals which means you're not in a natural position to hit the brake should you need to but that's another story.

Actually for me it is the opposite (use the cruise only on long journey).
When I use the cruise I never move away my right foot so it will still stay there close to the brake and I think it is less tiring and thus better for the potential to focus and remain alerted on other things to use the cruise
For traffic drive I do not like the speed limiter and I would just prefer an alert or a light with full control of the throttle at any time

Anyway soon we will have the autopilot...

[JagXJR]

Both of my cars with CC are automatics. The brake pedal is the very big one (hard to miss) not the really small one. I have my foot in front of the brake so if I need it, possibly less time but more likely the same to hit the brake.

Your point may have some merit with a manual car, an auto will change up and down as needed to keep the speed steady so no need to worry about the gear being correct. Perhaps manual gearbox cars with an extra, smaller pedal and the added risk of missing it in a hurry, should be banned for the reason you state cruse control should?

If you need to hit the brake that quickly perhaps you are not paying as much attention as you should, in which case Cruise or not is irrelevant and reflexes are going to be more important?

Cruise makes the car safer since it reduces the number of tasks needed to pilot the vehicle allowing drivers to concentrate on more important ones, like reading the road. And we all know how good us men are regarded at multi-tasking

[jmorgan]

Cruise control is not to be trusted, you still need to be switched on. As a colleague found out on some M1 road works where there was a 40 section in the 50. He set it at 50 and found out when the letter arrived.

[grumpy52]

I have a really cheap sat-nav (H+H I think) was £38 from amazon , it's a backup system as both my others are Truck spec ones, the cheapo one tells me the speed limit as I change from one road to the next and from one limit to the next, it also tells me when I exceed any of these limits hence it was christened the " sat nag" by my old fella , it is really annoying but has probably saved me from getting pulled , especially by the Scottish traffic taliban .

[dacouch]

[yellowjack]

Riccardino said:

By the way, the road where she took the fine is not in a built up area and the speed detector is not very visible as the speed limit. Can be confusing. Was alerted by some friends who got a fine there but my wife did not know it! But again I am not here to complain for the fine. You exceed the speed limit and you pay for that


So after

yellowjack said:

It's far too fking easy, chaps.
...

and an unnecessary lesson (as said that road was not the tipical 30mph) than the conclusion is

yellowjack said:

I have an electronic 'speed limiter' operated from buttons on the steering wheel, as well as my cruise control. I use it most of the time, to avoid straying over the limit,

Come on is fking easy and you use speed limiter and cruise control

Actually a speed limiter can be a solution but I would prefer an alert as I think the speed limiter is too invasive (you should be able to modulate the throttle yourself, just need a reminder for speed limits)

Read my reply again. Then put this bit back into your selective quoting...

but you still need to pay attention, to reset the limiter where speed limits change.

...which was really what I was getting at. No matter what electronic assistance you use, you still need to drive the car and pay some attention to what's going on outside it.

The "far too easy" bit was aimed at those who get confused at what the speed limit is likely to be. The cues are there, should you choose to learn how to recognise them.

The electronic speed limiter, and modulating the throttle? Not mutually exclusive. I still 'drive' the car, it just won't let me speed when it's set. Unlike cruise control, which takes over throttle control, the limiter requires you to control the throttle up to the requested limit. It doesn't actually DO ANYTHING. It simply prevents you from opening the throttle too far. If you need to accelerate urgently, you just push the 'go' pedal into the carpet, and like kickdown in an auto, the car recognises the instruction and cuts the limiter off. system is that I can choose not to turn it on, like out on open roads, where there's actually some fun to be had.

Cruise control is useless on twisty roads, as it cuts out every time you touch the brake or clutch, and will attempt to hurl you into corners at inappropriate speeds if you let it. The limiter, on the other hand is not affected by braking or gear changes, allows you to lift off to adjust speed without braking, and won't have any affect on the car unless you try to go too fast for your chosen speed limit. Infinitely more useful than cruise control, which I hardly use at all any more.

I had to attend a speed awareness course, after I chose to exceed a speed limit. On that course, they spend a lot of time trying to educate people about how to recognise speed limits, and worryingly, what the different types of dotted and solid lines mean. I think that a speed awareness type course should be compulsory prior to taking the practical driving test, and maybe a similar course periodically (maybe every 10 or 15 years) throughout a driver's career, in order to maintain standards.

You can all you want. Ultimately it was YOU who asked for advice as to how to avoid future fines/points for your wife. The simple answer is for her to learn to be a better driver, by paying proper attention to all of the signs, and other cues/clues on the road, in order that she doesn't make the same mistake again. Which I thought was an entirely reasonable response to your question. If you don't feel that way, and think that you/she know better, then crack on and rack up those points/fines.

The difference between a driver controlled speed limiter, and an automatic GPS based system is that the driver controlled system still requires the driver to read the road, as speed limits are constantly adjusted up/down as conditions change. You seem to be looking for an electronic system that takes away the responsibility of the human being for looking where they are going. Worse still are the 'road angel' type things that warn of speed traps. They (to my mind) just give drivers an excuse to speed where they don't expect to be caught. Better, really, if they were banned, and folk would then have to pay proper attention to the act of 'driving' itself.

[NoNeed]

yellowjack said:

You can all you want. Ultimately it was YOU who asked for advice as to how to avoid future fines/points for your wife. The simple answer is for her to learn to be a better driver, by paying proper attention to all of the signs, and other cues/clues on the road, in order that she doesn't make the same mistake again. Which I thought was an entirely reasonable response to your question. If you don't feel that way, and think that you/she know better, then crack on and rack up those points/fines.

So when you come on PH asking for brake pad advice or how to work the stereo in your car the correct response should be, read the fking manual you dipst and become a better person/mechanic!!!

[yellowjack]

NoNeed said:

yellowjack said:

You can all you want. Ultimately it was YOU who asked for advice as to how to avoid future fines/points for your wife. The simple answer is for her to learn to be a better driver, by paying proper attention to all of the signs, and other cues/clues on the road, in order that she doesn't make the same mistake again. Which I thought was an entirely reasonable response to your question. If you don't feel that way, and think that you/she know better, then crack on and rack up those points/fines.

So when you come on PH asking for brake pad advice or how to work the stereo in your car the correct response should be, read the fking manual you dipst and become a better person/mechanic!!!

To be fair, the stereo question is probably better explained by the manual than someone off of the internet. If you don't have the manual, it might be possible to a) buy one off ebay b) download it as a PDF from the internet c) obtain one from the manufacturer of the car or the audio equipment

(I bought a Garmin GPS for cycling, off ebay. It came without an instruction manual. I went to Garmin's website, downloaded, then printed the manual, and didn't need to ask random internet users any questions at all. True story! )

As for brake pads. I don't know, I just tend to fit the branded ones if I'm given the choice at the parts counter of my local auto factors or car dealership

I did ask about tyres recently. This is a sensible question, as OE tyres won't always be the best to suit a particular car. I had a shortlist of two brands, and asked if anyone had experience of them on my model of car. Personal experience can help, alongside motor magazine reviews, to decide between the top two on a shortlist.

Comparing that to a dumb question about "how does my wife avoid speed traps" and then being surprised when some people respond with "open your eyes, look for the signs, and adjust speed accordingly" just doesn't hold water. I stand by my submissions to this thread, in their entirety.

Am I alone in believing that, even after 23 years, I'm still learning, still improving, as a driver? I do that by reading stuff (like roadcraft manuals, etc), discussing stuff with other drivers, both online and in real life, and putting what I learn into practice out on the roads. It really isn't all that hard

[Willy Nilly]

NoNeed said:

jimbop1 said:

zygalski said:

Hi.
Ask her to watch out for these:

Smug wker

Some right tts have turned up on this thread.

In fairness, that's all the OP's Mrs needs to do. Electronic devices rely on databases that become out of date and satellites they can't always find. Road signs just sit there. I know some, well a lot, of rural speed limits seem ludicrously low, but after 25 years of driving she really should now what a 30 limit looks like by now.

Electronic devices are very clever but just add another level of distraction while driving, just buy her an up to date copy of The Highway Code.

[Funkycoldribena]

yellowjack said:

Am I alone in believing that, even after 23 years, I'm still learning, still improving, as a driver? I do that by reading stuff (like roadcraft manuals, etc), discussing stuff with other drivers, both online and in real life, and putting what I learn into practice out on the roads. It really isn't all that hard

No,but its turned you into probably the most sanctimonious, boring person on here...

[yellowjack]

Funkycoldribena said:

No,but its turned you into probably the most sanctimonious, boring person on here...

[Vipers]

Jon1967x said:

That's why I think cruise shouldn't be allowed.. but speed limit should.

Weird view, have you ever tried cc, I have it for over 20 years now, wouldn't change it.

[Jon1967x]

Vipers said:

Jon1967x said:

That's why I think cruise shouldn't be allowed.. but speed limit should.

Weird view, have you ever tried cc, I have it for over 20 years now, wouldn't change it.

Yep had it on cars for the 10 years plus. Having got cars that have both cruise and limit, I rarely use either but as I say, intuitively limit is safer... I'll spell out the reasons why I think so

1... Limit provides a maximum speed, cruise a minimum, why would you ever want to set a minimum speed you want to drive?
2... Limit requires your foot to be on the accelerator. Cruise you don't. This is in a better position for reactions (muscle memory takes foot from accelerator to brake all the time).
3.. Have any form of illness with cruise eg passing out and the car will continue. Limit it might just slow down

I'm not against a device that let's you set a speed, I just feel a limit is much safer it does the job. I'd be surprised if they would even allow it to be introduced now if it wasn't already out there

What's your rational argument that says cruise is preferable to a limit? Is it because it stops you slipping your shoes off

Edited by Jon1967x on Sunday 20th April 18:11

[Raize]

Your wife has doomed us all. Going at 38 in a 30 has opened the gates of hell. Even now, demons and devils spew forth and the apocalypse begins.

[Vipers]

Jon1967x said:

Vipers said:

Jon1967x said:

That's why I think cruise shouldn't be allowed.. but speed limit should.

Weird view, have you ever tried cc, I have it for over 20 years now, wouldn't change it.

Yep had it on cars for the 10 years plus. Having got cars that have both cruise and limit, I rarely use either but as I say, intuitively limit is safer... I'll spell out the reasons why I think so

1... Limit provides a maximum speed, cruise a minimum, why would you ever want to set a minimum speed you want to drive?
2... Limit requires your foot to be on the accelerator. Cruise you don't. This is in a better position for reactions (muscle memory takes foot from accelerator to brake all the time).
3.. Have any form of illness with cruise eg passing out and the car will continue. Limit it might just slow down

I'm not against a device that let's you set a speed, I just feel a limit is much safer it does the job. I'd be surprised if they would even allow it to be introduced now if it wasn't already out there

What's your rational argument that says cruise is preferable to a limit? Is it because it stops you slipping your shoes off

Edited by Jon1967x on Sunday 20th April 18:11

I didn't say cc was preferable to a limit, I support the limit especially in town.

You said why would I want to set a minimum speed, cc is not a minimum and do not understand your comment on that, if I set 30 in town, that is not a minimum, that the maximum which I do not want to exceed. On motorways I set 70, that is not a minimum, that's the maximum I want to drive at.

Your No.2 new one on me, any evidence to support it?

You mention slipping shoes off, personally I have driven with shoes on and off, I have driven in military steel toed capped boots, and in trainers, never noticed any difference. But me thinks you were joking there.

And I support that cars should be fitted with limiters, with all the goings on when driving through towns, it would elevate you having to keep looking at the speedo, especially where the limit is now 20.

[Liokault]

Have we ever had a poll of how many points a PH'er has ever had?

[Vipers]

Liokault said:

Have we ever had a poll of how many points a PH'er has ever had?

Could be interesting.