Somewhat peeved - done for 82 on motorway????

[SK425]

walm said:

There is a lack of Trafpol (the only way to catch dangerous drivers driving dangerously), but I don't want to pay more taxes to fund more trafpol as the KSI stats are still going in the right direction despite those dangerous drivers and lack of trafpol.

I am simply saying that a GOOD side-effect of speed traps (cheap road policing) is that they catch more dangerous drivers than law-abiding folk momentarily straying over the limit than you would catch if you just randomly gave out fines (the suggestion above to fine people wearing clothes).
It is obviously not perfect but I think the risk of getting caught is worth it, as it is better than nothing.

I don't think it's a good thing. By definition, everybody caught speeding falls into one of two categories: either their speed was appropriate for the conditions at the time and yet the law punishes them anyway, or their speed was inappropriate for the conditions at the time and they are let off with a lesser offence than the one they actually committed. I don't like that either of those eventualities is possible. The best I think either can be described as is a necessary evil - necessary because, as you imply, actually ensuring bad drivers were dealt with properly and safe drivers were left alone would be hopelessly impractical (although I hope - perhaps in vain - that the ability to issue FPNs for careless driving now might help a bit).

[GarethA]

Folks I shall attempt to tie this one off -it was just intended as a bit of light hearted banter and I didn't quite expect the diversity of comments reflected here, shall we say - doubtless naively.

I simply felt that it is commonplace for large sections of flowing traffic to be moving along at 80+ (a fact often underlined by the transport secretary at the various attempts to raise the speed limit to 80) and accordingly it was straying into the bad luck/unfortunate space to get an endorsement at this speed.

A static camera would never, I would suggest, have been tripped at 82 or it would fine so many people the backlash would be too great.

In response to one poster, the question of an appropriate limit for the masses is a thorny one but since you asked yes I do support a rise to 80mph and no I don't personally believe it will cause everyone to drive at 90, but that's just a personal opinion.

With a new wave of average speed check cameras the stage really is set for driver-less transport on our motorways, and there's nothing else for it but to buy a TVR and hit the b-roads. If I understand the history of this forum correctly I believe a few on here saw that wisdom some time ago

In the meantime I shall persevere with my antiquated bavarian machinery, with a speedo which reads the speed to within a perfectly acceptable 2.5% error margin.

Have a good afternoon/weekend whatever you're up to

G

[HantsRat]

There is already some leniency set in law on speed. You can go 9mph over the motorway speed limit without any prosecution. You got caught at 12mph over the limit and got caught. Nothing to really moan about.

Whilst annoying, it's still breaking the law.

I appreciate this was a motorway but speeding motorists is up there with the top 3 complaints to police by residents in most areas.

[R32]

HantsRat said:

I appreciate this was a motorway but speeding motorists is up there with the top 3 complaints to police by residents in most areas.

Yeah as you say, not from motorways though.

Considering motorways are the safest type of road in the UK and police resources are limited, you would think priority would be given to more dangerous roads or the ones most complained about...

[HantsRat]

R32 said:

Yeah as you say, not from motorways though.

Considering motorways are the safest type of road in the UK and police resources are limited, you would think priority would be given to more dangerous roads or the ones most complained about...

How do you know priority isn't given to the more dangerous roads? It was one camera van. There may have been another 5 around the county at the time.

[Devil2575]

TankRizzo said:

tapereel said:

The limit is 70mph.

Thanks Steve.

I've lost count ofthe number of different posters accused of being Steve

[Pete317]

Devil2575 said:

TankRizzo said:

tapereel said:

The limit is 70mph.

Thanks Steve.

I've lost count ofthe number of different posters accused of being Steve

Well if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

[SK425]

HantsRat said:

I appreciate this was a motorway but speeding motorists is up there with the top 3 complaints to police by residents in most areas.

If that really is how they express their concern, that's a shame, since speeding is almost certainly not what they are really complaining about. If it was, the solution would be obvious - raise the speed limit enough (or remove it altogether) and all those drivers can keep driving as fast as they were before and they will no longer be speeding. But I'd wager that that would not satisfy the complainers, since what they're really complaining about is not speeding, but people driving too fast.

When that becomes worrying is when you imagine that some of those doing the complaining might be drivers themselves, and if they don't properly appreciate the distinction between "not driving too fast" and "obeying the speed limit" when they complain about others, how well do they appreciate it when they're behind the wheel.

[Devil2575]

Pete317 said:

Devil2575 said:

TankRizzo said:

tapereel said:

The limit is 70mph.

Thanks Steve.

I've lost count ofthe number of different posters accused of being Steve

Well if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

Trouble is you can't see the duck you can only hear it and some appear to be making the leap that only one person on PH holds certain views.

Sounds very much like the fallacy of thinking that your views are in the majority

[Devil2575]

SK425 said:

HantsRat said:

I appreciate this was a motorway but speeding motorists is up there with the top 3 complaints to police by residents in most areas.

If that really is how they express their concern, that's a shame, since speeding is almost certainly not what they are really complaining about. If it was, the solution would be obvious - raise the speed limit enough (or remove it altogether) and all those drivers can keep driving as fast as they were before and they will no longer be speeding. But I'd wager that that would not satisfy the complainers, since what they're really complaining about is not speeding, but people driving too fast.

When that becomes worrying is when you imagine that some of those doing the complaining might be drivers themselves, and if they don't properly appreciate the distinction between "not driving too fast" and "obeying the speed limit" when they complain about others, how well do they appreciate it when they're behind the wheel.

I know a bloke who complained to the Police about speeding cars/bikes because of the noise. His house backs onto a bypass that is popular with people giving it some beans and you can hear them for some distance (I live about a mile away and I can tell hear them quite well).

The Police weren't interested, or at least that's what he said.

[rb5er]

CallorFold said:

zedx19 said:

As others have said, caught at 82mph means more like 90 on the speedo, so not entirely sure what the OP is peeved at?

Think you probably need to check your running the right wheels on your car if its that far out!

At the most my ClioSport is 2mph difference between the Nav and Speedo, and my previous Ford Focus was about 3-4mph out.

Depends on the car. My Volvo overreads by 8-10mph out at those speeds as do all other Volvos or a similar age. Some cars are bang on accurate especially very modern ones but many 10yr old or more cars are quite innacurate when compared to gps.

[R32]

HantsRat said:

R32 said:

Yeah as you say, not from motorways though.

Considering motorways are the safest type of road in the UK and police resources are limited, you would think priority would be given to more dangerous roads or the ones most complained about...

How do you know priority isn't given to the more dangerous roads? It was one camera van. There may have been another 5 around the county at the time.

Do most forces have 5 vans? I know my local force doesn't.. I think they only have 1!

Also if the van is needed at this particular spot over such a long period (well known), then it isn't really working is it?

[SK425]

rb5er said:

Depends on the car. My Volvo overreads by 8-10mph out at those speeds as do all other Volvos or a similar age. Some cars are bang on accurate especially very modern ones but many 10yr old or more cars are quite innacurate when compared to gps.

All Volvos? Mine was a 2004 (perhaps that's not a similar age to yours ) and overread by about 2-3mph at those sorts of speeds.

[speedking31]

robinessex said:

GarethA said:

It was a camera van on an overpass and it wasn't exactly hidden, but 80 is so common and I was surrounded by flowing traffic of comparable speed.

You spotted the van ? Obviously, you should have then made a full emergency slow down to 70mph. Bugger the resulting mayhem it would probably caused, the road would be much safer then.

Well worth anchoring on IMO as the camera may not have been targeted on you or got a misread at the first attempt.

[Pete317]

Devil2575 said:

Pete317 said:

Devil2575 said:

TankRizzo said:

tapereel said:

The limit is 70mph.

Thanks Steve.

I've lost count ofthe number of different posters accused of being Steve

Well if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

Trouble is you can't see the duck you can only hear it and some appear to be making the leap that only one person on PH holds certain views.

Sounds very much like the fallacy of thinking that your views are in the majority

Oh do lighten up, will you

[Dr Jekyll]

HantsRat said:

There is already some leniency set in law on speed.

Not so

HantsRat said:

You can go 9mph over the motorway speed limit without any prosecution. You got caught at 12mph over the limit and got caught. Nothing to really moan about.

They can prosecute you for 1MPH over if they want.

[Monkeylegend]

OP has gone now so we can close the thread.

[rambo19]

Alex said:

These threads always bring out the sanctimonious "you were breaking the speed limit" brigade, who deliberately miss the point.

I'm with the OP. It's outrageous that the cops are wasting time zapping motorists on motorways.

Cobblers!!!
I see god awful driving on the motorway all the time.
Speed limit is the speed limit, if you choose to break it and get caught, don't moan.

[Black_S3]

That sucks, but I've never understood why anyone does that sort of speed.. You're in 3 point territory (78-94ish?) for little gain... Guess it was the very long straight stretch approaching Beaconsfield from the M25.

[robinessex]

Black_S3 said:

That sucks, but I've never understood why anyone does that sort of speed.. You're in 3 point territory (78-94ish?) for little gain... Guess it was the very long straight stretch approaching Beaconsfield from the M25.

Neither do I. If it is a long straight section, +100 is certainly required!! And all the 'obey the speed limit' devotees can bugger off, go re-arrange your paper clip collection or something.