RE: Speed limit call is 'misleading': campaign

[Scoop940]

Seany88 said:

If 26% of motorists said they exceed the speed limit, then even if it goes down to 40 what's stopping them from doing more of the same?

Well that means 74% are lying!

[apache]

A reply,

"Dear XXXX

Thank you for your email and sorry to hear you are unhappy with our stance that speeding on country lanes can be dangerous.

The figures and opinions which have been quoted are not simply Direct Line's but rather based on research amongst UK motorists with three out of four saying they felt 60mph limit was set too high and in certain areas they would like it reduced plus figures from the Government itself on accidents and fatalities on country roads. Please be assured we are not taking the stance that speed is the only cause of accidents on the roads, and this is certainly not a guise to increase profits rather the warn motorists of the dangers.

I do hope you will reconsider and use Direct Line in the future.

Regards

Emma Holyer
PR Manager"

[Lady Summerisle]

I'm on a consumer survey panel and got paid to do the direct line survey. I refused to answer many of the questions posed as they were clearly loaded to 'prove' their point. It's a handy headline grabber for direct line and has certainly got them a lot of publicity.

[havoc]

Lady Summerisle said:

I refused to answer many of the questions posed as they were clearly loaded to 'prove' their point.

Precisely why 'opinion polls' nowadays are meaningless except as propaganda. Shame hardly any bugger in the country realises that.

[pcwilson]

apache said:

A reply,

"Dear XXXX

Thank you for your email and sorry to hear you are unhappy with our stance that speeding on country lanes can be dangerous.

The figures and opinions which have been quoted are not simply Direct Line's but rather based on research amongst UK motorists with three out of four saying they felt 60mph limit was set too high and in certain areas they would like it reduced plus figures from the Government itself on accidents and fatalities on country roads. Please be assured we are not taking the stance that speed is the only cause of accidents on the roads, and this is certainly not a guise to increase profits rather the warn motorists of the dangers.

I do hope you will reconsider and use Direct Line in the future.

Regards

Emma Holyer
PR Manager"

Snap! Exactly the same reply that I got, word for word.

[Flat in Fifth]

deadlym said:

medicineman said:

www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/news/newsbeat/060802_speedlimit.shtml

Have your say?

Have done

Me too but it won't be included especially as I made adverse comment about one of the earlier respondents who believed speed limits should be reduced as "she'd crashed while driving at 30-40 mph on ice"

Car in gear brain in neutral. muppet

[RolandM]

Will phone my local garage and see if they can remove top gear from my gearbox as I don't think I will have any need for it soon at this rate

[thepassenger]

V8S said:

Numpties in Nissan Micras drive like they can't see past their own bonnet.

All things aside, I wonder if you've hit the nail on the head here? Standing outside the house watching people tootle up the road I'm seeing a pattern. All the people crawling up the road are sat forward hunched over the steering wheel with both hands clutching the top of it desperatley peering forward. That can't be a comfortable position to be in for any length of time, doesn't look all that safe either as the airbag will deploy in to your neck.

Hyopthetically it could be that all of these people have no confidence in their abilities to control the car for some reason (poor eye sight, lack of training yet still passing the test, low experience?) and are transposing this failing in themselves on to everyone else... thus they aren't happy at 30mph+ in perfect conditions and assume anyone who is comfortable at higher velocities must be dangerous.

[Prof Beard]

thepassenger said:

V8S said:

Numpties in Nissan Micras drive like they can't see past their own bonnet.

All things aside, I wonder if you've hit the nail on the head here? Standing outside the house watching people tootle up the road I'm seeing a pattern. All the people crawling up the road are sat forward hunched over the steering wheel with both hands clutching the top of it desperatley peering forward. That can't be a comfortable position to be in for any length of time, doesn't look all that safe either as the airbag will deploy in to your neck.

Hyopthetically it could be that all of these people have no confidence in their abilities to control the car for some reason (poor eye sight, lack of training yet still passing the test, low experience?) and are transposing this failing in themselves on to everyone else... thus they aren't happy at 30mph+ in perfect conditions and assume anyone who is comfortable at higher velocities must be dangerous.

There has been research showing that "nervous"/"overcautious" drivers a a significant cause of accidents - shame DL seem unaware of it.

[motco]

havoc said:

McArthur-Christie has this right - it's a publicity stunt aimed at further brainwashing the morons of this country and paving the way for further, less-extreme limit changes (downwards, naturally).

Anyone want to wait and see how long before the MD of DirectLine gets his peerage?!?

I saw a typical brain-washed female only this week. She was stationary on a mini-roundabout with two clearly marked lanes - one for turning left amd the other for straight on (the only options bar a full circuit). She has approached in the left turn lane and was not only going straight on, at a very slow rate, but had cut across the lane markings squeezing out another vehicle on her right. He had hooted at her and waved his fist, she reacted by stopping and staring at him like Paddington Bear, clearly believing she was in the right and he was a lunatic. After everybody in the vicinity hooted her to get herself going, she eventually lurched off displaying a crudely hand written notice in her rear window - "...YOU MAY PASS ME IF YOU WISH...." I couldn't read it all but it was obviously a result of being overtaken on a very frequent basis because of her snail-like pace.

[Prof Beard]

motco said:

"...YOU MAY PASS ME IF YOU WISH...."

Plenty of these people drive as if they should have sign saying "THEY SHALL NOT PASS"!!

[thepassenger]

Prof Beard said:

There has been research showing that "nervous"/"overcautious" drivers a a significant cause of accidents - shame DL seem unaware of it.

I guess it's simpler, more politically correct and cheaper to keep to the 'speed kills' mantra rather than advocating and giving incentives (boosted no claims, lower premiums, vouchers for courses, etc.) for advanced driving courses that would reduce the cases of overcautious/nervous drivers and generally improve road craft in the UK.

*sigh* It is typical I supose of todays society that we are in some respects trying to cure a symptom (high speed RTA's) rather than the cause (lack of road skill in drivers). Not that I'm saying going fast = bad or anything but that most drivers I see on the road haven't got a clue when to back off and when to give it some welly.

[Richard C]

V8S said:

Numpties in Nissan Micras drive like they can't see past their own bonnet.

That sterotype is a bit harsh V8S . I drive a 1000cc M-reg Micra that the neighbour was throwing away - it cost more for the MOT that the bits to fix it. Yes you have to row it along to stay ahead but its roadholding and fuel consumption are excellent. Sure saves the miles on the Evo7

But the biggest problem seems to be drivers of all types who get so upset when overtaken by a ....white micra

[dinkel]

I know what you mean! And then they put the foot down to outrun ya . . . @ssh@l@s