How much respect do you have for speed limits?
Discussion
20 = no (I think the whole '20 is plenty' thing is bulls
t and actually dangerous)
30 = yes
40 = yes
50 = less so now as many roads that were previously NSL (ie. 60 or 70) have been dropped to 50 on a whim and to no apparent benefit
NSL (single lane) = broadly respectful. 60's usually quick enough and bearing in mind you may encounter artics crawling at 40ish around the next bend
NSL (dual lane) = 70-80 is fine
Motorway = cruse around 80-90
All condition-dependent of course.
t and actually dangerous)30 = yes
40 = yes
50 = less so now as many roads that were previously NSL (ie. 60 or 70) have been dropped to 50 on a whim and to no apparent benefit
NSL (single lane) = broadly respectful. 60's usually quick enough and bearing in mind you may encounter artics crawling at 40ish around the next bend
NSL (dual lane) = 70-80 is fine
Motorway = cruse around 80-90
All condition-dependent of course.
TurboHatchback said:
So where do you stand on limits?
I don't break them if there are cameras around. I drive to what I feel is a safe speed for the road and circumstance, that could be above or below the limit. Passing a school at chucking out time obviously slow, down a winding country lanes in the dry with good sight lines, woo hoo 
kambites said:
Monkeylegend said:
99% seems pretty precise to me. Next time you drive a motorway with unrestricted speed capabilities, drive at 80 and tell us what happens.
Driving at 80 (a real 80, not a speedometer value) on the southern part of the M3 or the M27 outside the rush, you'll overtake significantly more vehicles than you're overtaken by. deltashad said:
20s and 30s I try to stick to them, 40s and 50s I usually drive to the conditions and ignore the rules. Nsl I can be a hooligan, they tend to be my favourite roads. Motorways/dual carriageways I see as boring places so watch my fuel economy more than my speed.
Exactly the same as me. I'm the same as most on here, 30s and 40s I'll stick very close to the limit. 50s & NSL are signs that I drive to the conditions not the speed limit. Keeping an eye out for mobile speed cameras.
Motorways are usually a steady 80-85 but if it's dead straight and empty with good visibility up front I'll occasionally take it for a blast up to the limiter.
Motorways are usually a steady 80-85 but if it's dead straight and empty with good visibility up front I'll occasionally take it for a blast up to the limiter.
I think outside every school it should be 20mph and in tight cul-de-sac residential areas too. But they are the only places.
I generally stick to 30mph zones, upping to 35-40mph if the roads are wide, clear and no junctions and the village / town is empty.
I generally stuck to 40's too.
NSL's depend on the condition of the road, how busy etc. I tend to drive as fast as I can see i.e. I can brake or avoid any hazard in time.
Motorways, again depends on conditions and how busy... anything from 50-60 in heavy rain, fog, or 90+ in very clear and dry empty roads.
The speed limit I cannot stand or fathom is the new 50mph that have replaced certain NSL's (not all as some NSL's are dangerous).
I am fed up especially with 50mph SPECS zones which are all around Nottingham. Ultimately it means too many people driving at 40mph and no-one can overtake for a fear of getting caught so people drive to close to each, get frustrated and generally pay no attention and do not concentrate.
The pi$$ take is when you turn off a nice wide good quality A road that has been reduced to a 50mph to a tiny little back road 1 car wide that is still an NSL.
I generally stick to 30mph zones, upping to 35-40mph if the roads are wide, clear and no junctions and the village / town is empty.
I generally stuck to 40's too.
NSL's depend on the condition of the road, how busy etc. I tend to drive as fast as I can see i.e. I can brake or avoid any hazard in time.
Motorways, again depends on conditions and how busy... anything from 50-60 in heavy rain, fog, or 90+ in very clear and dry empty roads.
The speed limit I cannot stand or fathom is the new 50mph that have replaced certain NSL's (not all as some NSL's are dangerous).
I am fed up especially with 50mph SPECS zones which are all around Nottingham. Ultimately it means too many people driving at 40mph and no-one can overtake for a fear of getting caught so people drive to close to each, get frustrated and generally pay no attention and do not concentrate.
The pi$$ take is when you turn off a nice wide good quality A road that has been reduced to a 50mph to a tiny little back road 1 car wide that is still an NSL.
30's are generally adhered to pretty religiously - I get hacked off with people speeding outside my house, so don't want to do it others!
Other limits are dealt with based on the conditions, cameras and the mood I'm in. Typucally NSL's get broken the most. Motorways are pretty dull so I tend to settle into a 75 - 80mph cruise and go with the flow.
I'm probably a bit more aware having had two close calls with points - one I did the speeding awareness course and the other I was let off by the copper who pulled me over.
Cameras bother me the most - they slow people down without a doubt for that bit or duration if SPECS but then I cna't help thinking that most drivers focus on their speedo and not the surroundings.
Other limits are dealt with based on the conditions, cameras and the mood I'm in. Typucally NSL's get broken the most. Motorways are pretty dull so I tend to settle into a 75 - 80mph cruise and go with the flow.
I'm probably a bit more aware having had two close calls with points - one I did the speeding awareness course and the other I was let off by the copper who pulled me over.
Cameras bother me the most - they slow people down without a doubt for that bit or duration if SPECS but then I cna't help thinking that most drivers focus on their speedo and not the surroundings.
P-Jay said:
To be frank my whole opinion was smashed to bits yesterday evening. I was driving home, thinking about cooking dinner, listening to the radio and probably half a dozen other things we going through my mind - I'd guess I was doing about 20mph because it was pretty busy - nose-to-tail on the other side coming away from the city, but nothing in front of me on mine - but I'd not long turned a junction and I was coming up to a zebra crossing - but I don't usually consider the actual limit unless theirs a camera or Police car about.
Anyway, I saw a flash of something out-of-place in the corner of my eye and covered the brake, the something was a tiny little girl of about 2 walking between the cars on the other side and she plonked herself on the road in front of me, I can't remember braking but my car felt like it was going to do an endo. I stalled and jumped out of the car to try to grab her but I must have scared her because she started running, thankfully a lady who'd seen what had happened on the other side was out like a flash with her arms out starched, the kid ran straight to her. Her panicked parents arrived on scene about 90 seconds later, crying their eyes out.
I haven't been able to sleep properly since and it was a 'good news' story really, I'd seen her in plenty of time, I never got that close, I had 10m to spare thanks to a combination of quick reaction from years of trying to kill myself on mountain bikes, ABS and massive modern brakes meant 'no harm done', but it's done a huge number on me, what if I'd been doing 30, even a bit more, it's quite a wide road, what if I'd been looking at the radio - I've got a stupid overly-complex 'driver interface' thing and sometimes I know I spend too much time fecking about with it, changing from MP3 to radio takes too long, I know I shouldn't but I do. Anyway, I don't think I'd ever be at fault - a tiny girl who didn't know any better got away from her folks somehow and ran into a busy road - everyone's worse nightmare - but how could I live with myself??
I can't say how speed limits play in all of this, I think this is probably just the first thread that sort of met my need to get it off my chest - but my stance was always "drive to the conditions" and of course that's still true, but in the lower speed roads, right-now today, I don't think you can use that as an excuse to exceed them, not when there's stupid people, drunk people, old people and kids all sharing them with you. No one is as good as they think they are behind the wheel.
Surely if you'd have been doing 30 she'd have run out behind you?Anyway, I saw a flash of something out-of-place in the corner of my eye and covered the brake, the something was a tiny little girl of about 2 walking between the cars on the other side and she plonked herself on the road in front of me, I can't remember braking but my car felt like it was going to do an endo. I stalled and jumped out of the car to try to grab her but I must have scared her because she started running, thankfully a lady who'd seen what had happened on the other side was out like a flash with her arms out starched, the kid ran straight to her. Her panicked parents arrived on scene about 90 seconds later, crying their eyes out.
I haven't been able to sleep properly since and it was a 'good news' story really, I'd seen her in plenty of time, I never got that close, I had 10m to spare thanks to a combination of quick reaction from years of trying to kill myself on mountain bikes, ABS and massive modern brakes meant 'no harm done', but it's done a huge number on me, what if I'd been doing 30, even a bit more, it's quite a wide road, what if I'd been looking at the radio - I've got a stupid overly-complex 'driver interface' thing and sometimes I know I spend too much time fecking about with it, changing from MP3 to radio takes too long, I know I shouldn't but I do. Anyway, I don't think I'd ever be at fault - a tiny girl who didn't know any better got away from her folks somehow and ran into a busy road - everyone's worse nightmare - but how could I live with myself??
I can't say how speed limits play in all of this, I think this is probably just the first thread that sort of met my need to get it off my chest - but my stance was always "drive to the conditions" and of course that's still true, but in the lower speed roads, right-now today, I don't think you can use that as an excuse to exceed them, not when there's stupid people, drunk people, old people and kids all sharing them with you. No one is as good as they think they are behind the wheel.
Joking aside, you could have been doing 10 and if the little girl had timed it badly you still could have squashed her. Main thing is you were paying attention and managed to stop.
I do not have a problem with 20/30/40 limits in built up areas. To disregard these limits is downright antisocial. Other limits I’ll drive to the conditions.
Although slightly O/T what really narks me is this sort of thing:
Please drive slowly? How slowly? Presumably slowly enough to take in the advertisement for Belvita breakfast biscuits on the central dividing section.
Driving slowly but inattentively, carelessly and distracted by Belvita breakfast biscuits advertisement is presumably acceptable.
Although slightly O/T what really narks me is this sort of thing:
Please drive slowly? How slowly? Presumably slowly enough to take in the advertisement for Belvita breakfast biscuits on the central dividing section.
Driving slowly but inattentively, carelessly and distracted by Belvita breakfast biscuits advertisement is presumably acceptable.
Think of speed limits as a line in the sand for both parties.
It decides (within a few miles an hour) whether or not the state can or should intervene in your choice of speed.
If there were no speed limits, the danger would be massive inconsistency (well, that and being killed in a burning fireball of death by people who drive like I used to on B roads). One Police officer might subjectively decide what you were doing was not on, whereas another in the same circumstances might find it ok. It's unfair on the motorist if he doesn't have a good idea of what will see him nicked or not.
Speed limits are a broad brush, so you perhaps shouldn't expect them to be right for each and every yard. It may be that it's safe to exceed the limit in one place yet not in another (in fact, it might be unsafe to be at or near the limit, yet within it).
None of that makes me respect or disrespect speed limits.
What it does do, is tell me that if I break a limit, I shouldn't complain if and when I'm caught and dealt with. By all means complain the limit is wrong, but don't complain about being caught.
It decides (within a few miles an hour) whether or not the state can or should intervene in your choice of speed.
If there were no speed limits, the danger would be massive inconsistency (well, that and being killed in a burning fireball of death by people who drive like I used to on B roads). One Police officer might subjectively decide what you were doing was not on, whereas another in the same circumstances might find it ok. It's unfair on the motorist if he doesn't have a good idea of what will see him nicked or not.
Speed limits are a broad brush, so you perhaps shouldn't expect them to be right for each and every yard. It may be that it's safe to exceed the limit in one place yet not in another (in fact, it might be unsafe to be at or near the limit, yet within it).
None of that makes me respect or disrespect speed limits.
What it does do, is tell me that if I break a limit, I shouldn't complain if and when I'm caught and dealt with. By all means complain the limit is wrong, but don't complain about being caught.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz said:
What it does do, is tell me that if I break a limit, I shouldn't complain if and when I'm caught and dealt with. By all means complain the limit is wrong, but don't complain about being caught.
This is how I view itIt does help alot That camera partnership around here publishes all their locations
http://www.nottspeed.com/camera_locations.php
http://nottspeed.com/CMS_content/items/britems/mob...
I have them all memorized after driving for 4 years in this area The marjority are in 30s anyway.
Would I slow where I usually speed if they didn't publish this and move wherever they wanted... possibly.
vincevega said:
I do not have a problem with 20/30/40 limits in built up areas. To disregard these limits is downright antisocial. Other limits I’ll drive to the conditions.
Although slightly O/T what really narks me is this sort of thing:
Please drive slowly? How slowly? Presumably slowly enough to take in the advertisement for Belvita breakfast biscuits on the central dividing section.
Driving slowly but inattentively, carelessly and distracted by Belvita breakfast biscuits advertisement is presumably acceptable.
As there are lampposts and I can't see any repeater signs showing otherwise that would be a 30mph would be how slow they expect you to drive...Although slightly O/T what really narks me is this sort of thing:
Please drive slowly? How slowly? Presumably slowly enough to take in the advertisement for Belvita breakfast biscuits on the central dividing section.
Driving slowly but inattentively, carelessly and distracted by Belvita breakfast biscuits advertisement is presumably acceptable.
30 - Absolute adherence. It's a sensible limit.
40 - Absolute adherence, though I don't agree with the placement of some zones.
50 - Rarely agree with these and they are incredibly frustrating. The blanket limits across rural roads is especially ridiculous and more and more I'm starting to see drivers spotting a car coming yet pulling out of their junction regardless.
60/70 - Do we have any of these left
40 - Absolute adherence, though I don't agree with the placement of some zones.
50 - Rarely agree with these and they are incredibly frustrating. The blanket limits across rural roads is especially ridiculous and more and more I'm starting to see drivers spotting a car coming yet pulling out of their junction regardless.
60/70 - Do we have any of these left
vincevega said:
I do not have a problem with 20/30/40 limits in built up areas. To disregard these limits is downright antisocial. Other limits I’ll drive to the conditions.
Although slightly O/T what really narks me is this sort of thing:
Please drive slowly? How slowly? Presumably slowly enough to take in the advertisement for Belvita breakfast biscuits on the central dividing section.
Driving slowly but inattentively, carelessly and distracted by Belvita breakfast biscuits advertisement is presumably acceptable.
But they slowly release carbohydrates Although slightly O/T what really narks me is this sort of thing:
Please drive slowly? How slowly? Presumably slowly enough to take in the advertisement for Belvita breakfast biscuits on the central dividing section.
Driving slowly but inattentively, carelessly and distracted by Belvita breakfast biscuits advertisement is presumably acceptable.
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