107 mph on the M1
Discussion
superflid said:
Where is your bend, brow of hill, etc which would give less than 50 yards visibility? I think that on a motorway anything less than a couple of hundred yards would be extremely rare.
As for not spotting 2 lorries and a car until within 50 yards, you are joking?
You really are struggling now.
Your scenario can only exist in your own imagination.
60mph would be safer than 70, 50 safer than 60. What is your point?
Following your logic 70 is much safer than 100, so why do 100???
Who is struggling??
parrot of doom said:
Barton Bridge on the M60 has about 50 yards visibility close to the top.
M60 clockwise from Hyde to Stockport has a very tight bend, probably about 100-150 yards visibility (and a 50mph limit).
Sections of the M6 through Stoke are very twisty and not suitable for 100mph+
Not all motorways are capable of more than 70mph.
I think the point is that if a driver can see the hazard (limited line of sight) then he would modify his speed accordingly. How many of us would simply maintain 100+ mph into a blind bend?
parrot of doom said:
Barton Bridge on the M60 has about 50 yards visibility close to the top.
M60 clockwise from Hyde to Stockport has a very tight bend, probably about 100-150 yards visibility (and a 50mph limit).
Sections of the M6 through Stoke are very twisty and not suitable for 100mph+
Not all motorways are capable of more than 70mph.
Don't know the M60. I might take a ride up that way just out of interest.
If the stretch with the very tight bend still has 100 yards visibility how tight a bend would be needed to lower it to 50? If it had a 50mph limit I wouldn't do 100mph
I've not come across any very twisty sections of the M6 through Stoke despite having used it at least a couple of hundred times.
Anywhere not suitable for 100mph I wouldn't be doing 100mph.
I say again.
100mph can be done on a motorway in safety.
superflid said:
100mph can be done on a motorway in safety.
Of course it can. The two times Ive been done on the M1 I was doing 84 on a Sunday evening not paying much attention as I usually travel at 100 .... and the previous occasion where I was doing 115 and in a hurry to see a client. Luckily I was more alert and brushed my speed down to 98 before the laser got an accurate fix.
Both dealt out 3 points and the same fine.
Dawdling at 80 odd is so boring Id probably fall asleep and die
Back to the matter in hand, the lady in question was caught near Leicester.
Broccers said:
Back to the matter in hand, the lady in question was caught near Leicester.
She has my sympathy, both for getting caught and for having to travel through Leicester.
The last place I got "pulled" was the M1 near Leicester. Over 10 years ago, so before the present obsession with speed. Bollocking from Plod and on my way, he did mention that I was obviously paying attention as I slowed down well before he got near me.
The good old days, it were all fields round here...
As you turn onto the M45 from the M1 the line of sight is quite restricted.
The one factor not mentioned, or was it, is whether the driver is looking properly. I believe the Met police did an evaluation and found that most drivers only look 150 yards ahead at 60mph and that at any time only 20% could tell them what was immediately behind them.
The big problem, therefore, is at what speed the limits should be set to cater for the lowest common denominator. The spped itself is not the problem, it's the driver. I do know that I would rather be driven at 120 mph by a Police Class 1 driver (or whatever it's called now) or an otherwise experienced and qualified high-speed trained driver, than by a lot of self-styled 'good drivers' at 60 mph. I have taught high-speed driving (won't go into the details) and the majority of those who 'think' they are good drivers have very poor medium speed car control (say 50 mph to 80 mph) when faced with an adverse situation.
It's hard to know where to go with this. We can't have variable grade licences as they have with pilots licences (night rated, bad-weather rated, etc), so how can we overcome the inconsistent speed limiting which causes so much controversy. If the M'way limit was a more realistic 85 mph, there would still be those complaining it was too low and those complaining it was too high. The subject of this thread would still have been 22 mph over that limit.
How many are like me in that after many years of cruising at between 85 and 95 indicated, now set 79 mph on the cruise control and find that in terms of journey time it doesn't make much difference, even though we don't feel any safer by going slower?
The one factor not mentioned, or was it, is whether the driver is looking properly. I believe the Met police did an evaluation and found that most drivers only look 150 yards ahead at 60mph and that at any time only 20% could tell them what was immediately behind them.
The big problem, therefore, is at what speed the limits should be set to cater for the lowest common denominator. The spped itself is not the problem, it's the driver. I do know that I would rather be driven at 120 mph by a Police Class 1 driver (or whatever it's called now) or an otherwise experienced and qualified high-speed trained driver, than by a lot of self-styled 'good drivers' at 60 mph. I have taught high-speed driving (won't go into the details) and the majority of those who 'think' they are good drivers have very poor medium speed car control (say 50 mph to 80 mph) when faced with an adverse situation.
It's hard to know where to go with this. We can't have variable grade licences as they have with pilots licences (night rated, bad-weather rated, etc), so how can we overcome the inconsistent speed limiting which causes so much controversy. If the M'way limit was a more realistic 85 mph, there would still be those complaining it was too low and those complaining it was too high. The subject of this thread would still have been 22 mph over that limit.
How many are like me in that after many years of cruising at between 85 and 95 indicated, now set 79 mph on the cruise control and find that in terms of journey time it doesn't make much difference, even though we don't feel any safer by going slower?
parrot of doom said:
Barton Bridge on the M60 has about 50 yards visibility close to the top.
Really ? I am not familiar with this road. Does it have a 70 limit ?
parrot of doom said:
M60 clockwise from Hyde to Stockport has a very tight bend, probably about 100-150 yards visibility (and a 50mph limit).
Sections of the M6 through Stoke are very twisty and not suitable for 100mph+
Not all motorways are capable of more than 70mph.
Design speed for UK motorways is 75 mph, IIRC. Has been for decades. See www.abd.org.uk for details.
I can't think of one offhand, but there may be some part of the UK motorway network which have tight bends, *AND* 50 mph limits.
All 70 mph limited motorways in the UK are easily capable of 100 mph.
After all the silly argument on this thread it's nice to get back to the real world.
I realise (well, I do now!) that there a couple of places on the M/way network that have lower than normal visibility. Normally they would also have a lower limit.
If the figures you give regarding drivers only looking 150 metres ahead at 60mph are correct (and I accept that they are), then even these drivers would spot 2 lorries and a car and manage to brake before getting within 50!
FR's frightening scenario is, IMHO, badly flawed.
"The speed itself is not the problem, it's the driver. I do know that I would rather be driven at 120 mph by a Police Class 1 driver (or whatever it's called now) or an otherwise experienced and qualified high-speed trained driver, than by a lot of self-styled 'good drivers' at 60 mph.
So would I, but as you rightly say "the speed itself is not the problem". Our problem is that the official line is that it is.
More Police on the roads, better training and regular retests would be a good start.
>> Edited by superflid on Thursday 14th April 14:20
I realise (well, I do now!
) that there a couple of places on the M/way network that have lower than normal visibility. Normally they would also have a lower limit. If the figures you give regarding drivers only looking 150 metres ahead at 60mph are correct (and I accept that they are), then even these drivers would spot 2 lorries and a car and manage to brake before getting within 50!
FR's frightening scenario is, IMHO, badly flawed.
"The speed itself is not the problem, it's the driver. I do know that I would rather be driven at 120 mph by a Police Class 1 driver (or whatever it's called now) or an otherwise experienced and qualified high-speed trained driver, than by a lot of self-styled 'good drivers' at 60 mph.
So would I, but as you rightly say "the speed itself is not the problem". Our problem is that the official line is that it is.
More Police on the roads, better training and regular retests would be a good start.
>> Edited by superflid on Thursday 14th April 14:20
funkyrobot said:
Imagine you are travelling down a motorway at 100mph, you see a slight corner up ahead, you stick to your speed then as you come round the corner you see all of the lanes full with a car overtaking a lorry, that is overtaking another lorry and so on. The car in the outside lane is doing about 65mph. Just imagine if you come round a corner and have this infront of you at 100mph!!
Been there, done far worse.
I was hooning up the M275 at a speed I won’t admit, in lane 2. It has a blind right bend and merges with the A27. I adjusted my speed accordingly, just in case, to a speed where I know I can stop within the distance I know to be clear. My motto is ‘if you can’t see it, don’t do it. I rounded the blind bend at 95 (allegedly
), only to be greeted with stationary cars. I braked, under full control (no slide or skid), and stopped well short of the cars. What’s the problem? Will I still be doing the same around that bend again in the future?
Cooperman said:
We can't have variable grade licences as they have with pilots licences (night rated, bad-weather rated, etc), so how can we overcome the inconsistent speed limiting which causes so much controversy. If the M'way limit was a more realistic 85 mph, there would still be those complaining it was too low and those complaining it was too high.
I'm sorry Peter but I really do think we should pursue this business of graded licences in order to make some provision for those who can demonstrate a capability for using high speed safely. Let's try to keep the door open on that one. For my own purposes simply raising the limit to 85 mph (on motorways only?) would still be far too restrictive. Rigidly applied limits are IMHO not the answer anyhow.
Cooperman said:
How many are like me in that after many years of cruising at between 85 and 95 indicated, now set 79 mph on the cruise control and find that in terms of journey time it doesn't make much difference, even though we don't feel any safer by going slower?
I agree that on most journeys relatively little time is saved by using high speeds, but that's not my reason for doing it.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
funkiest robotic one said:
Are you actually German if you don't mind me asking??
Am a Swiss cheese from Appenzell....ist 40 minutes from Bodensee shores und 30 minutes or so from Austrian border.
Grew up there ....und for some strange reason, am only member of this family who cannot spell
.
Ist cos was far too chatty in lessons und spent most of it outside in corridor funkiest robotic one said:
With regards to 'the' forum I don't know why they stopped your feline friends from posting. I found it amusing but, oh well, you know what its like on 'the' forum. I have just been moaning about cyclists jumping lights etc as it gives good cyclists like me a bad name, only to be shot down.
Big sister und her husband....
Just because they suggested that cyclists should be visible on a dark road, obey red lights und wear helmets.... This family gang was very amused .... it was like WW3 und every post they made was a cliff hanger.... She ist major meddler on a foreign forum und he posts on owners' site for his cars. Und I post only on here - und occasionally nick my husband's profile on Paul's site to annoy him....
Und whilst I have cracked code to MM's PC... send naughty e-mails to all his pals.....und then get into hot bother..... funkiest robotic one said:
How about a Seat Leon Cupra R, any good??
Es geht...
>> Edited by WildCat on Thursday 14th April 18:52
dcb said:
Barton Bridge on the M60 has about 50 yards visibility close to the top.
Really ? I am not familiar with this road. Does it have a 70 limit ?
Yes ... ist 70 mph.
Yes .. ist blackspot ... but only because cross winds caused high vehicles to jack knife.
Yes... in high wind you do feel the speed und the wind...
No... no more dangerous at 70-100 mph than any other road in dry und fair conditions. Only a bit "iffy" in a force gale.
ist very similar to the old Thellwall ....
Are some motorways stretches at which 70 mph would be natural 85th percentile...not many - but they exist.
Und cannot remember which they are .. but know this was speed I chose by my choice superflid said:
I'll go take a look in the near future. Doesn't seem particularly steep to me. 
I can be convinced otherwise though.
Thats quite deceptive. Trust me, when you're driving over the crest, you can't see far ahead. Certainly driving over 70mph over the top, you wouldn't be able to see any blockages until it was almost too late.
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