Spirited Driving?

[FordMotorsport98]

Is spirited driving within speed limits and without loss of traction legal?

[vonhosen]

Depends where, when, how & who's watching.

[esxste]

If done safely, with due care, attention and consideration for others. Yes.

If you cause another road user to swerve, brake or otherwise do something they wouldn't, you'd be risking a charge driving without due care and attention if observed by a police officer.

Edited by esxste on Tuesday 6th February 15:12

[FordMotorsport98]

vonhosen said:

Depends where, when, how & who's watching.

Let’s say dead of night, no other road users and fast cornering, would you get done for anything?

[Integroo]

FordMotorsport98 said:

Let’s say dead of night, no other road users and fast cornering, would you get done for anything?

If you are in control, within the lines, well sighted corner no. If you are out of control and could be considered to be driving dangerously, yes.

Ultimately it's the subjective view of the policeman observing.

Remember, you may be going around a blind corner at 60mph i.e. within the speed limit, but be unable to stop if cyclist / animal / tractor / tree is blocking the road round the corner.

Edited by Integroo on Tuesday 6th February 15:25

[HustleRussell]

Legal or not, if you're a young lad and your out driving suspiciously or enthusiastically you can expect to get followed or tugged by traffpol for a chat if you ever see one and they're not on their way to something else.

[julian64]

nope its all potentially illegal, and so is overtaking.

I would never never never make an overtake in view of a policecar even if it was within the limit and completely safe as far as I was concerned.

And anyone that would is an idiot. Illegal is subjective, and dependant on what sort plod you do it in front of, and what sort of day he is having.

[Toltec]

On most roads even relaxed driving would put me well over the limit at times if I drove to what safety dictated rather than the limit. Given staying within the speed limits is going to require a pretty twisty or otherwise poorly sighted NSL the chances of any police being around is fairly slim, just make sure you can stop in the distance you are sure will remain clear.

[Black_S3]

Meaning of dangerous driving.
(1)For the purposes of sections 1 [F2, 1A] and 2 above a person is to be regarded as driving dangerously if (and, subject to subsection (2) below, only if)—
(a)the way he drives falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver, and
(b)it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving in that way would be dangerous.
(2)A person is also to be regarded as driving dangerously for the purposes of sections 1 [F2, 1A] and 2 above if it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving the vehicle in its current state would be dangerous.

Copied from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/secti...

The word careful is the bit that could catch you out.

[Joeguard1990]

julian64 said:

nope its all potentially illegal, and so is overtaking.

I would never never never make an overtake in view of a policecar even if it was within the limit and completely safe as far as I was concerned.

And anyone that would is an idiot. Illegal is subjective, and dependant on what sort plod you do it in front of, and what sort of day he is having.

That's nonsense, a policeman would not pull you for a legal overtake if within the speed limits and safe to do so.

[julian64]

Joeguard1990 said:

julian64 said:

nope its all potentially illegal, and so is overtaking.

I would never never never make an overtake in view of a policecar even if it was within the limit and completely safe as far as I was concerned.

And anyone that would is an idiot. Illegal is subjective, and dependant on what sort plod you do it in front of, and what sort of day he is having.

That's nonsense, a policeman would not pull you for a legal overtake if within the speed limits and safe to do so.

I stand by both sentences, especially the first.

[StairDominator]

Joeguard1990 said:

That's nonsense, a policeman would not pull you for a legal overtake if within the speed limits and safe to do so.

Been pulled over more than once for overtaking - it's illegal.

[vonhosen]

julian64 said:

Joeguard1990 said:

julian64 said:

nope its all potentially illegal, and so is overtaking.

I would never never never make an overtake in view of a policecar even if it was within the limit and completely safe as far as I was concerned.

And anyone that would is an idiot. Illegal is subjective, and dependant on what sort plod you do it in front of, and what sort of day he is having.

That's nonsense, a policeman would not pull you for a legal overtake if within the speed limits and safe to do so.

I stand by both sentences, especially the first.

Have you ever seen a vehicle overtake another on the motorway whilst staying within the speed limits & because it was simply done in the presence of Police the driver got pulled for it?

You genuinely believe that's likely to happen all the time?

[Nigel_O]

julian64 said:

nope its all potentially illegal, and so is overtaking.

I would never never never make an overtake in view of a policecar even if it was within the limit and completely safe as far as I was concerned.

And anyone that would is an idiot. Illegal is subjective, and dependant on what sort plod you do it in front of, and what sort of day he is having.

Not sure if serious.....

I would happily make an overtake in front of a Police car, especially on a NSL A-road. I'd have to be pretty careful not to exceed the limit and I'd make damned sure it was clearly a safe manoeuvre (which I would have done anyway, regardless of the presence of a Police car behind me). There's no way I'd sit behind someone pootling along at 40mph when the limit is 60, even if I have a copper behind me.

Anyone that's scared to make an overtake, simply because they are in sight of a Police officer is the idiot

[Black_S3]

julian64 said:

Joeguard1990 said:

julian64 said:

nope its all potentially illegal, and so is overtaking.

I would never never never make an overtake in view of a policecar even if it was within the limit and completely safe as far as I was concerned.

And anyone that would is an idiot. Illegal is subjective, and dependant on what sort plod you do it in front of, and what sort of day he is having.

That's nonsense, a policeman would not pull you for a legal overtake if within the speed limits and safe to do so.

I stand by both sentences, especially the first.

There's more than two sentences there... I think we've found our idiot.

[Dr Jekyll]

StairDominator said:

Been pulled over more than once for overtaking - it's illegal.

So what does the 'No overtaking' sign mean?

[Toltec]

vonhosen said:

julian64 said:

Joeguard1990 said:

julian64 said:

nope its all potentially illegal, and so is overtaking.

I would never never never make an overtake in view of a policecar even if it was within the limit and completely safe as far as I was concerned.

And anyone that would is an idiot. Illegal is subjective, and dependant on what sort plod you do it in front of, and what sort of day he is having.

That's nonsense, a policeman would not pull you for a legal overtake if within the speed limits and safe to do so.

I stand by both sentences, especially the first.

Have you ever seen a vehicle overtake another on the motorway whilst staying within the speed limits & because it was simply done in the presence of Police the driver got pulled for it?

You genuinely believe that's likely to happen all the time?

Stop being pedantic, you know he didn't mean on a motorway, most people probably don't even really think of that as overtaking.

[Black_S3]

Dr Jekyll said:

So what does the 'No overtaking' sign mean?

Or why do they bother with different types of road markings

[vonhosen]

Toltec said:

vonhosen said:

julian64 said:

Joeguard1990 said:

julian64 said:

nope its all potentially illegal, and so is overtaking.

I would never never never make an overtake in view of a policecar even if it was within the limit and completely safe as far as I was concerned.

And anyone that would is an idiot. Illegal is subjective, and dependant on what sort plod you do it in front of, and what sort of day he is having.

That's nonsense, a policeman would not pull you for a legal overtake if within the speed limits and safe to do so.

I stand by both sentences, especially the first.

Have you ever seen a vehicle overtake another on the motorway whilst staying within the speed limits & because it was simply done in the presence of Police the driver got pulled for it?

You genuinely believe that's likely to happen all the time?

Stop being pedantic, you know he didn't mean on a motorway, most people probably don't even really think of that as overtaking.

But it is overtaking.
Merely using it to establish a point. That it's not overtaking that is likely to be the problem, but when, where & how that is.

[johnao]

Nigel_O said:

Anyone that's scared to make an overtake, simply because they are in sight of a Police officer, is the idiot maybe lacking a bit of confidence in their ability to overtake unobtrusively and without creating issues with other road users.

Does that make a bit more sense?