Accelerating quickly from a stop
Discussion
Is it illegal to accelerate really quickly after a stop e.g. at the lights? Say flooring it from 0-30mph. Granted, it may be moronic, but is it illegal (for example, is that unarguably unsafe driving)?
I seem to recall that you can get pulled over for doing this, but I can't find evidence of that, or whether it's anecdotal.
I seem to recall that you can get pulled over for doing this, but I can't find evidence of that, or whether it's anecdotal.
montecristo said:
Is it illegal to accelerate really quickly after a stop e.g. at the lights? Say flooring it from 0-30mph. Granted, it may be moronic, but is it illegal (for example, is that unarguably unsafe driving)?
I seem to recall that you can get pulled over for doing this, but I can't find evidence of that, or whether it's anecdotal.
Its not illegal as such, but you could get prosecuted. Section 59.I seem to recall that you can get pulled over for doing this, but I can't find evidence of that, or whether it's anecdotal.
RB Will said:
Had this before. 30mph limit I floored it from 0-30, no wheel spin etc just fast.
A policewoman on foot stepped around a building 50 yards down the road and waved at me to pull over. I just got a telling off and a producer.
If you can pull over safely for an officer on foot then I'd suggest you were likely driving within the limit anyway. A policewoman on foot stepped around a building 50 yards down the road and waved at me to pull over. I just got a telling off and a producer.
montecristo said:
Is it illegal to accelerate really quickly after a stop e.g. at the lights? Say flooring it from 0-30mph. Granted, it may be moronic, but is it illegal (for example, is that unarguably unsafe driving)?
I seem to recall that you can get pulled over for doing this, but I can't find evidence of that, or whether it's anecdotal.
If you have a nice smooth quiet car, no. If you have a loud screaming revvy nutter car, yes. Why do you consider it moronic to use the power the car was given, when simply getting up to but not exceeding a limit.I seem to recall that you can get pulled over for doing this, but I can't find evidence of that, or whether it's anecdotal.
HertsBiker said:
montecristo said:
Is it illegal to accelerate really quickly after a stop e.g. at the lights? Say flooring it from 0-30mph. Granted, it may be moronic, but is it illegal (for example, is that unarguably unsafe driving)?
I seem to recall that you can get pulled over for doing this, but I can't find evidence of that, or whether it's anecdotal.
If you have a nice smooth quiet car, no. If you have a loud screaming revvy nutter car, yes. Why do you consider it moronic to use the power the car was given, when simply getting up to but not exceeding a limit.I seem to recall that you can get pulled over for doing this, but I can't find evidence of that, or whether it's anecdotal.
Imagine accelerating quickly in an electric car. There would be very little sound. As long as you haven't spun the tyres or exceeded the speed limit then there can't have been any offence commited. I can't see how the rate of change of speed would be an issue, unless the car was breaking traction.
I got stopped by the Police on the M3 in my V8S many years ago.
I pulled on to the hard should between the exit and entry for J6.
They had a chat with me, and told me that due to where I was, I would need to accelerate hard to get back on the motorway before the entry slip, so I did.
They were in a 5 series, but obviously couldn't stay with the TVR, they did go past me shortly after, no problems.
I pulled on to the hard should between the exit and entry for J6.
They had a chat with me, and told me that due to where I was, I would need to accelerate hard to get back on the motorway before the entry slip, so I did.
They were in a 5 series, but obviously couldn't stay with the TVR, they did go past me shortly after, no problems.
Quite obviously max. possibly acceleration in an urban environment (and many other situations) falls well below the standard of a competent and CAREFUL driver and is likely to cause other road users alarm/annoyance.
If anybody doesn't understand that, then they should hand in their keys now.
If anybody doesn't understand that, then they should hand in their keys now.
I was pulled by a bike cop a few months ago for "driving like a nutter" - I had pulled onto a roundabout and accelerated quickly onto a DC up to the NSL. However, becuase I have a quick car, the cop thought I was thrashing the nuts off it (I was actually on the lowest of four boost settings). I commented that the reason I stuck out like a sore thumb was that everyone else was dawdling along and that I was the only one doing the speed limit (and thus nothing illegal)
He tried to threaten me with a dangerous driving charge, at which point I said I'd happily take my day in court. He'd really cheesed me off at this point, and as I admitted on the PH thread, I was probably guilty of baiting him, but I was (and still am) adamant that my driving standards should be measured on their own merits and not against the variable standards of the other drivers around me.
Its a long winded way of responding to the OP to say that quick acceleration is not illegal (if not done dangerously) but is fairly likely to get you pulled.
He tried to threaten me with a dangerous driving charge, at which point I said I'd happily take my day in court. He'd really cheesed me off at this point, and as I admitted on the PH thread, I was probably guilty of baiting him, but I was (and still am) adamant that my driving standards should be measured on their own merits and not against the variable standards of the other drivers around me.
Its a long winded way of responding to the OP to say that quick acceleration is not illegal (if not done dangerously) but is fairly likely to get you pulled.
V8LM said:
Obviously how?
If you accelerate significantly more quickly than other traffic about, there's a risk that a pedestrian may try to cross in front of you thinking they have more time to cross than they have. Similarly it's difficult to guess how hard a car is going to accelerate until it does, so other traffic may see an empty road / lane and drive accordingly, similarly failing to anticipate that you may suddenly make that road "not empty".So if you're accelerating heavily when there's other traffic or pedestrians about, or you don't have great visibility of nearby junctions, then it seems likely and reasonable that you should be pulled. If it's a completely clear road with no pedestrians, traffic, or junctions, well then you really ought to have been able to spot the police car and drive accordingly?
MrTrilby said:
If it's a completely clear road with no pedestrians, traffic, or junctions, well then you really ought to have been able to spot the police car and drive accordingly?
Accordingly? I see what you are saying, but it all gets subjective. According to who?So how long does it take a 'competent and CAREFUL' driver accelerate to 30 mph? 5 seconds? 4 seconds? 3 seconds? 2 seconds?
V8LM said:
MrTrilby said:
well then you really ought to have been able to spot the police car and drive accordingly?
Accordingly? I see what you are saying, but it all gets subjective. According to who?So how long does it take a 'competent and CAREFUL' driver accelerate to 30 mph? 5 seconds? 4 seconds? 3 seconds? 2 seconds?
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