Did you really drive *that* quickly 'back in the day'?
Discussion
I think most people of my generation had a period of driving faster than is considered acceptable today. I passed my test in 88, and the accepted view then was '40 in a 30 limit is OK - police won't bother you for that'. On a motorway, plod wouldn't be interested in anyone doing < 90.
As a previous poster mentioned, it's all changed since Tony Blair. His 'speed kills' bulls
t message has totally changed the attitude to driving in this country. His message should have been 'crap driving and poor anticipation' kill, but you only have to look at some f the 'bad drivers' on youtube to realise that crap driving and poor anticipation are everywhere on our roads. There are two solutions: either train drivers much better, or lower the speed limits. Guess which one is easier to do??
As a previous poster mentioned, it's all changed since Tony Blair. His 'speed kills' bulls
t message has totally changed the attitude to driving in this country. His message should have been 'crap driving and poor anticipation' kill, but you only have to look at some f the 'bad drivers' on youtube to realise that crap driving and poor anticipation are everywhere on our roads. There are two solutions: either train drivers much better, or lower the speed limits. Guess which one is easier to do??I started to work for a client in MK in 2000, and the drive from my house is 16 miles cross country of 60 limit B road, going through 3 small villages on the way, each with a short (around 100m) 30 mph limit at the villages entrance / exit. To get to them for 8.00am mean't leaving at around 7.40am typically, it was easy to average 60, by doing about 65 in the national speed limit section and 30 in the 30's.
Today to do the same journey to the same client from the same house, i need to leave home at no later than 7.15am and preferably a bit before to ensure i get their before 8.00am! The B roads now have sections of 50 limit, each village has a huge 30 mph zone and now 40mph zones that extend out for 1 mile each side. But the big change is the weight of traffic. In 2001, you'd catch a car, and just overtake it. Today, it's a line of cars, nose to tail no room to overtake, and typically, some twunt at the front who, probably in the name of road safety, or through total incompetence, thinks 32 mph is the perfect speed to drive on a national speed limit road in the middle of nowhere.
So that's 60 mph average speed to 20mph average speed in 20 years. Even driving car that can hit deep into 3 figures when extended it makes no difference to how long it takes to get somewhere, simply because there is nowhere to extend it.......
Today to do the same journey to the same client from the same house, i need to leave home at no later than 7.15am and preferably a bit before to ensure i get their before 8.00am! The B roads now have sections of 50 limit, each village has a huge 30 mph zone and now 40mph zones that extend out for 1 mile each side. But the big change is the weight of traffic. In 2001, you'd catch a car, and just overtake it. Today, it's a line of cars, nose to tail no room to overtake, and typically, some twunt at the front who, probably in the name of road safety, or through total incompetence, thinks 32 mph is the perfect speed to drive on a national speed limit road in the middle of nowhere.
So that's 60 mph average speed to 20mph average speed in 20 years. Even driving car that can hit deep into 3 figures when extended it makes no difference to how long it takes to get somewhere, simply because there is nowhere to extend it.......
I think it just felt quicker in stty old cars, nothing I owned ‘back in the day’ was remotely quick.
Recently did a journey which google maps tells me is 105km in 35mins, or an average 180kph (112mph). Didn’t think that was too shabby given the no. Of speed cameras, the route and the level of traffic 😁
tty old cars, nothing I owned ‘back in the day’ was remotely quick.Recently did a journey which google maps tells me is 105km in 35mins, or an average 180kph (112mph). Didn’t think that was too shabby given the no. Of speed cameras, the route and the level of traffic 😁
Furiously, yes. Smoothly, er, less so...
Even 20-25 years ago drives were often far better, especially cross country (and I get fewer opportunities these days) . There was less traffic, fewer traffic lights and speed limits were usually NSL outside of towns. Motorways could be driven at high average speeds if you tried.
In the 90s, gatsos were being introduced, but quite rare and everybody quickly knew where they were.
If you live somewhere quiet, with good roads you can still do some entertaining driving.
Even 20-25 years ago drives were often far better, especially cross country (and I get fewer opportunities these days) . There was less traffic, fewer traffic lights and speed limits were usually NSL outside of towns. Motorways could be driven at high average speeds if you tried.
In the 90s, gatsos were being introduced, but quite rare and everybody quickly knew where they were.
If you live somewhere quiet, with good roads you can still do some entertaining driving.
biggbn said:
njw1 said:
Yes, I used to drive like an absolute tool in my late teens and early twenties, I've found that as I've gotten older I think 'what if' a lot more so despite my cars getting faster and faster my driving has become slower on most roads.
This 100%
When did 5 speed gearboxes and ohc engines become more common? I remember that in the 70s and possibly early 80s, 4 speed gearboxes and engines that ran out of steam at comparatively low revs were the norm and ruled out high speed for most small or family sized cars. Both of those tended to fade away when motorways became more widespread, but I wonder if this was when more 'spirited ' driving became more possible for us mere mortals?
Edited by Justin Case on Wednesday 20th May 16:24
Justin Case said:
When did 5 speed gearboxes and ohc engines become more common? I remember that in the 70s and possibly early 80s, 4 speed gearboxes and engines that ran out of steam at comparatively low revs were the norm and ruled out high speed for most small or family sized cars. Both of those tended to fade away when motorways became more widespread, but I wonder if this was when more 'spirited ' driving became more possible for us mere mortals?
Mid-80s.My Dad had a Mk2 Cavalier which was considered to perform well for a 1.6. It would do "The Ton", quite frequently.
Bloody nuts when you think about it. The fastest journey i've ever done was Manchester back to home (Durham) think it was about 185 miles or so.
Took less than an hour and a half. The missus slept the whole way back and i just had my earphones in. I....cringe when i think about it really, but the one thing i remember was being shocked at how fast people drove 'down south'. I didn't drop below 130 for ages but was still overtaken by loads of cars. Think it was about 10pmish.
Took less than an hour and a half. The missus slept the whole way back and i just had my earphones in. I....cringe when i think about it really, but the one thing i remember was being shocked at how fast people drove 'down south'. I didn't drop below 130 for ages but was still overtaken by loads of cars. Think it was about 10pmish.
njw1 said:
Yes, I used to drive like an absolute tool in my late teens and early twenties, I've found that as I've gotten older I think 'what if' a lot more so despite my cars getting faster and faster my driving has become slower on most roads.
Exactly this.I also hope I'll be philosophical about it if I ever get popped for a minor bit of speeding, and bear in mind what I've gotten away with all those years ago.
racing in my MGBGT round the North Circular in the mid-80s taking my girlfriend home to Southgate. 
scottyfocus said:
Bloody nuts when you think about it. The fastest journey i've ever done was Manchester back to home (Durham) think it was about 185 miles or so.
Took less than an hour and a half. The missus slept the whole way back and i just had my earphones in. I....cringe when i think about it really, but the one thing i remember was being shocked at how fast people drove 'down south'. I didn't drop below 130 for ages but was still overtaken by loads of cars. Think it was about 10pmish.
Manc to Durham more like 130-140miles.Took less than an hour and a half. The missus slept the whole way back and i just had my earphones in. I....cringe when i think about it really, but the one thing i remember was being shocked at how fast people drove 'down south'. I didn't drop below 130 for ages but was still overtaken by loads of cars. Think it was about 10pmish.
A mate once did Durham to Sheffield in little more than an hour. I was a passenger. He got into the habit of such autobahnesque behaviour and did get caught eventually.
MC Bodge said:
Manc to Durham more like 130-140miles.
A mate once did Durham to Sheffield in little more than an hour. I was a passenger. He got into the habit of such autobahnesque behaviour and did get caught eventually.
I'm a northerner mate once i get south of leeds its all the same to me. Was actually Stoke to Durham ha. But anyway it was ridiculous. Surely its a risk doing them speeds for so long, like wasn't there a chance of my tyres blowing up? A mate once did Durham to Sheffield in little more than an hour. I was a passenger. He got into the habit of such autobahnesque behaviour and did get caught eventually.
Yep, looking back surprised I didn't have a serious accident. I used to thrash my Lada 1600 with a webber carb I had fitted and lean it everywhere, what a knob I must've looked!
Then in the early 1990's I would get use of a mates Vaux Cav GSI 2000 and his petrol card (he travelled overseas a lot with work) and would regularly chance overtaking a long line of traffic on the A339 between Basingstoke and Newbury going to and from work.
If you know the road it's been the scene of many a prang, usually serious, over the years.
Said mate then had a Calibra 4x4 turbo which again I would get use of but by then I was going up and down the M3 for work.
Very late one night I thought 'this has gotta be done' and hit the M3.... As I recall the speedo over read by about 5% beyond the ton but the trip computer was pretty accurate I think, just kept resetting the average speed and watch it get higher and higher.
Then in the early 1990's I would get use of a mates Vaux Cav GSI 2000 and his petrol card (he travelled overseas a lot with work) and would regularly chance overtaking a long line of traffic on the A339 between Basingstoke and Newbury going to and from work.
If you know the road it's been the scene of many a prang, usually serious, over the years.
Said mate then had a Calibra 4x4 turbo which again I would get use of but by then I was going up and down the M3 for work.
Very late one night I thought 'this has gotta be done' and hit the M3.... As I recall the speedo over read by about 5% beyond the ton but the trip computer was pretty accurate I think, just kept resetting the average speed and watch it get higher and higher.
stevebear said:
Yep, looking back surprised I didn't have a serious accident. I used to thrash my Lada 1600 with a webber carb I had fitted and lean it everywhere, what a knob I must of looked.
I had a mate who had a Lada in the late eighties.We all took the piss but the speed he could get places in it was something else
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff