100mph

[towman]

2am, wide awake and bored. (night off)

Having read another post about the potential penalty for high speed, I got to thinking........... Yeah, I know, it had to happen sooner or later!

Given that this country has a problem with high speed and that the magistrates are likely to have kittens on the spot when presented with this evidence, could it form part of the defence to cite the example of Germany? i.e. How can this possibly be a dangerous and reckless speed when it is totally legal in Germany, where the roads are of a much lower standard than our own.

Further to that, considering we ave many ridiculous laws imposed on us by the EC, why are the NSLs not the same?

Steve

>>> Edited by towman on Thursday 2nd September 02:59

[Firefly]

Autobahns are LONG overdue in this country. Things are getting out of control. There's a couple of 20mph limits near me. Have you driven at 20mph recently? Jesus! I nearly fell asleep! Why don't they spend more on teaching parents to look after their kids more and not let them run out into the bloody road!

[8Pack]

Hi Towman, Firefly, May I be the first to say: Good Night! to you. Funny that isn't it? Good Day! Good Morning! Good Afternoon! Good Evening! All have a quite different context, so sod convention Good Night! to you both!

Do you remember the recent hogwash about: "middle lane hogging"? Well. I disagree, the trouble is that different vehicles are req'd by law to travel at different speeds on the same stretch of road. Isn't about time this was: done away with? Allowing ALL vehicles to travel at the same speed would reduce overtaking, lane changing AND would be MUCH safer.

Now, I have been driving in Europe with a caravan yes! yes! I know, but at up to 80mph (sometimes more but shushh!!) for 3 decades for 10's of thousands of miles in perfect safety with no incidents. I know it can be done! it's just the LAW in this country that says 60mph. They have to be joking!

I know it can be done with caravans, if the right precautions are taken, Towman but I've NO experience with HGV. What do you think of 70 mph for trucks? Is it a problem? I know it wouldn't worry me.

And Firefly, Yes, 20 mph zones in Holland tend to be either block paved OR cobbled which makes you slow down anyway. we just do it "on the cheap" and it doesn't work. That's Britain in the 19th century I suppose! Wonder what we will do in the 20th ?

[Streetcop]

20mph zones near schools and on narrow residential streets are perfectly ok and acceptable..

I can't see what's wrong with travelling at 20mph, if it means you wont mow down a child.

Street

[supraman2954]

Streetcop said:

20mph zones near schools and on narrow residential streets are perfectly ok and acceptable..

Agree, Germany also has streets set aside and clearly marked as play areas, walking pace only.

However, they do have a really silly rule that states you must always give way to traffic from the right when in built up areas I don't understand why.

[Streetcop]

supraman2954 said:

However, they do have a really silly rule that states you must always give way to traffic from the right when in built up areas I don't understand why.

Do you mean on the crossroads where there aren't any marking?

If so, what's wrong with that rule? It's the one employed at mini roundabouts and the one 99% of the people know.

Street

[spnracing]

8Pack said:

Now, I have been driving in Europe with a caravan yes! yes! I know, but at up to 80mph (sometimes more but shushh!!) for 3 decades for 10's of thousands of miles in perfect safety with no incidents. I know it can be done!

If you're using the same roads that I use then I'd rather you kept at 60mph with your caravan thank you very much.

Towing at over 80mph is massively dangerous, just because you've been lucky doesn't mean you can choose to put everyone else at risk too.

[DRV112]

Streetcop said:

I can't see what's wrong with travelling at 20mph, if it means you wont mow down a child. Street

The death of anyone under any circumstances is always hard to deal with.

Mowing down a child if they are on the pavement is totally wrong.
But in the middle of the road!! What is the child doing in the middle of the road in the first place.

Pavement for pedestrians
Roads for cars

We should be educating these children (and some adults it seems) that you cannot take on upto, and in some cases over, 2 tonnes of moving metal and win.
Under no circumstances should a pedestrian be in the middle of the road at any time. Bar authorised crossing points.

Why don't we have jaywalking as a crime here?

Wouldn't metal barriers along the length of the pavement be an idea.

[Streetcop]

DRV112 said:

The death of anyone under any circumstances is always hard to deal with.

If you'd spend a few months in the company of a Bib, the things you'd see would return to you in the middle of the night.

DRV112 said:

Mowing down a child if they are on the pavement is totally wrong.

Are you sure you don't work with me?

DRV112 said:

But in the middle of the road!! What is the child doing in the middle of the road in the first place.

Because that's where kids occasionally run. No matter what is told to children and what road safety advice is given, some kids in the heat of a game will forget all the rules. That's life and as responsible members of the community and drivers, we need to take that into account.

Don't get me wrong..it pisses me off too, but you just have to accept that it happens.

Street

[spnracing]

DRV112 said:

Wouldn't metal barriers along the length of the pavement be an idea.

You want metal barriers along every pavement in urban Britain?

Hang on - surely kids would jump over them? Why not make them 8ft high electric fences instead, that would be much more effective. Oh - and they'd need to be on just about every pavement on every street in every town since most accidents don't happen directly outside schools, they happen 1-2 miles from them.

An alternative would be to ask drivers to keep to a reasonable speed in the first place. Which is what we do.

[cptsideways]

towman said:

Germany, where the roads are of a much lower standard than our own.

Hardly a lower standard, you say this because most of the Autobahns are dualled roads?. Their driver training is far superior to ours so they don't need such big roads with a lane for each car.

[Streetcop]

You have to anticipate the actions of other road users and adapt your speed....

Anticipating what is around the corner for example is well worth doing, before rushing in...For example;



Street

[DRV112]

Streetcop said:

If you'd spend a few months in the company of a Bib, the things you'd see would return to you in the middle of the night.

I have seen a few people die right in front my eyes on a couple of occasions now and there was nothing that I could do, that's enough nasty dreams and waking up in cold sweats for me. I never want to experience those again, ever.

Streetcop said:

Are you sure you don't work with me?

I don't think so.

Streetcop said:

Because that's where kids occasionally run. No matter what is told to children and what road safety advice is given, some kids in the heat of a game will forget all the rules. That's life and as responsible members of the community and drivers, we need to take that into account.

Metal barriers along the whole of the pavement!!! Like the 12ft attempt made outside most schools.

Streetcop said:

Don't get me wrong..it pisses me off too, but you just have to accept that it happens.

But it can be prevented in a variety of ways, to the benifit of all parties.
Quick question: If you do see people/children in the middle of the road do you stop and do something?

[Streetcop]

DRV112 said:

Quick question: If you do see people/children in the middle of the road do you stop and do something?

Me? Do I do something? Depending on what they're doing...I always have something to say....I wear "the" uniform and drive "the" car to get the message across to miscreants at every opportunity, whatever they're doing in life...

Street

[towman]

cptsideways said:

towman said: Germany, where the roads are of a much lower standard than our own. Hardly a lower standard, you say this because most of the Autobahns are dualled roads?. Their driver training is far superior to ours so they don't need such big roads with a lane for each car.

Yes, most are dual carriageways, but also IMO they have a poorer surface, badly engineered slip roads and lack of Armco etc in the relevant places.

My comment had nothing to do with the standard of driving, which I would agree is superior to our own.

Steve

>> Edited by towman on Thursday 2nd September 11:34

[towman]

Streetcop said:

You have to anticipate the actions of other road users and adapt your speed.... Street

If you are going to use a speed camera Gary, you must remember to hide your whole body!

[kojak69]

Firefly said:

There's a couple of 20mph limits near me. Have you driven at 20mph recently? Jesus! I nearly fell asleep!

I find i'm not concentrating as much at slower speeds. I tend to looking elsewhere. Higher speeds; I'm more aware of the road in front.

[burwoodman]

About 5 years ago I was walking up the Highway (London, E1) which is a 30mph zone. A kid of no more than 3 just bolted across the road. He was hit by a car and died at the scene. A shocking and very upsetting event.

Issues:

Kid was walking with parents but left to run ahead of them

We don't often spare a thought for the driver. The poor bastard was set upon my the mob that had gathered. Does anyone not think he will live with that day foever? Truth was he was travelling at < 30mph and there was nothing he could do. The blame lies soley with his parents for being irresponsible and the law should have taken them to task.

Whilst it is prudent to slow to 20mph outside a school, exactly how much more accountable do they expect the driver to be?

I as a kid used to get a right walloping if I walked on the road etc. I learned pretty fast and very young children shoud be supervised at ALL times.

[supraman2954]

Streetcop said:

supraman2954 said: However, they do have a really silly rule that states you must always give way to traffic from the right when in built up areas I don't understand why. Do you mean on the crossroads where there aren't any marking? If so, what's wrong with that rule? It's the one employed at mini roundabouts and the one 99% of the people know. Street

Any junction, even from a more minor road, unless there is a signpost marked otherwise. This means that, even though you are going straight ahead, you have to slow down at each road coming from the right in anticipation that a car could pull out, as it will automatically have priority.

This is a very strange rule for a foreign driver to get used to (at least it was for me).

[Firefly]

Streetcop said:

20mph zones near schools and on narrow residential streets are perfectly ok and acceptable.. Street

Yep, fair enough on that one Street, but my biggest problem with schools is the rows of 4x4's stuck out in the road at hometime with mothers sat in them on the double yellows etc. You know the one's, the same mums who can't be arsed to park 100 yards away round the corner. They don't even bother getting out the car! The kid then see's them and sprints straight out into the road. And if i happen to hit them, even at 20mph, i'm then a 'lunatic driver' in the local rag!