So who was it doing 112mph on A30 this afternoon?

[soulstyledevon]

I think the best place for driving fast is on a track don't you! I don't want to be taken out by someone hammering along regardless of how safe they think it is.

If a modern car travels along a dry, empty piece of A-road at 110mph or 60. Where is the danger...???
UK speed limits really need revising. Especially motorways where driving at 90mph isn't dangerous these days with modern vehicles and supervised road systems

 

[Californiaman]

Personally, I would rather see someone driving fast, safely with concentration than the thousands of muppets on auto pilot three feet apart!

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[Digger]

Having being part of a 7 year research project into road deaths I hope those who advocate high speeds are never involved in such an outcome. It only takes one idiot or momentary lack of concentration and its over!

 

[Alibee]

I've raced, nationally and internationally, for years, driven fast for long stretches of time on autoroutes, etc, but I would never underestimate the effect of 2.5 - 3 tons of mass, a high CoG, touring rubber, road conditions, my own tiredness, traffic and 'the other idiot' on my ability to keep my family & I out of harms way while driving.

Just because these vans feel stable at 100+mph while in a straight line does not mean they will behave nicely if a sudden swerve is required or hard braking on an uneven surface. And if it all goes pete tong then that's a lot of blood on my hands.

That said, there are times when it makes sense to up the pace a little, assuming conditions allow. This is rare in the UK but very common across much of the continent, and the fines link above clearly demonstrates where the perceived risk thresholds are.

I look forward to finding out what's safe & reasonable when I first hit the autobahns with the T6, but I'll do my fact finding without the family in the car, in good conditions and with a wide margin of error!

 

[Stolly]

If a modern car travels along a dry, empty piece of A-road at 110mph or 60. Where is the danger...???
UK speed limits really need revising. Especially motorways where driving at 90mph isn't dangerous these days with modern vehicles and supervised road systems

Honestly you urgently need to go on a speed awareness course. Put bluntly if a drunk accidentally wandered out into the road in front of you, with you travelling in excess (or stupidly in excess) of the speed limit and you splattered into him, you'd be charged with manslaughter and if found guilty imprisoned perhaps for 5 or 6 years. Even though you thought 'where is the danger...???'.

The police calibrate speed from braking distances, witnesses and skid marks nowadays and excessive speed massively extends you're braking distance. If you are in an accident and can be proved to be driving at speed, you're guilty regardless of whether the killed party was doing something reckless or not

 

[soulstyledevon]

Honestly you urgently need to go on a speed awareness course. Put bluntly if a drunk accidentally wandered out into the road in front of you, with you travelling in excess (or stupidly in excess) of the speed limit and you splattered into him, you'd be charged with manslaughter and if found guilty imprisoned perhaps for 5 or 6 years. Even though you thought 'where is the danger...???'.

The police calibrate speed from braking distances, witnesses and skid marks nowadays and excessive speed massively extends you're braking distance. If you are in an accident and can be proved to be driving at speed, you're guilty regardless of whether the killed party was doing something reckless or not

I will rephrase that sentence.
Empty, clear road with no danger. There are times where excessive speed isn't an issue...!!!

Get off your high horse. 1mph or 20mph. Speeding is speeding...!!!

 

[Stolly]

I will rephrase that sentence.
Empty, clear road with no danger. There are times where excessive speed isn't an issue...!!!

Get off your high horse. 1mph or 20mph. Speeding is speeding...!!!

I'm still on my high horse I'm afraid

http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/drivers/speed/inappropriate/

 

[MattBW]

We did a day at work called Crash Course, police, firefighters, ambulance and civilians came into share experiences. They described in great detail the realities of road accidents in some cases in all their gory detail. Suffice to say it was enough to cause many of our less cautious drivers to change their ways. Not all of the accidents were about speed, most were lack of concentration or phone calls, however it was made clear even when speed wasn't the cause of the accident, it certainly increased the damage and carnage when things did go wrong.

I've never considered myself a fast driver, although I've had some pretty nippy cars and motorbikes in my time. I would never speed around town but it certainly made me think more when I drive and did slow me down on motorways and duel carriageways too , especially in a 3 ton van.

 

[Meoncoast]

Having recently had over 4k worth of damage to the rear end of our Cali by someone who was more than likely as well as not focused on the road ahead of him I expect was also over the speed limit at the time of impact I am not a great fan of drivers who speed. Clear empty roads until someone pulls out

 

[andyinluton]

I'm still on my high horse I'm afraid

http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/drivers/speed/inappropriate/

Without trying to be clever - those statistics are talking about the difference in outcome when a car hits a pedestrian at 40mph instead of 30mph , and you are talking about it being the drivers fault if speeding when hitting a drunk wandering in the road.

What we are talking about is doing 90mph on a motorway in good conditions being "safe" speeding, no-one has suggested doing 50mph down the high street at chucking out time on a Saturday night, in which situation I would suggest that the 30mph which may be legal and acceptable to the self righteous none speeders, may be a totally inappropriate speed.

If a drunk wishes to wander around on the motorway whether he gets hit at 70mph or 80mph probably makes no difference to the outcome.

An alert driver driving at speeds appropriate to the prevailing conditions, is far safer than a distracted driver going at the posted speed limit just because thats what the sign says.

 

[andyinluton]

Having recently had over 4k worth of damage to the rear end of our Cali by someone who was more than likely as well as not focused on the road ahead of him I expect was also over the speed limit at the time of impact I am not a great fan of drivers who speed. Clear empty roads until someone pulls out

But if you had been going faster he wouldn't have gone into the back of you

 

[T6 CFO]

Hard hat time


Mike

 

[Meoncoast]

But if you had been going faster he wouldn't have gone into the back of you

true but someone else would have and I would have had front end damage

 

[soulstyledevon]

^^^^^^^
Not paying attention to the road.

 

[Velma's Dad]

We'll enjoy seeing this thread will run and run. Because it's not about whether raising the speed limit will or won't lead to an increased number of deaths and serious injuries (it will, and there is a mass of reasonably transferable evidence that would support me saying that), but rather it's about how much we value the freedom to drive fast even if it results in some extra deaths and injuries.

That sounds cynical but we all make such choices every day as individuals (should I drive at a 'safe' 30mph past this school even though I know it would be safer still to drop to 20?).

Someone once pointed out the parallels between the USA's inalienable 'right to bear arms', enshrined in constitutional history but which most Germans regard as utterly bonkers, with the German public's vehement defence of their right to drive at 200kph on an unrestricted autobahn, which has become an article of personal freedom there.

Personally I'd be happy to leave our motorway limit at 70 as that means I can drive all day at 80 without any likelihood of being stopped. And 'the idiots' will always do 20-30mph more than any limit you set. Obviously, in my 2.5 tonne Cali I would only do those kinds of speeds when I know it's safe, which isn't hard for me to judge because I honestly believe my driving standard is above average (a view I share with 80% of drivers...).

 

[Andyclockwise]

If a modern car travels along a dry, empty piece of A-road at 110mph or 60. Where is the danger...???
UK speed limits really need revising. Especially motorways where driving at 90mph isn't dangerous these days with modern vehicles and supervised road systems

Totally disagree, speed kils, full stop. I have been on an empty road at 4am in the morning and a deer has run out into the road, it could of caused me to lose control or crash into a tree etc.. and kill the occupants of the car. You could also have a high speed blow out at 110mph but if you had a blow out at 60mph you would have a better chance of keeping the vehicle under control and to a safe stop.

 

[andyinluton]

If you had a blow out at 10mph you would have an even better chance of keeping the vehicle under control so lets make the limit 10mph - or look after your tyres - check them regularly & you can reduce the chances of a blow out, you've now reduced the risks.

Driving at 4am where deer are likely to be is dangerous, lets ban driving at night in these areas.

As I said before drive according to the conditions not necessarily the posted speed limits.

 

[Amarillo]

That sounds cynical but we all make such choices every day as individuals (should I drive at a 'safe' 30mph past this school even though I know it would be safer still to drop to 20?).

Indeed. There also seems to be a general misunderstanding about the term 'limit'. A synonym of 'limit' is not 'target'.

My neighbouring borough, Lewisham, now has a blanket 20mph limit on all its roads. I try, somewhat unsuccessfully at times, to keep below that limit. I find myself the frequent victim of tailgating, aggressive overtaking and even abuse.

Motorways excepted, it is time we all changed our attitude to streets, they are more than a thoroughfare for motor vehicles, they are public open spaces which can be used by pedestrians and cyclists by right, and motorists under licence.

 

[SurreyCali]

If you had a blow out at 10mph you would have an even better chance of keeping the vehicle under control so lets make the limit 10mph - or look after your tyres - check them regularly & you can reduce the chances of a blow out, you've now reduced the risks.

Driving at 4am where deer are likely to be is dangerous, lets ban driving at night in these areas.

As I said before drive according to the conditions not necessarily the posted speed limits.

I personally drive UNDER the speed limit even on an empty road, my family sitting in the back are more important to me rather than arriving at my destination a few minutes early !

You say look after your tyres?? Blow outs can occur for many reasons be it a rock in the road, something fallen from a vehicle etc.. The slower you go the better chance you have of being in control if something happens. As soon as you are in excess of 70mph the consequences can be more catastrophic.

 

[andyinluton]

Ok but having driven over a million miles (according to my tax returns) and not had a blowout yet Im not going to drive slower just in case I might have one someday in the future.

Im not going to cause others to get frustrated & possibly cause an accident by acting as a mobile road block driving under the speed limit on an empty road if conditions are good.

 

[SurreyCali]

In my line of work I have seen some terrible accidents, not all caused by speed but the majority were.
I am not sure how someone driving at 10% below the speed limit would cause a roadblock on a quiet road at 4am!? From the way you speak you are the type of person that see's the speed limit as a target speed and MUST travel at that limit no matter what. One day you will probably get your comeuppance which i hope for your sake does not happen.

I won't comment any more as I dont wish to be draen into another one of your arguments.

 

[Californiaman]

Appropriate speed. That's the term. Sadly most can't define what it is most of the time. One of my pet hates is people that drive at 45 mph on a perfectly good bit of (national limit) road and then continue to drive at 45 through a village...

 

[Velma's Dad]

Driving at 4am where deer are likely to be is dangerous, lets ban driving at night in these areas.

As I said before drive according to the conditions not necessarily the posted speed limits.

Not sure if many of us have ever actually hit a deer but I have, twice. Second time was on a very normal A road, quite busy traffic both ways which actually kept speeds down, after dark but certainly not anywhere you'd expect a deer to be "likely to be".

I don't think I managed to shed any significant speed before I hit it square on doing around 50 I'd guess. Fortunately I walked away. The deer not, obviously.

(BTW if you're going to hit a deer a Volvo XC60 is a good thing to do it in. And choose a muntjac to hit, they're much softer than the big red buggers.)

My point here is that if anyone thinks they can always maintain constant concentration when driving, anticipate every kind of hazard, or 'always be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear', then you must be much better driver than me. Or you're fooling yourself.

 

[andyinluton]

In my line of work I have seen some terrible accidents, not all caused by speed but the majority were.
I am not sure how someone driving at 10% below the speed limit would cause a roadblock on a quiet road at 4am!?

You didn't say you drive 10% under the speed limit at 4am, you actually said "I personally drive UNDER the speed limit even on an empty road" so you've taken my response totally out of context.

 

[B J G]

I wonder if he has 'Active Cruise Control' fitted & could use that as a tail gating excuse and thought as it was a German manufactured vehicle he set 112 thinking it was kms/hr (70mph ish) ??