Safe Speed Forums

In the last 10 days, I have met three people who confess to being 30-everywhere drivers. Each has been prosecuted for exceeding a limit. Two of these, both ladies, admit that whenever in doubt, they now crawl around at 30 because they are never quite sure what the speed limit might be. They admit that they cause frustration to the traffic behind, but feel it is something they must do to stay safe - from prosecution that is. The third 30-E driver is male. He has a Jaguar x-type 2.5 with cruise control, which he uses to drive around towns like Leicester. In my experience, when you switch on the cruise control, you switch off the driver.

So there it is - frustration and switched off drivers. No wonder accident rates rise where cameras are erected!

the are admitting lack of competence with that statement. 2 revocation orders please

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Richie

SSAFA supporter
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=126025031585

First we should 'revoke' the rights of our road safety policymakers. They are creating these folk.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Makes me wonder how they'll cope with all these new 20 zones popping up.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

I will put my hands up to using my cruise control in 30 limits.

The only thing I switch off is looking for speed cameras and looking at my speedo. With my speed being looked after for me I can spend more time looking for other hazards.

Before I get pigeonholed as a speed kills disciple, I am not, I firmly believe that speed limits are arbitrarily set with little or no concern for safety. I just dont want to pay Gordon another hard earned £60

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Nick

I would strongly urge you not to use cruise control in high hazard density conditions (e.g. in most 30 limits). Cruise control precludes the sensitive and subtle speed variations that we naturally apply when driving by simply adjusting pressure on the accelerator pedal (also known as 'acceleration sense'). The result of that, necessarily is that you will from time time drive a bit faster, or a bit closer to the car in front, or brake/decelerate a bit later, than you would have done if cruise control had not been engaged. That is, I suggest, 'a bad thing'.

Why don't more cars have a max-speed control like my lowly mk 2 Clio?

I use it a lot, especially on middling busy DCs & Mways, when I'd have to keep dropping out of cruise.

I'd never use cruise in an urban area; too much going on.

It's not just a 'bad thing', it's a damn dangerous thing IMO.

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Save a cow - eat a vegetarian

My stars, you can't keep to a 30 limit and be observant? How did you pass your test? What brings you to admit to being such a bad driver in public? Control of your vehicle involves monitoring your speed as well you know.

This 'how did you pass your test' jibe comes up quite a bit in these discussions.

People passing their driving tests are fledgling drivers at best. On average their crash risk is around 20 times the national average.

To compare the risk management behaviour of a fledgling driver to the risk management behaviour of an experienced driver is absurd.

As you gain experience, everything changes. Mental skills in visual search and hazard recognition emerge as recoded subconscious processes. Where once using the speedo was an excellent use of your time, you find that scanning ahead takes considerable priority. It's by scanning ahead that you can manage risk and ensure that your speed is safe.

For an experienced responsible driver the speedo becomes far less important - until you add bonkers indiscriminate speed enforcement to the mix. When you do make such an unworthy addition people find coping strategies. I can't say that I think using a cruise control in 30 mph zones strikes me as a worthy coping strategy, but then the authorities are foolishly forcing people to do something, anything.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

My car's cruise control only works if the car is in 4th or 5th gear. Yes, it's a manual.

So instead of being in 3rd which might be more appropriate you'd have to put it in 4th to use cruise control.

I wonder how common manual + cruise control is?

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Andrew.

I had a manual 05 honda civic with cruise control, so if that has it I suspect it's not too rare.

That said, the one on the civic refused to engage below some speed, I think it was 35mph, not entirely sure since I never used it except in s

A few years ago I had a SEAT Toledo 1.9 TDi as a company car which would happily run on cruise control at 30 mph - although I would not recommend doing so.

The speed limiters seen in particular on many French cars seem much more useful in an urban environment.

I could have had a combined speed limiter and cruise control on my French car as a £275 option but didn't see the point...

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Yes, I guess its because I've flown planes, in which observation as well as speed control is paramount; you have about six dials to check on a regular basis as well as being very observant for what's going on outside the cockpit. A dot on the horizon can turn into a whacking great big plane in a matter of seconds.

People that write that they can't see whats going on outside when they've only got one dial to check (which can be done in a flash) just sound like bad drivers to me.

Part of the skill of controlling a car to me is knowing what speed its going at; we all know that if you feel you're travelling at 30mph you could actually be travelling at 50, especially if you've just come down from a motorway.

In short, I think people that complain its too hard to stay within the speed limit sound like they shouldn't be on the road because they cannot control their vehicle.

If you can't control your speed when flying your plane you wil not get your pilot's license, it the same with your driver's license.

I've already explained to you why that (the emboldened part) is wrong.

well yes!

but in an aircraft

1) speed controll is a critical part of flying safely. mainly about not going too slowly. (too fast can also cause problems, but you are unlikly to do so without realiseing it, even if you wernt looking at your airspeed indicator)

2) for the most part, there is very little going on outside to keep an eye out for. so you can look at your instruments at leisure, or even eat a sandwich or pour yourself a cup of coffee from a thermos flask(you are not going to have to deal with a careless pedestrian or somebody backing out of a driveway at 10,000 feet)


On the road, the *only* reason for knowing your "numerical" speed is speed limit compliance. (there are far better ways of judging whether you are driving within an envelope of safety than knowing your exact speed on a dial somewhere). as such it is an unwelcome distraction, especially in built up or busy areas where watching what is going on around you is of rather greater importance

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Specious, since an aeroplane (I presume thats what you really meant, not a woodworking tool as written) has throttle friction and control surface trim.

Furthermore, most civilian aricraft operate in a far lower hazard density than that of even the quietest motorway. I operate military helicopters at 100'/120kts and let me tell you, my IAS is the last thing I am checking with any regularity!

And if you know the number, how much good does it do any why?

And if your speedo breaks how does that affect your ability to drive?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

But I can see their problem.

Watch your speedo. Look out for speed camera. Watch the road. Count the street lights (just in case you are unsure if it is a 30 or 40 road.)

It must be very tempting for someone fearing for their license to think: "Oh, bother it! I'll shove the cruise control on 30!"

That might annoy another driver. But they might keep their license. That's probably how they see it.

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www.thatsnews.org.uk / www.thatsnews.blogspot.com / http://thatsmotoring.blogspot.com/

I had a 407 as a temporary hire car and found the speed limiter to be useful on the M42 VSL.

But it was only useful from a compliance point of view not a safety one.

I've tried cruise control on the same stretch and to be honest its pretty deadly.