Safe Speed Forums

Thanks for your reply, IG, maybe I've too readily taken somebody at their word; but it doesn't sound impossible to me, and I liked their style - but then I would.

Speeding should not be a punishable offence.

In any case, gadgets may not always be used, they can be switched off perhaps, or they may not be fitted to all police cars; or like the Traffic car I encountered a couple of days ago - they had ANPR fitted, but it was out of action. No matter. I was all legal anyhow.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Could you explain exactly what you mean by that?

I think exceeding the speed limit should, no, must be a punishable offence, but the threshold (the limit) must first be set right and the penalty must be proportionate.
I, like many others, don't want nutters screaming around vulnerable areas with impunity.

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

Understandable You perhaps underpin why we are concerned by their postings.

It;s only "reality" when a sad git wants a "pat on back". It does NOT happen in reality for the reasons I hope I clarfied



I hope we apply fair play here.. and we are very much "laissez-faire" within reasoned judgement but do not want folk to "test our patience" all the same

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I despair of "lottery" PLEASE be aware.. Co Durham RPU are fari but have ATTITUDE as to what they tolerate and what they will not tolerate Our ethic of fairness applies with precedential consideration all the same. Can I say fairers???

STEVE THANK YOU for support

I understand Dave He;s asking logical and very valid questions from me. I hope I have answered without underming a commitment to safe pracitices here all the same.

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

My understanding is that it would ensure that you have come down to the lower limit by the time you have passed the sign.

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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

No, I don't want them doing that either, but the present regime of limits, and the extent of enforcement, doesn't stop them.

I can't really add anything new to what I've been saying for a long time. This is that I'd like to see much more official effort being put into driver education - extensions and variations on the THINK! campaign - and a downgrading of this fixation with speed, which doesn't seem to be quite the problem it is often made out to be.

Obviously it is much more difficult to do, but I'd rather see more of a clampdown on bad driving, rather than attempts to punish safe speeding.

With regard to speeding not being a punishable offence, I was speaking generally, but in fact it's mainly out on the open road where I think it should be non-punishable. In built-up areas I'm quite happy to have a sensible regime of speed lmits, and reasonable enforcement of them. We should be driving through built-up areas in a slowish and quiet manner anyhow, IMHO; and I would be doing that in any case, even if there were no speed limits in place at all. HTH.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

The speed limit is only the maximum you are allowed to drive in that area.
The only speed you can legally drive at is one appropriate to the conditions.
Which applies to all roads.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

No. It does not stop them. Or rather over-reliance on speed cameras does not stop them.


We need a fairer mix perhaps of visible vans and cars - coupled with our stelathmobiles




We've been preaching COAST for 5 years on the internet It exists formally. Both Ted and Vrenchen have posted up the SAC mark sheet more than once. The DIS one is almost identical - but has a few more headings ..

We do need better and more memorable adverts though - which will appeal and educate strongly..




Glad to read this Dave


I think we prosecute more "careless" than speeding overall in this area


IWe have a problem with one area in Weardale - once dubbed locally - "bikers' graveyard" and it featured on a documentary back in 2003. "Real Story with Fiona Bruce" Basically - it's dangerous driving on their part in that set of circumstances and if we get the evidence to back it - we do go for it!


I think we have to have a fair set of speed limits all the same and enforce with a set level of balanced discretion/professional judgement - acquired within "good practices per training" - and apply this same standard to all to ensure fair play to all.

But .. we have to have a set rubric which all understand and that silliness will be rewarded with points/potential bans. But we have to have a set level for discretion v FPN because justice for all demands this. We also need speed limits because without them - we'd probably have chaos out there. And if we have a limit - then we expect folk to comply with them. We can allow for some minor margins of error - but not deliberate stupidity.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Wait a minute, I've just realised something:


The same is happening over here, but in a very different way. You see, they did it (displacement) by pulling drivers onto the safer roads; we're doing the same by pushing them - not pulling!
Hacking down speed limits aren't making drivers any safer, they're merely being pushed to where they are less likely to do damage - but those obsessed with speed will claim it as a victory for speed reduction - on those roads anyway, simply because there is less traffic on them.

In principle it could have the same effect, but the fact that we're entirety pushing instead of pulling means it is inherently unfair to drivers. This is dangerous; pushing is the wrong method because it causes disrespect for speed limits in general, especially in areas where the limits are reduced to push them away - this would eaily be viewed as a needless reduction.

If our lot wanted to do is properly and have the same positive effect, they would pull (this method has been proven), but they don't - why?
Limits are indeed being set by political intents, and the $CPs are cashing in, at the expense of all road users - not just drivers.

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

Obviously I am no fan of this idea, but I think if it ever came in the whole system of speed limits would change. Any speed limit changes on curves (and there aren't many anyway) would be moved, and we would tend to see blanket limits applied over large areas, thus reducing the amount of limit changes.

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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

yep like a NSL of 40MPH and the urbans all dropped to 20MPH. THere are many out there now who would like to see this happen.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

I can see this. I use a longer unclassified route to work, because the obvious A and B road route is a mess of low limits enforced by Talivans. In fact my route takes no less time, but it's a lot less frustrating to drive.

I've often found that round here, the more twisty rural roads are now quicker to get from a to b than the straighter main roads because of the stupid speed restrictions, un neeeded traffic lights on poorly designed roundabouts and the "traffic calming islands" on long straights which stop you overtaking anything slow moving. I have also noticed the narrower roads becoming more used than they used to be, so the effect of safety is diminished by forcing traffic to use narrow, twisty roads, which will eventually force rural road casualty figures up.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

We too have authorities who are trying to bring in ISA (Idiotic Speed Adaptation). They are conducting a trial using specially selected fleets (total about 100 vehicles) located in an industrial/academic area. No prizes for guessing that the outcomes will be approval by the users who would be risking their jobs to express disapproval to their managers.

In the land where traffic tickets (FPN's) are handed out like confetti at a wedding I have often thought that we should revert to the country road speed regime that existed when I first moved here; 50 mph prima facie ie if you were over 50 mph you had to be able to prove that it was safe.

Unfortunately the terminally anal retentives around here would have pink kittens at such an idea. For non-urban roads my thoughts now are tending to having the hideous crime of exceeding the speed limit reduced to no points ticket (FPN) at about the cost of collection but anything excessive require attendance at a tribunal to defend the accusation of "Driving without due consideration" (does it still exist as a charge?) or higher charge. The tribunal to be of high standard drivers rather than legal entities with the sole emphasis on the merits of the case ie no legal tricks. Penalties could include having to re-qualify to drive within a certain time or back to L-Plates instead of licence suspension.

Any thoughts?

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The only thing that should be prohibited is prohibition.

This used to be the method in the US too. Professor JJ Leeming in his excellent book "Road Accidents: Prevent or Punish?" describes it thus: