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PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 14:02 
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handy wrote:
I will try to explain this in simple terms for you:


Thanks for that - I'm up to speed again (figuratively speaking).

The governments "mass education" has been - The Speed Limit is the legal speed limit and go above that and it's oh so dangerous. Not convinced it implies anything about driving at that limit is the target to aim for.

However, I obviously don't see the world as you do. I don't see people routinely driving at the "target" speed limit simply because it's there. I see people driving above the limit, at the limit and below the limit depending on the circumstances. I have great confidence in people driving at a suitable speed for the conditions, but less confidence in their many other driving abilities.

And that is the problem that needs EDUCATION. You cannot take speed in isolation - it means nothing on it's own. Simply stating "drive within the limit" is meaningless advice.

The safe speed is the product of many skills and it's those skills that need to be addressed.

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 18:28 
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handy wrote:
I do not agree with PeterE - he has missed the point of the word "limit", hence my repetition.

I am well aware what the concept of a "limit" means, thank you very much.

However, the current speed limits are, in general, only limits in a narrow legal sense. They obviously aren't credible as limits to safe or responsible behaviour.

Indeed, on most types of roads, the speed limit represents a comfortable cruising speed in good conditions, and even law-abiding drivers are operating for much of the time at the margin of legality. Given this, drivers cannot be expected to treat the current limits as upper limits.

If you genuinely want that, then the limits must be set at least 50% above their current levels, in some circumstances more. But I suspect that would leave many lower-skilled drivers floundering as to speed choice.

My belief is that a more pragmatic view is needed, and we accept that a limit is only a limit in a strict legal sense and effectively represents a speed above which you *may* be prosecuted on a strict liability basis, if your behaviour is risky as well as technically illegal.

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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


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PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2007 16:27 
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Notwithsatnding the 'philosophy' of road safety that has led to the proliferation of speed cameras my good friend who is a police officer and standard driver informs me that they never pull drivers for speed alone, unless it is dramatically above the limit. They will pull drivers for inattention. Like having failed to notice that the police have been following you for the past 3 miles. A speeding driver, not driving dangerously, who notices them fairly quickly will not be pulled. I can't speak for other forces. It seems to me we could survive a situation like that, even with the cameras in place, if we could rely on the police everywhere to exercise discretion. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case country-wide. Cumbria seems to be turning into a worse nightmare than it already is.
As for why people differ so much on their view of speeding policy I think age has something to do with it. My older friends who care about their driving have a view, the younger ones don't seem to have given it much thought. Where people haven't formed a view they will incline to the official version, I guess.


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