Safe Speed Forums

Wouldn't it be a good idea to adopt some of the better driving laws from other countries.

I realise the problem is which ones to choose and obviously some wouldn't work in this country but how about:

France: reduce national speed limit if it is raining.

Germany: no speed restriction on motorways except at junctions and hills.

Kuwait: Automatic fixed penalty for squealing tyres.

Nigeria: Smoking and driving is not allowed.

Generally: allowing overtaking on bothsides on motorways.

There must be plenty more which ones would you choose?

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Shooting is good for you and too good for some people.

Left turn on red at certain junctions.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

I disagree with all of these laws.

France: We've got that covered with dangerous/careless driving, thank you very much. And a modern car is perfectly capable of doing 70mph safely in most wet conditions.

Germany: Well, maybe I don't disagree with this one so much, although speed limits for hills and junctions are a bit excessive: These should be left to discretion of driver. I believe driver also has to give way to joining traffic at junctions too?

Kuwait: What are squealing tyres, exactly? Drive enthusastically and your tyres will squeal, yet you can still be driving perfectly safely. More marginal case for clutch dumping and the like, but even so, if there's no one about it's your tyres you're damaging. Perhaps in built up areas after horn sounding's prohibited...

Nigeria: Again, got plenty of laws if what is being done is dangerous in some way.

Generally: This is perfectly legal anyway, just not many people know that. Probably better to keep it ambiguous - blind spot has mostly disappeared in RHD cars on the right hand side, still there on the left.

Left turn on red: We don't have the same block system that they do in America, net result will be pedestirans crossing on their green light to be mown down. Perhaps a new yellow left filter light could be introduced, which comes on when there won't (shouldn't) be anything in your way, but you may be crossing into the paths of oncoming traffic.

A road improvement that I think comes from the ABD is the idea of seperating the carrigeways on motorways by a much greater difference (like the farmhouse in the M6 iirc). That sounds a good plan for any new motorways. If they ever build any more...

the french autoroute limit IS 70mph in the wet, 80mph dry.


on a pubilc road? If your tyres are squealing then you're near the limit, I wouldn't call that safe.


it's left (right over there) turn AFTER stopping and making sure it's clear. You can't just bang through an intersection on red.

Not sure why this couldn't operate on most junctions unless specfied otherwise.

Is it really perfectly legal to overtake on the left at times other than when someone is turning right or in slow moving traffic in the UK?

If that is the case then shouldn't it be widely advertised so everbody knows about it? Some people knowing and others not sounds very dangerous.

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Shooting is good for you and too good for some people.

Perfectly safe to be near the limit on (eg) a roundabout where you can see for miles in all directions, and thus know nothing is going to get in your way.



But we live in the UK



What I was getting at was that most of our junctions which have traffic lights, roundabouts excepted (and there is a good place to have turn left on red) are pretty complicated, compared to the traffic light controlled crossroads they have in the US.

then you won't have to worry about getting caught, will you?


my point was that the lower limit in france only applies on roads that have an 80mph dry limit. So I'm guessing what the OP really wants is a higher dry limit on motorways rather than a lower wet limit.


not sure where you live but most light controlled intersections I've seen in this country are the same design as intersections I've seen elsewhere in the world - they look like this + from above.

Oh, I never worry about getting caught out...

But that doesn't make it right to make things illegal.



The more we do the thinking for drivers, the less thinking drivers will do, and the worse drivers will be. Let them chose their own speeds. Also, it would be quite difficult to define "wet".



Anything actually looking like that with good visibility - I see your point. I just don't see many light controlled crossroads with good visibility in all directions, I suppose.

well it probably already is via 'due care' or something.


funny you should mention that... I did wonder if it meant 'wet' or 'raining'.


that's true but there's nothing wrong with an 'advisory' limit.




Actually I can think of a few that don't offer much visibility but for those cases there is the "no turning on red" sign.

Possibly now outdated ,but i was always led to believe that at 60MPH most cars were on or above the aquaplaning limit.Modern tyre technology has probably pushed that up a little bit, but if the water is deeper --

yes, I've definitely had some aquaplaning at around 70mph in all the cars I've owned. Takes a good downpour to get there though.

The one I like is the "Filter junctions" they have in Guernsey. The idea ids instead of traffic lights at a congeested junction, they have an arrangement where each entry to the junctiontakes it in turn for one vehicle to filter in. This keeps the traffic flowing on all the approaches to a junction, bearing in mind that Guernsey claims to have the most congested roads in the world.

But I'm not convinced that the level of co-operation needed to make this system work would be forthcoming. There is always someone who will try to beat the system

America have something similar to this - called a 4-way stop. Even if the intersection is empty for miles around apart from you, you have to come to a complete standstill beofre continuing. If you don't do that and get caught by plod hiding in the bushes you'll be done for a "rolling stop violation". However, they work as per the Guernsey junction in conjested times - come to a halt and take your turn.

Surely in virtually all circumstances a mini-roundabout does the job far better.

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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 agree, certainly upto medium volumes of traffic mini roundabouts work very well IMO. They do seem to come in for some critisism however, but most people I've heard moan about them are usually timid drivers who lack the confidence to deal with them effectively.

I only have one word to adequately describe four-way stops, and that word I will not use in polite company.

Cheers
Peter

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

I apgree fully with the denigration of 4-way stops. I have still to compose my take on American driving - just chipped in with that one as it seemed in-keeping.

The other thing I cannot get used to in the USA is the painting of solid lines across the carriageway. In the UK this always implies STOP and I feel very uneasy.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

IMHO a good thing to introduce would be flashing signals at light controlled junctions at night.

Priority route gets flashing amber indicating give way and non-priority route gets flashing red (effectively a stop sign) This would cause confusion with pelican crossings, but there we go!

This would certainly help with the sensors failing on the signals, fixed cycle signals or for cyclists who don't activate the sensors either.

But just my 2p

Actually this is quite clever, I like it.
In the Netherlands some traffic light systems switch to a flashing light system late at night, but all the lights are flashing amber, and right of way is ultimately decided by the (Dutch) default rule of "give way to the right" unless other road signs dictate otherwise. All road users exercise caution, and this system is works very well.
However, I like your idea even more, unambiguous and efficient.

I hereby award your post a "Crackerjack" pencil !