Safe Speed Forums

Precisely, everyone can see you for the sort of person you are.

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Regulation without education merely creates more criminals.

Aber, You are not codoning sticking to the speed limits though are you? You are condoning being a "pain in the arse" to people who want to drive somewhere close to the limit without breaking it. Frankly, I see people like you several times a day and I often wonder why they drive so slowly. Often, I put it down to lack of ability or confidence and feel "sorry" for them but at the same time wish they would seek to improve themselves. I never really assumed that some of them are doing it to be "bloody minded", even though their actions do come across as selfish and to some extent "a danger" because on a busy, NSL country road at peak times they cause people to take un necessary risks by overtaking them, when if they had the consideration to "try harder" and keep to the speed limit, instead of way below it, then people could get around easier with less congestion and frustration.

You obviously remember when the NSL was 70MPH, so how did you manage then? Did you still drive at 40MPH back then and be constantly 30MPH below the limit or to put it another way, only driving at 57% of your capability?

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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.

A note to the reader:

AIUI, Safe Speed isn’t just calling for the elimination of speed cameras, it is also calling for increased levels of traffic police [Safe Speed manifesto]; the latter is much more effective at preventing all forms of inconsiderate and dangerous driving. IMO this is the right thing to do because there will always be the irrational/selfish few who will never abide by, or will purposely set out to evade, the rules of the road and the spirit of safe interaction with other road users (such as joyriders, boy racers and the improperly registered).

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

Well there's a first time for everything. So after a couple of years on this forum might I just say....



Thank you and goodnight.

Barkstar

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The difference between intelligence and stupidity is that intelligence has limits.

I feel obliged to point out that this isn't official church teaching and that NOT all Catholics hold the same view!

Rule 169


Only because you don't respect rule 169. If you did there would not be any problem anyway.

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

Just chucking my 0.02ukp worth in...

I'm a devout atheist.

I drive at a speed where I can stop in the distance I can see to be clear.

I don't hold other traffic up.

If someone wants to drive slower than me then fine, I'll overtake them.

If you attempt to prevent me from overtaking you I will make life very difficult for you when I overtake you.

If you assist me in overtaking you I'll be out of your way very quickly.

If I see a marked police car on the motorway I will flick my cruise control on at approximately 75-80mph (having been told by Avon & Somerset that they don't bother pulling anyone under 85mph).

If I am in a SPECS zone I will activate cruise control at EXACTLY the posted limit according to my sat-nav.

I tend to stick within the spirit of the law if not the letter.

However, do not ever get in front of me and hold me up on the unnumbered road between the B4058 and B4066. And certainly don't try and chase me down this road as I will either lose you or make you spin out at the first hairpin. (Aimed at the driver of the Peugeot 407 that tried to chase me down this road from M5 J13 because he didn't like me blasting the horn at him - because he shot from L1 to L3 with no indication and less than 2 car lengths in front of me.)

Unfortunately there were a few options I didn't get on my car. Stinger missiles behind the headlights. Smoke screen in the exhaust system. Oil slick dispenser on the rear. Tyre spike dispenser. Stuff like this deals with the likes of Abercrombie...

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Magistrates rule #1: "Never let justice get in the way of a conviction."

I can't help but conclude nothing good can ever come from that.
Is it not better to just pass and leave it be, then later on report them to the police if necessary?

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

Usually "making life difficult" consists of cutting in a bit close after overtaking whilst flicking them the finger through the rear window. Although much of the above posting was a rant in response to Aberslowbrain's "I will drive slowly and **** the rest of you" posting.

As I've said before I don't have a problem with someone driving a bit slower if that's what they're comfortable with provided that is isn't too much below 85th percentile, and provided there are plenty of opportunities for following vehicles to overtake. Special mention must go to the driver of the Nissan Micra on the A361 in Devon the other day who dawdled at 30mph through the 3-lane section where the double-white lines prevented anyone legally overtaking - even though it's safe to overtake at several locations along this stretch.

One thing I find particularly frustrating is when the lights change and people take an eternity to pull away. The result is that 2 or 3 cars manage to get through before the lights go red again. Now I don't know if it's just me but if I'm first at the lights I'm usually at least 500 yards down the road before the second car gets across the junction.

Now logic would dictate that because I've got a particularly pokey car (A4 2 litre diesel chipped to 210bhp) I can get up to speed quicker than "1.6 Ford Focus" driver. However when I had an M-reg 1.1 Fiesta (50bhp approx) I'd still be off the lights quickly and without holding up any following drivers.

So what is it with people that sit there for 5 seconds after the lights change?

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Magistrates rule #1: "Never let justice get in the way of a conviction."

Two wrongs don't make a right. Some might consider it quite 'slow brained' to increase the danger to yourself and other road users merely to 'get back' at someone you feel has slighted you.

As for people being slow to pull away from the lights, there could be any number of things in-car that have preoccupied them during the red phase, or they could just have let their attention slip for a moment; everyone makes mistakes. Driving with consideration includes having empathy with other road users, and giving them the benefit of the doubt as often as possible, not being quick to anger at their slightest mistake and feel the need to exact retribution in the form of dangerous/aggressive driving.

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Regulation without education merely creates more criminals.

No. If peoples' bums ache because I go slow, then that is a side effect, not my purpose. I
want to go slower than most because I like it... it pains me to think that others are put out by
my behaviour, and I have been known to change a bit, to help them out. It does happen,
especially with truckers, who seem determined to travel just a bit faster then my ideal
speed. When I hypermile, I do 52.5 mph. I get a lot of trucks breathing down my neck, though,
so I slow to 45.

I'm fed up with these trolls too. Why are they sticking their noses in?

The roads are not a racetrack for aggressive teenagers. Take my advice; trade up to a proper, low powered car before you do some serious damage to yourself and others.

Yes; only yobs do that. At last, Robin and I can agree.



I do believe we are reaching enlightenment. Yahoo!

That depends.
I find my speed is set by slower traffic.
Largely trucks.
Since they will not pull-over, I will not.
No purpose would be served, and pulling-over to let faster traffic through is only possible if there is somewhere to pull into, never forgetting that slowing to pull-in presents its own risks, caused by following traffic NOT slowing-down and waiting for room but pulling OUT to pass faster.
If you expect me to pull-in and let you through because you think a faster speed is possible, and I am already AT the maximum speed for that road (ie: you breaking the speed limity) then you will find my natural empathy somewhat lacking: I will not pull-in...but I will not impede your overtake.
Just because one person considers that he/she can drive safely in a particular set of conditions does not mean that others will find the same: idiocy overrules empathy !

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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

Abercrombie,

You have a PM, please check it. You can get to it by clicking where it says "x new messages" near the top left of the page.

- No-one is expecting anyone to pull in to let traffic pass who is not at the head of the queue, i.e. who is not the cause for that queue.
- No-one is expecting anyone to pull in when those following cannot legally go significantly faster than the cause of the queue.
- No-one is expecting anyone to pull in when doing so presents a risk (indication the intention helps).
- One can reasonably expect a considerate driver to pull in, when safe and reasonable to do so, if they are at the head of a queue and the following queue is at significantly below their limit (regardless of what limit applies to the lead vehicle).

These were the essence of my question to you. I ask again with clarification of the above points:
Would you full over if you're at the head of a queue, when it is safe and possible to let a following queue past, and your vehicle is subject to a lower limit than the following traffic?

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

Squirrel, don't give them the satisfaction of knowing they have annoyed you. Just ignore them or wave a thank you, feeling superior can be very satisfying in comparison to righteous anger.




Warning - feelings of superiority can be addictive and lead to over confidence if not carefully monitored, experience at your own risk

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

Transporting blindfolded people so they have no idea where they are being taken and delivering eggs.

What kind of lifestyle regularly requires those particular skills?

Eggcentric farmer with a sideline in kidnapping?

Seriously, why drive like that? I can understand if there is a medical reason for instance, but why as a general style? I am all for driving smoothly, it is a faster and/or more efficient way to drive as your average speed is a greater proportion of your maximum speed. To verge dangerously into statistics you are reducing the standard deviation in your speed. Smooth in this instance refers to controlling the rate of change of acceleration however, not trying to eliminate acceleration altogether.

In the main your driving at 40mph in an NSL will not cause a problem for a quicker, competent driver, they will simply wait for the next opportunity to overtake then do so. Providing I can overtake within a few minutes then it can help break the tedium of having to cap my speed with the limit rather than for safety/comfort/economy. Where you will cause a problem is quicker drivers who, for whatever reason, do not overtake when clear to do so. You will end up with a comet tail of frustrated drivers with less than safe gaps between them. It is not your fault that they cannot drive properly, however I strongly believe that it is the responsibility of competent drivers to promote safety by actively defusing dangerous situations over which they can exercise some control. You also increase your safety by ensuring you do not have a queue of trailing vehicles ready to smash into your car should you make a mistake or should something unexpected happen causing you to emergency brake.

So in brief, it is in your interest to assist/let faster drivers past as it increases your own safety. It will also increase everyone else's even if you have made it clear you have no interest in cooperating in this. I just hope that you have no deliberate intent to actively make the roads less safe.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

I don't actually have these things, toltec. The idea is to imagine them - it helps tremendously with the
hypermileing. The 206 is consistently delivering more than 60 mpg. And I'll never need to change the
pads again if I don't use the brakes, which is my last rule!