Flexible speed penalties proposed

[turkster]

Yeah i'm sure that would be difficult but if so then just do 25mph. The object of the speed limit is not so you can test your abilities at going as close as possible to the limit with out being caught.
It is there to stop us going too fast.

[dkmech]

Yeah i'm sure that would be difficult but if so then just do 25mph.

Ah, but there is the rub, for if people were doing 25mph there would be no end of frustration, road rage, high tempers and all the dangers that this involves. I try not to speed, however if i am being tailgated it is difficult not to pick up a couple mph, especially if the car in front is pulling away at about 34-35. Now imagine if i was doing 25 mph, not 30-32. I no longer feel at all comfortable with holding up other people, as i am going slower than the speed limit allows. I get nervous, they get closer. I keep looking into the mirror. And i get distracted. That is not good.

All of that on a straight and fairly wide bit of road which has no houses, and the footpath of which can be seen clearly far ahead. The only reason it isnt 40 or more is because there isn't enough space to let cars accelerate and then slow down for the next set of houses. It is safe to do 35 there with no pedestrians around and its easy enough to drop to 30 by the time we get to those houses.

The object of the speed limit is not so you can test your abilities at going as close as possible to the limit with out being caught.
It is there to stop us going too fast.

Funilly enough this road then becomes derestricted, and while currently i do enjoy doing 55-60 on it, it took me a while to get there, raising my speed gradually with every time i pass there and as my confidence grows. To be honest i woulda put a 50 sign there myself, but hey its legal so i'll be doing 60. Whereas that little bit of road i just described before is safe enough at 35-40. If we wanted to have appropriate limits for every bit of road we would need a continuous row of signs updating the current speed limit for the bit of road you are on.

I dont think government is always right when it comes to picking the speed limits and where to put the cameras. I think there is nothing wrong with a bit of criticisism where it is appropriate. I don't think we are all necesserilly qualified to decide what the speed limits should be in each case but we should be entitled to our opinions.

[turkster]

I am sure the speed restrictions do not necessarily match the situations they are put in. And of course we are ientitled to our opinions on the matter but that does not mean that we should actually break the law.

The most important thing of course is to be a responsible and safe driver but to start interpreting the law in ones own way is just the thin end of the wedge that so often leads to dangerous driving and accidents.

As for the road rage thing i know the feeling and agree that it is a big problem that often seems to push people to dangerous driving. Personally i think any kind of impatience/anger/road rage behind the wheel is a potentially extremely dangerous problem. I do a lot of cycling through Cork and the amount of times i have seen people do absolutely stupid things because of a bit of impatience. The amount of times i have been cycling along at 25mph and some git tries to over take my on a bend and nearly runs slap bang into a bus.

[Devilbod]

Um, this isn't true is it? I thought you could get an instant ban if you're caught 30mph or more over the speed limit? I was under the impression that if you're taken to court the magistrates can give you as many points as they see fit?

Rich your right, I have 3 points with a £60 fine the nice policeman let me off by keeping the camera on my till I stoped....
Take note that this was on the enclosed dual carrage way in Bournemouth that for some stupid reason has a 50mph (and two cameras) before I get flamed .

SP10
Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits
SP20
Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle (excluding goods or passenger vehicles)
SP30
Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road
SP40
Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit
SP50
Exceeding speed limit on a motorway
SP60
Undefined speed limit offence

All of which are 3-6 points

The SP30 is the 3 points and a £60 quid on the spot fine.
The SP60 is to court, large fine, possible ban.


The other thing I should point out is the 10% rule, is myth, urban legend - if the speed limit say 30mph it means 30mph, not 30mph + 10% that would be 33mph, if you speedo is calibrated wrong that your look out it wont rub in court.
And just to clear up other myths, you can't say someone else was driving your car and you can't remember who this will land you in deep sh*te, you will get done.

Lowe's right - this is a scam the police force are coming under a lot of flack because less than 20% of rta's are caused by speeding - the highest majorty of rta's are caused by careless driving and driving with out due care and attention, how many times do you see drivers on a mobile phone, staring out they windows, eating, fing around with there stereo's.