What would you consider "OK" in terms of speed? I am not accounting for static or mobile speed cameras as there is obviously no compromise but is there a general range most traffic cops will leave you alone?

I am guessing 75mpg carriage and 80 - 85 ish motorway? I know it depends on many variables just wanted your thoughts on this

Cheers
Mike

 

The breaking of the UK speed limit was intended by the police to become the same level of priority as drink driving. however the police did not count on the fact that most people and most drivers recognise that 70 mph on motorways is too slow and most dual carriageways at 40 mph ridiculous, at 50 pointless and 60 still too slow.

the road system was meant to allow the rapid transportation of people and goods, the Uk's attempts to slow it all down is ludicrous.

we need minimum 80 mph on motorways with some conditions allowing 100mph...
we need dual cariageways at 60 mph minimum and 70 mph normal.

road noise is the current reason for slowing down cars...this can be achieved through correct planning of housing and road-by-passes. who on earth cares if the motorway is empty that you are doing 100 mph...no one really...

However i do think that with higher road speed must come more discipline and more training...this is the way to make roads faster and safer...

 

There is two sides in my mind and it depends on the car you have. I've had 3 justys in the past and none of them felt very safe at 70mph, let alone any more but alot of people would think I can do 80 so I should. The other side is after having my Impreza's which would of been comfortable at the higher speeds is that it would be fine in them and i would of really liked the higher speeds to travel around at.

 

the speed limits are limits not must do speeds....

if you have a car that isnt safe at 60 mph but okay at 50 you travel at 50...simple...

 

100 mph is too fast... you might be safe, but others might not. Asking for trouble.

 

The general rule of thumb for discretion is 10% + 2mph. So if the limit is 70mph + 10% = 77+2mph = 79mph. It's really upto the copper though, he could give you a ticket for being 1 mph over .

 

Which is what I do but they'll always be some prat that decides they are going to try and keep up with everything, then it'll go horribly wrong and motorists will get hammered again.

 

what? we have speed limits? Crikey....

 

In Wales and Scotland I hear the latest recommendation is anything over the limit will be prosecuted. A mate of mine got done recently for doing 67 on a 60 road, one with an overtaking lane. That was with a hand held.

 

My old man was a motorway copper for many years and he used to say unless they're doing over 90 I'm not interested. But then he was fairly well known for being fair and reasonable, I always used to say if you got a ticket from my old man you deserved it. Andy

 

You could make the speed limit 120mph and there will always be some nobber in a rep mobile behind you flashing to move over, human nature.

There should be times at which it's ok to do 100mph or unlimited like in germany 10pm till 4am, lorries should not be allowed to overtake during peak times, again as in germany, say between 7am and 10am and again between 4pm and 7pm, this will have the effect of discouraging them from using the roads at these times and free up some much needed space.

Then there needs to be a some driver education to stop middle and fast lane hogs and some enforcement of returning to the left lane, as in fines and points for not doing so.

 

Probably meant that his speedo was reading over 70mph though!

 

Gotta laugh at the lorry bans again.
How about removing the 40 mph speed limit for lorries and the crap 56 mph speed limiter.

 

I'm not saying ban them, just stop them from overtaking during peak times.

I presume your a lorry driver? if so do you do the 3 mile overtake on the M42 just so you can arrive at the M6 2 metres in front of the lorry you spent 5 mins overtaking and backing cars up for miles?

 

Yes I am.
No I don't.
I plan well in advance.
There's a stretch of the a14 by Kettering where they have this type of ban and it doesn't do a thing.
All it does is bunch the trucks up when the empty ones come up behind a loaded one on a hill.
Then as soon as they leave the banned overtake area their all back out in the outside lane.

If I'm obviously being caught up by another truck, I back it off and let it go, it's the tw@s that don't do this that cause the problems IMHO .

 

a few months ago i was doing 80/85ish up the m6, looked in my mirror to find a copper behind me. s**t, i thought before he indicated, overtook me and off he went going about 90

 

His dinner must have been in the oven

 

Mate of mine is a traffic cop, he says he generally wont pull people over below 90, but it depends on conditions and how you look compared to other traffic, ie if you the middle lane is doing 75 and you go past at 90 you look like you are going a lot faster than if the middle lane was doing 85 and you're doing 90 it looks like you crept past etc etc

 

got to say that speed limits are enforced incorrectly and without point...for instance a speed limit should be a recommendation...is on some roads 100mph really is not too fast...on some roads when kids are about 10 mph can be too fast...

you all know it isnt the speed that is the problem its the poor drivers, who we have to live with who seem to have no idea of the rules of the road.

I believe wholeheratedly in hgihe speed limits and more training...I think everyone should have a driveres refresher course every 5 years, new drivers every 2 and new residents in the Uk before they get their licence and then every 2 years for next 6 years.

 

Good man, unfortunatly your in the minority, during my 20 odd yrs as a service engineer covering the midlands IMHO it's a lack of good and proper practice that causes pretty much all the problems on the roads, if this was policed as opposed to the obsession with speeding, then there would be no need to speed for any of us and a lot less frustration for all concerned.

 

The best, most correct post I've read all day

 

 

Some really good replies here, thanks guys

 

A speed limit is, by definition, a limit not a recommendation. I think a better solution is to have a minimum speed limit, as well as a maximum, so that there are less people doing 50mph on motorways and duels. These people, who are generally either old or very nervous drivers, cause the mobile road blocks that push HGVs into the middle lane for miles. If they can't drive at a sensible speed they should use other slower roads.

I agree with driver testing though; every 5 years to ensure that you haven't lost it!

 

done 150 on an empty autobahn ;-), 2004 sti ppp, felt like it could do it all day safely

 

In an ideal world no motorway should need a speed limit as people should be responsible enough to be sensible and drive to whatever speed is safe. Sadly we live in the real world where the minority spoil everything for the majority and hence we must have some form of speed limit.

That being said I think 70mph is way too low for most motorways, I know people say that while some people are safe at 100mph others around them are not safe with them doing that speed ... well then I suggest they don't travel on the mtorways as if people find other cars going faster than them that unnerving that it makes them unsafe then they need retraining!

Minimum speed limits on the motorway wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Sadly though I think the driving standards in the UK are now so poor that without serious retraining speed limits can never really go up by much if at all!

 

I agree with policing behaviour rather than the speed, but have you seen the state of some motorways/dual carriageways - the speed limit would be dangerous!