Speed Limiter - Challenge yourself

[blassberg]

I set my winter tyre limiter a month ago - with the thought of well let's try it for a month. When i hit that speed I occasionally say I would have gone faster had I not, but I always say that at least I'm not in the instant red-card territory.

Journey times are still quick, glances at bridges are as frequent but less intense.

Give it a try for a month. I'm keeping mine on for the time being.

 

[jberks]

Its often discussed. Keep near the speed limit and you tend to be more relaxed, use less fuel and normally get there no later. How many of us have pulled into services for 5 mins, rejoin the motorway and find ourselves passing the same trucks we shot past 1/2 an hour ago. In truthm you don't gain that much for the extra speed.
e.g. 200mile journey at an averge of 70 will take just under 3 hours. If you blat along at 100+, with traffic and roadworks you'll be lucky to average 85 in reality so will get there 25 mins quicker. You will also have used a few gallons more fuel and be a lot more stressed out.
I used to do Leeds to Leicester a lot in the 80s in my escort. I would drive flat out most of the time and was used to the fact that the fuel gauge would read well under 1/4 when I got home. One day I was stopped near Sheffield, doing over 90, and drove like a 'good boy' for the rest of the day. I got home and had over 1/2 a tank left!
These days I tend to hover between 80 and 85. Allowing for the speedo being out, thats safe enough and gives me the right to stay in the outside lane most of the time and avoid the 60mph crowd.

 

[Blobcat]

I did that when I sent my company car back a few years ago. 7,000 miles for tyres and <32mpg for a 1.8petrol. Now I'm paying for the tyres, petrol and services I take it a lot easier. I get there in a much better mood and am a lot less stressed because of it.
I'm not saying I don't have fun whilst driving, I still do at times . I just don't have that 'always have to be somewhere else other than here' attitude which IMO is a quick way to a hearty.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Thanks to a lovely picture I was sent by the West Sussex Safety Camera Partnership I use my cruise control and speed limiter all the time. It certainly does make for a more relaxed drive. It still amazes me though how many of those ****** anoying automated speed signs come on when I go past them UNDER the speed limit. I've double checked this against my sat nav and I am usually 1 to 3mph under the speed limit and they still come on.

Not sure the people behind me are so relaxed though......

Interestingly today when I was driving along the M25, I noticed one of the cameras flash on the opposite carriageway when the traffic was all stationary!

 

[Blobcat]

Interestingly today when I was driving along the M25, I noticed one of the cameras flash on the opposite carriageway when the traffic was all stationary!

The way to beat the M25 variable speed limit cameras is to drive up the hard shoulder I've seen it done quite a few times.

 

[shadowninja]

Interestingly today when I was driving along the M25, I noticed one of the cameras flash on the opposite carriageway when the traffic was all stationary!

The A3 by Tesco New Malden has one facing north on the London-bound carriageway. I've seen it go off when no cars have been there.

Off-topic, I was playing with my cruise control/speed limiter. When set exactly to the speed limit, I found my mind wandered more as it was something I didn't have to worry about constantly. Just could put my foot to the floor and found I was not watching the traffic in front of me so much. I do not look forward to the introduction of proper limiters. They need to do much more research, perhaps monitoring the eye patterns when such systems are switched on.

The fact is, speed does not kill. Poor observation kills. Was quite amusing on the radio this morning hearing the "high sheriff of Surrey" (insert coffee shaking emoticon here) saying how they'd invested in speed signs (if you're doing over 40 then it tells you what the speed limit is) and that... "Speed kills... as does driving under the influence". He just couldn't bring himself to lie properly.

 

[kid-jensen]

Shadowninja wrote:
"The A3 by Tesco New Malden has one facing north on the London-bound carriageway. I've seen it go off when no cars have been there".

I work opposite this camera, and a ****** nuisence it is too. Surprising how far away the flash can distract you when it's going off all the time.

About time it got a "Soweto-collar" I think!

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

There are those that use expanding builders foam apparently. I am not recommending this as I am sure it contravines the forum policies, but if you fill one up with this foam it goes hard and apparently explodes. I'd like to see that....

 

[Blobcat]

I think Screwfix are having a sale...;-)

 

[television]

Expanding foam also works well on car doors,and house door locks. you cant open it once its set.

My local paper had an artcle saying that a speed camara had a camara wathing it as it had been set fire too 10 times.


Malcolm

 

[Lance]

Driving at 70 is really hard. On the one hand, you have to slow down for all the wagons and other slow drivers that pull into lane 2 (on a 3 lane motorway) then pull into lane 3 to overtake that, and by the same token, when in lane 3, the 90+ merchants are up your preverbial. I agree that around 85 is the ideal where you can stay in lane 3 most of the time. From a fuel economy point of view, so that you're not constantly accelerating and decelerating, and with the cruise on, it's far more economical than trying to drive at 70.

 

[television]

Driving at 70 is really hard. On the one hand, you have to slow down for all the wagons and other slow drivers that pull into lane 2 (on a 3 lane motorway) then pull into lane 3 to overtake that, and by the same token, when in lane 3, the 90+ merchants are up your preverbial. I agree that around 85 is the ideal where you can stay in lane 3 most of the time. From a fuel economy point of view, so that you're not constantly accelerating and decelerating, and with the cruise on, it's far more economical than trying to drive at 70.

I too fully agree with the above,its what I do.

Malcolm

 

[hawk20]

Driving at 70 is really hard. On the one hand, you have to slow down for all the wagons and other slow drivers that pull into lane 2 (on a 3 lane motorway) then pull into lane 3 to overtake that, and by the same token, when in lane 3, the 90+ merchants are up your preverbial. I agree that around 85 is the ideal where you can stay in lane 3 most of the time. From a fuel economy point of view, so that you're not constantly accelerating and decelerating, and with the cruise on, it's far more economical than trying to drive at 70.

However appealing it may be you should not stay in lane three. The rule is: 'if there is room to the left, you should be in it'. It is just as bad to stay in lane three as it is to become a fixture in the middle lane. Now there's a popular point of view!

 

[blassberg]

Driving at 70 is really hard. On the one hand, you have to slow down for all the wagons and other slow drivers that pull into lane 2 (on a 3 lane motorway) then pull into lane 3 to overtake that, and by the same token, when in lane 3, the 90+ merchants are up your preverbial.

I agree with that

 

[blassberg]

However appealing it may be you should not stay in lane three. The rule is: 'if there is room to the left, you should be in it'. It is just as bad to stay in lane three as it is to become a fixture in the middle lane. Now there's a popular point of view!

Well according to respected Police driver, Mr Tom Pritchard, who claims to have introduced Vascar in this country anyway, I should consider staying in lane 3 at all times unless there is a reason not to - for example a car wanting to overtake and there is room on the left for me to move into. It's a little tried theory admittedly as I don't get overtaken too often....

 

[blassberg]

However clearly we don't want you all doing that please...

 

[Myros]

you are permitted to stay in Lane 2

if to return to lane 1 would mean constantly pulling into and out of lane 1. So , if you are genuinely overtaking the long column ( 200 miles) of slower truck traffic in lane1, then stay in lane 2 you may.
A good guide is, if you pull in to lane 1, would you have to pull out again right away to overtake another vehicle? If yes, then stay in lane 2. If not, pull back into lane 1.
On the polpulated stretches of motorway, lane 2 tends to be where you will end up.
The same rule can be used for lanes 3 ( 4, 5, and 6 as well). They key factors are speed and traffic conditions.

 

[entropymatters]

Driving at 70 is really hard. On the one hand, you have to slow down for all the wagons and other slow drivers that pull into lane 2 (on a 3 lane motorway) then pull into lane 3 to overtake that, and by the same token, when in lane 3, the 90+ merchants are up your preverbial. I agree that around 85 is the ideal where you can stay in lane 3 most of the time. From a fuel economy point of view, so that you're not constantly accelerating and decelerating, and with the cruise on, it's far more economical than trying to drive at 70.

What a load of TOSH! Fuel economy suffers at speeds over 60 and drops significantly at speeds over 70. This is due to a number of factors including the weight of the vehicle, the coefficient of drag, etc. but is significantly affected by the speed. Aerodynamic drag increases with the square of velocity and the power needed to maintain that speed increases as the cube of velocity. This means that if a car needs 10hp to overcome drag at 40 mph, it needs 80 hp to overcome drag at 80 mph. This is why the 200 mph top speed target has proved so difficult for the manufacturers to achieve.
Please don't confuse your inability to drive slowly with some half baked excuse about fuel economy.
Try increasing the gap between you and the car in front, improve your anticipation and use the mirrors more if you want to drive more slowly.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Please don't confuse your inability to drive slowly with some half baked excuse about fuel economy.
.

don't you have to pass "slowly" to get to "fast"?

btw, too slowly is VERY dangerous as it winds up people that actually want to drive somewhere near the speed limit and causes accidents. If you want to drive slowly that's fine, just get out of the way every now and again and let the traffic jam you are causing get past before you cause an accident. If people are driving to fast for your liking then that is an issue for the police to sort out not you.

 

[Shambolic]

Speed camaeras go off every couple of hours to release the stored energy in the flash(I was told this after one flashed at me and I was under the limit).

The problem with motorways and dual carriageway is the lets sit in the middle or outside lane brigade so we dont have to move in and out.

We drive on the ****** left in this country and when it works eg early morning M74 the motorway is a breeze inside lane 60-70 out into middle lane to overtake at 70-80 and back into the nearside lane very little need for outside lane.
That is until you all catch up on some tube at 65-70 in the middle lane this causes chaos as everyone has to go right out to 3rd lane and back in again and they still sit there oblivious to all and sundry.

Also the outside lane sitters who wont look in their mirror and see you coming up from a distance and pull in (there is invariably nothing inside them) until you are tailgaiting(not through choice) they then eventually pull in and draw you a dirty look for being up their arse!!
People need to be more aware and use their mirrors and common sense and the roads and indeed the world would be a better place for all.

Apart fae that ****** cow that tried to cut off for the Erskine Bridge from the outside lane at the last minute this morning just to get in front of my van(which was hiding a wee cinquencento right in front of me)and then had the cheek to throw a rude gesture at me as if i had done something wrong as I had to let her in as she was coming in anyway and I would have had to say good morning to the sheep in the field!:x