Speeding

[SLinKyjoe]

PS If you're so upset about someone driving over 70mph, maybe you should write to your MP and suggest manufacturers fit speed limiters to cars....and see how popular you are then.....LOL

dont want to sound a bit boring but My Merc has a speed limiter fitted. and it also has me too. which allows me to chose whether i shall avoid speeding by setting it, or risk speeding by letting the left boot get a bit playful with the throttle. Writing to your MP will not help. if they were to comlusory fit speed limiters like mercs do, then they would remove a income generation scheme. to offset this lack of finance they would up the tax. at least this way only those who get gatso'd pay towards the country, in political speak that means they who break the law subsidise the law abiding rest of us. or at least thoes of us who dont get caught.

 

[paulcallender]

dont want to sound a bit boring but My Merc has a speed limiter fitted. and it also has me too. which allows me to chose whether i shall avoid speeding by setting it, or risk speeding by letting the left boot get a bit playful with the throttle. Writing to your MP will not help. if they were to comlusory fit speed limiters like mercs do, then they would remove a income generation scheme. to offset this lack of finance they would up the tax. at least this way only those who get gatso'd pay towards the country, in political speak that means they who break the law subsidise the law abiding rest of us. or at least thoes of us who dont get caught.

It really doesn't matter, but I was referring to the scheme in the pipeline to have a 'module' in each car, which uses GPS technology and an radio-data transmission updated database, connected to the ECU so it forces the car to not break the speed limit. I didn't mean the current driver-set speed limiters, or the 155mph factory set one.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

It really doesn't matter, but I was referring to the scheme in the pipeline to have a 'module' in each car, which uses GPS technology and an radio-data transmission updated database, connected to the ECU so it forces the car to not break the speed limit. I didn't mean the current driver-set speed limiters, or the 155mph factory set one.

Fair point. but using that technology (And I know this is off topic) but that would also allow us to increase speed limits at times in areas where it can be acceptable. such as the M1 at 3am you could safley do 100mph in good weather. but passed a school at 0820am you can only do 20MPH. this is actually a good idea and the techonology is available. it helps control traffic flow which keeps us moving, you can have unrestricted areas, unrestricted lanes and none is this would mean we would get caught for speeding therefore no police need to patrol these areas. thus allowing them to employ there resources to stop real crimes. this helps everyone except the nambypamby softies. The Eco brigade will be happy as we can use any fuel soucres for this and as we use roads more efficintly you wont need to build too many more roads. So all in all it is a good thing if we introduced this technolgy today. unfortunatley it comes at a price and it will be road pricing that pays for it. But think, no more traffic jams, less road accidents, and getting from a-b quicker too. better than sitting on a bus/train dont you think.

 

[tom7035]

Driving over the limit on a public road is one thing. Doubling it is nothing short of reckless.

 

[paulcallender]

Maybe everyone should qualify their position in this debate, with the number of points they have on their licence. I'll kick it off - none!

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Ah! but Tom is a old and wise, and also used to be a proper policeman. not like them lads today! who do a fantatsic job I have to add, considering you cant say anything to anyone nor clip a boy round the ear. (Takes off t'flatcap and puffs on pipe!)

Licence? :grin:

 

[turnipsock]

Maybe everyone should qualify their position in this debate, with the number of points they have on their licence. I'll kick it off - none!

I too have 'none'.

Speeding in 30 (or 40) areas is unacceptable. Current figures are 50% of all road deaths occur in 30mph areas. 12% of road deaths occur on the motorways.

I'm also against the speed limiter thing that some lorrys and buses currently have. These limit the vehicles to something like 60mph. If they need to make up time, they can only do this in 30 mph areas where it is most dangerous (this may have something to do with the current figures)

In order to get the percentage of deaths down in the 30 mph the easiest way would be to increase the number of deaths in other areas so I would advocate the motorway speed limit be increased.

The 70mph limit was set in 1961 when most cars had drum brakes. Driving at 70mph then was a bit like driving at 100mph in a modern car.

 

[stwat]

I too have 'none'.

The 70mph limit was set in 1961 when most cars had drum brakes. Driving at 70mph then was a bit like driving at 100mph in a modern car.

More like 200mph when you take into consideration all the safety features cars have nowadays!!!! Like ABS and ESP.

Stu

 

[tom7035]

More like 200mph when you take into consideration all the safety features cars have nowadays!!!! Like ABS and ESP.

Stu

-- and would these safety features help the innocents outwith the vehicle at 135 m.p.h. when a tyre blows (and please don't tell me 'modern' tyres don't do that!) or the serpentine belt breaks and your steering has 'gone for a Burton'?

 

[Richard Moakes]

What a lovely emotive subject speed is.

The real issue is, and always has been as follows:

"Speed does not kill, inappropriate speed for the location, experience of the driver and road conditions kills"

I am fed up of do-gooders and politicians screaming that speed kills.

By all means fit compulsory speed limiters for urban areas and traffic density specific speed limiters for motorways, but then increase the speed on motorways when it is quiet and the weather is good.

As for me, I cruise round town very slowly in my old Mercedes, but I have a 180mph Jap supercar in the garage for use on nice dry, quiet roads, and yes I still have 0 points on my license.

Cheers,

Richard

 

[tom7035]

inappropriate speed kills"

You got it in one Richard - I rest my case, as I used to say.

Cheers, 'do-gooder' Tom.

 

[paulcallender]

"Speed does not kill, inappropriate speed for the location, experience of the driver and road conditions kills"

Technically........its the sudden deceleration which kills.......

 

[Richard Moakes]

Technically........its the sudden deceleration which kills.......

Can't argue with that ;-)

Richard

 

[nicky]

i have had a e300td for about a month now and have noticed that after doing 130-135 mph the car willwill not change up the gears even at low speeds is this right a sort of saftey thing or is something wrong? it wiil change up a gear only when tou reach 4000 rpm, thanx for advice.

darren

my car does not change gears a lot at 135mph,but it goes on to 150mph.....

 

[tom7035]

I'm sure you speedsters wouldn't be so keen if, after a high-speed accident, you had had to hose out the human remains from the vehicles then literally shovel it up with the rest of the 'parts' into plastic bags to present to the next-of-kin.
We are talking about public roads here and that's just about the take-off speed of a Boeing 747!
Any fool can drive fast enough to be dangerous.
Happy motoring, just don't come down my road!

P.S. What was the original question again?

 

[nicky]

I'm sure you speedsters wouldn't be so keen if, after a high-speed accident, you had had to hose out the human remains from the vehicles then literally shovel it up with the rest of the 'parts' into plastic bags to present to the next-of-kin.
We are talking about public roads here and that's just about the take-off speed of a Boeing 747!
Any fool can drive fast enough to be dangerous.
Happy motoring, just don't come down my road!

P.S. What was the original question again?

Tom, dont let them get to you!!!!!

 

[tom7035]

No problem Nicky - believe me, I can take it!

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Just to keep this discussion going i removed the post from the other thread.

So the question is, is speeding dangerous, and in what circumstances?

i shall post my comments up after a few others have sold their soul to the devil.

And some rules. no arguments with members. constructive comments only. points can be argued and defended but not at the expense of personal comments. any posts I dont like will be deleted without recourse and no discussion, but the same applies to posts i am happy about, they stay unless they breach the rules of the forum. So if i get emails about reported posts I will not be happy unless you supply a valid point as to what it is breaching. I place this point as some people are very touchy, but when you read the post in the cold light of day, it isnt offensive or an incorrect post. so dont annoy me.

keep it mercedes owener like, thanks, but please bear in mind that this can be an emotive subject and seems to garner loads of replies so keep it proper please.

 

[andy_k]

speeding, wherever is dangerous and places other people at risk.....

question 1, you are doing 100 on a dual carriageway at night, the road in front of you is clear and although the speed limit is 70 you are "completely in control". This dual carriageway crosses a junction and a car is waiting to cross, you see he is stationery and continue, he assumes you are doing 60 or 70, makes a quick calculation based on that and decides to cross the junction. who phones the ambulance?

question 2, you are driving a little over 30 mph in a built up area; you may be late for work, it's raining, and it's not "school run time" a child who isn't at school that day steps out from between two cars less than 20 feet in front of you - what are you going to tell the parents?

There are hundreds of similar scenarios and speed is only safe when all around you are travelling at similar speeds or more importantly assume that some people will be travelling at those kind of speeds. Before any motorway speed limits can be raised the way motorways are used needs to be dealt with. People hogging the middle lane who are just an annoyance at the moment would become the cause of many accidents.

How about drivers who have just passed their test? how fast do we let them go? Do drivers of older cars need different speed limits? Do old people have the same limits as young/middle aged peple?

Speed limits should remain as they are because for the most part they work, if they are Policed sensibly with the officers using their discretion (as they do for the most part) then we have little to worry about.

I think that if we all continue to flaunt the laws then the day will come when they are forced upon us by either far more cameras or worse still all control being taken from us in the form of GPS as mentioned earlier.

Andy

null points

 

[blassberg]

So the question is, is speeding dangerous, and in what circumstances?

If dangerous means risky then yes it is.
Consider a given road / time / conditions and a car travelling at 70 or 100mph.

The probability of an external event will be roughly the same (eg dog runs into road)

The probability of an event being significant is higher at 100mph (for example it takes longer to stop, and more chance of hitting the dog)

The impact - meaning effect is higher at 100mph. The kinetic energy is much higher (about double).

Given that risk equals probability x impact then higher speeds are riskier than lower speeds. And if riskier means more dangerous then yes speeding is dangerous. And like making people wear seat belts and crash helmets we need to make them do what's good for them.

Having said that, it doesn't mean you will have an accident.

OK - my 2p done. Off for a blast.

3 points by the way.