SunnySideUp

I have got to the point, speeding is against the law and is a possible killer.

Felix.

So are we now saying that the bobby who killed the girl whilst driving at 90mph - was her fault.

Felix.

Go on then.........

nixxon

But sometimes it is perfectly safe. It is ,after all, a purely arbitrary figure. Inappropriate speed is always dangerous, and on a given stretch of road can be higher or lower than the legal speed limit according to conditions. Speed cameras do not distinguish between safe or unsafe- just legal or illegal.

corradoboy

Exactly, just as the point was stated recently on here that on a bright summers Sunday morning it may be perfectly safe but illegal to do 100mph on a quiet stretch of motorway, but at 5pm on a foggy Friday tea-time it would be legal but may be unsafe to do 69mph. A police officer might use discretion to turn a blind eye to the former, but a camera never could. It doesn't make it any less illegal, but whether or not it is deemed appropriate is down to your own opinions.

Leslie

When it comes to speeding and keeping to the law, I agree with you completely, and I drive at the speed limits too these days. Traffic now is too heavy to push one's luck as well.

My point was, your heroes have established all these various methods of monitoring as much of our personal lives as possible for their own purposes. I don't much like being spied on at every turn as though I am a criminal and this business of hiding speedcams is all part of that. We really need more traffic police to monitor drivers properly as they always used to and then they would sort out the really dangerous and selfish drivers who drive dangerous cars and are not insured. Neither do I support the use of the terrorism act to arrest us at their slightest whim.

I will repeat, it is not the British way for the authorities to spy on every part of our lives as they do.

Les

Jamz3k

i have to agree with some of Corradoboy's points, on Friday on my way home thru belfast there was a turn-off that i needed to take but standing in the middle of the road for no apparent reason was a woman. I indicated that I would be moving into the lane that she was on and gave her good notice that she was in my way. whilst travelling at below 5mph I actually had to stop in the middle of a busy road and she crouched, screamed and shouted that i near killed her even though i stopped approx 3/4metres away from her, yet she still stood there until finally deciding to move over to the island in the middle of the road

Now by law if i had of ran her over it would have been my fault, but in my mind she deserved to be run over to learn a lesson that you don't stand in the middle of lane talking on ur phone.

Speed doesn't kill, idiots do.

Felix.

Thing is, with more traffic police - they will park in the same places as the cameras. Only this time they will pull you over, give you a lecture, stick you on for speeding and while they are at it - give your car a vigourous MOT and stick you on for a load more things as well.

mart360

Fair enough, at least you know youve been done there and then, rather than the 2 week mail watch, which i think should be outlawed under the GC as mental torture!

lets face it if there speeding in a nontaxed/insured mot'd car, then the sooner there off the roads the better.

Mart

SunnySideUp

OK, so now you are actually justifying murder??

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

How do you know it wasn't suicide

Jamz3k

not murder but maybe a broken leg

Leslie

I remember the traffic police used to follow you for 3/10ths of a mile and if you were speeding then they would either lecture you or book you if you were going very fast or were stupid with your attitude. They would check your licence/insurance etc or give you a producer. They would check you if they thought you had been drinking.

That way they would catch the really dangerous drivers who were committing worse offences than speeding. These days it seems they can save money by being uninsured and paying the fine!

What do you think Felix, you should be in a position to know!

As a lad I would get stopped from time to time but they were usually fair minded and as long as I was taxed and insured and was not cheeky or had not been screaming along the road, I might get a short lecture which was always good sense and be sent on my way. Their attitude meant that I took notice of what they said and relations between the coppers and the public were always good as they should be.

If your vehicle is in an unsafe condition, you deserve to get done for it!

Les

GC8WRX

I know your trolliing, but i ******* hate when people say that, like you never creep over the speed limit, ever?

Should i drive around constantly looking at my speedo, and to hell with any form of hazard perception or road safety, as lond as im doing 29 mph, all will be well?


Arent you too old to drive anyway?

SunnySideUp

I am NOT trolling.

And, yes, I do creep over the speed limit .... that does not mean that I should be excused a fine and points if I am caught when I do.

You should be aware of your speed at all times, so yes - use your speedo to assess your danger to others.

I would suggest that if you cannot glance at your speedo and compute your speed and be able to adjust your speed without causing a hazard - you should not be driving!

Clearly not - as I can glance at my speedo and adjust my speed quite easily and simply, I find no trouble in that skill whatsoever .... even when I was a lot younger I seemed to be able to carry out that task with ease.

Felix.

But police still do this; the cameras are an additional resource. And when we do catch someone committing offence, they say we should be out catching real criminals. I had a drink driver a few weeks ago who was 3 times over, but he has since put a complaint in that I had 'victimised him, shown no leniency and ruined his life'

A short lecture and being sent on your way is fine. But we can't do this all the time. It will come a time when you will get stopped and stuck on for speeding, break light out, no windscreen water etc - and the people will moan again.

It will be good if a quiet word in an ear will change people's attitude and make them drive slower or safer, but it only works on some people. Others think the police are an easy touch and ignore any advice given and carry on as before. How would you feel if it’s your loved one killed by a speeding driver who has been pulled over a dozen times for speeding in the past and let off with a lecture each time.

At the end of the day - you wouldn't speed on your driving test and expect to pass. Everyone speeds (including me) - just accept the fact you take a chance when you do. And all that happens is you get a fine and points, we aren't going to chop your leg off.

scoobynutta555

I suppose when I perceive that conditions allow, I break the posted speed limit every day. I drive safely and not like a lunatic. Quite a lot of the limits around here have had 10-20 mph knocked off of them. I suppose the holier than tho non law breakers won't be upset when the national speed limits for roads comes down from 60 to 50 quite soon.

I'd also rather be 'caught' by a traffic officer than a brainless bit of metal by the side of the road.

Leslie

Fair enough and I would not expect you to let everyone off. It would surely depend on the severity of the offence. If someone is obviously breaking the law deliberately and in a dangerous manner, then they deserve what they get. There is no excuse for driving over the limit either in my book.

Yes we all creep over the limit occasionally, easy to do and a couple of MPH over the permitted excess is not all that bad really. Those who take advantage and belt along well over the limit cannot be excused and they can't complain if they get done for it.

My initial complaint was for using underhand methods of catching people anyway, nothing like the sight of a traffic car parked by the road to slow people down!

Les

Dream Weaver

Speed limits are purely an opinion by some outdated lawmakers years ago.

Yes, speeding through a busy residential area is silly, but doing 70 in a 60 limit on an empty road with no other cars/pedestrians/houses/junctions etc is very far from dangerous.

I live very near to where this hidden camera van is as reported by CB and its not the only one, there are plenty of hidden cameras in this area. The problem is it hasn't changed a thing. Everyone knows where they are, and it doesn't stop the Saxo brigade coming down the hill past my house at 100mph every night (30mph limit)

Residential limits should be kept at 30, but on the open roads they should be variable.

Going over a prehistoric speed limit doesn't kill, inappropriate speed, terrible driving and uneducated drivers & pedestrians cause the problems. If speed alone kills Pete, are you saying I would be safe on an icy NSL road in winter doing 50mph? After all that is under the speed limit.

Leslie

They intend to make them variable DW-down to 20 mph in places!

The RTA and the Highway code puts the onus on the driver to drive according to road conditions.

Les