I use to love driving and almost get withdrawal symptoms if I went for a long period without being behind the wheel.

But with the proliferation of speed cameras etc and traffic, is it fun anymore?

I find it increasingly more stressful to drive - I do 30 miles per day and drive through 10 speed cameras everyday!One eye is fixed on the speedo and one eye looking out for cameras/dangers.

whats it going to be like in another 10 years - Im sure every car will be fitted with GPS monitoring our speed etc.

Comments

 

That's a depressing, but valid, thought - and exactly why it's NOW that you should be writing to your MP and maybe the press too, just to point out that 'black boxes' are unaccaptable, that cameras are ineffctive at reducing accidents and are a distraction, and any other issues you may feel are worth mentioning.

Remember, if you don't, then those who don't (drive to) work every day and who have more spare time on their hands will - and that skews the picture against us. Next time a Government press release says 'most people who contacted us were in favour of...', you'll know who to blame.

Not trying to have a nag... just a friendly prod

 

most of us drive most of our annual mileage during rush hour. go out at different times and it becomes fun again. (never seen a mobile scamera van at night).

 

Do what jjones said, or do trackdays. People generally drive far too slowly on the roads these days.

 

I have.

Almost exactly midnight, M6 southbound on a bridge at the bottom of a long downhill stretch in Lancashire. There were about 4 other cars on the motorway, in both directions visible to me at the time.

Fortunately I was going the other way and sticking to 70.

I find it's best to stick to the few remaining NSL twisty A roads late at night where keeping 60 on the corners is a challenge.

 

Depends where you live I suppose.

Here in Wales were afflicted by ugly women, lots of rain and good looking sheep, but the speed cameras are few and far between (apart from when Wales Rally GB is in town).

I sympathise with you English residents, I hate driving that side of the severn bridge, cos any decent road has a camera somewhere along the way.

Give me the A&B roads of mid Wales anytime. Lots of nice twisty bits with sexy looking sheep all over the place

Cheers

 

Get yourself up too scotland or wales for a few days.

It will re-kindle your love of driving

 

I disagree.

A702 Carlisle -> Edinburgh always has a talivan on the one good overtaking spot.
M74/A74 SB always has two talivans on bridges on my way home from Glasgow.
A701 is much fun however, though I don't think it'll be good in the tourist season.

My driving in Wales is largely limited to the A50 to Rhyl which has lots of cameras, and one run to Owswestry which was admittedly camera free. But OTOH there is Gwent which has that nutter in charge who wants to ban driving and legalise heroin.

 

My WRX-RA is for Hill Climbing next year, can't be arsed to take the risk to wind it up on the roads.

Do the odd event every month or so, use the car for what it was designed for, to compete.

Driving within your own limits & car capabilities should keep you on the black stuff, lets face it there's more risk to your pride & joy & innocent folk belting around country lanes.

That's my spin, tis easy....

PNB :-)

 

Like Sunday morning on the A61 near where I live at 07:30 and guess what....a scamera van
Appears on there every other Sunday at that time in the summer

 

I think he means the real Scotland

 

Rhyl.....................that's practically in the Arctic Circle, and Gwent............well thats about as English as Wales gets

No further North than Rhyader and no further East than Cardiff and you'll be Ok

 

Speed humps, mini roundabouts put where there is no realistic space or need for them, speed cameras along roads through wide open countryside, chicanes and other 'obstructions' are the bane of my (driving) life. A lot of people (including advanced driving experts/agencies argue that speed cameras and humps may cause dangerous driving - because drivers are too busy watching their speedos or staring at speed ramps/humps working out how to steer round them or avoid damaging their cars rather than watching the road ahead properly. One could add in environmental damage of cars slowing down and speeding up, increased noise for local residents, the untold damage to our cars, injury to those with back problems, the sheer unsightleness of all this paraphenalia, not to mention the waste of taxpayers money on grandiose schemes.

In essence, do we really need speed cameras across Salisbury Plain on the A303 when there is no other traffic ahead? If we have to have speed cameras, place them where they are really needed in busy residential areas or near to schools.

My very top hate are those nasty little ramps on the roads around superstores - horrible hard little ones that no matter how slowly you drive over them, the suspension goes bang and you feel it right up your spine. I might even boycot these places - that'll serve them right.

 

To quote Nigel Blinman "Traffic Calming - I've just negotiated your obstacle course. Do I look any calmer?"

I wonder how many drivers make it a matter of principle to drive at exactly 30 MPH through these chicaines and over speed bumps as the techniques needed to do this can be quite dangerous in themselves, eg...

1) going up a speed table thingy on a junction diagnolly so that the vertical angle for your wheels is decreased.

2) Spending time to accurately position yourself for a speed pillow so that you can take advantage of the fact that ambulances need to be able to go straight over without getting bumped, and not paying as much attention to the child crossing just ahead

3) Racing line through chicaines.

4) Straight over the top of a mini roundabout by treating it the same as a speed pillow, but failing to take into account that those things are very slippy in the rain.

5) Drivers of lowered or poorly maintained cars mounting the kerb so that their exhaust travels through the space between the edge of a normal speed hump and the kerb (my dad used to have to do this for one set of speed humps in his correctly maintained unmodified Mini)

6) Certain cars for which the jolt to the spine is reduced if you hit the bump at 30 rather than 20. I cannot explain why this is, but it was definately noticeable in my old Escort, resulting in me speeding up for speed bumps in 20 zones.

Any more examples of dangerous behaviour which would not happen if the traffic calming was not there?

 

Driving in this country is not fun.

Driving in spain however is relaxing, refreshing, almost carefree. Barring being lost in a big city during rush hour, but even then it doesn't come close to home.

I find It so weird that I can blast down an Autovia at a speed I feel safe without constantly looking at my speedo, looking at every overhead bridge for a plod and laser, look at every layby for a camera van or speed camera. It's physically draining.

Also the barrage of signs, coloured road, road markings, lanes, don't do this, do this do that. Spain has hardly any of this, usual sign for bends, a few speed limit sign, advisory speed approaching sharp bends. No road markings except at islands...all island have the same lane disapline (none). Not even give way lines on the traffic lights (if you can't see the lights you've gone too far!). There's less to take in, so you can concentrate on driving, rather than worry at what speed or lane you should be in.

 

Good question.

I would say its much less fun.

I notice traffic increasing significantly year on year
I notice more filthy rozzer speed traps
I notice speed limits being lowered
I notice more road rage from other drivers and willingess to step out of the car for minor things

To combat most of this ive started trying to leave earlier, fitted both laser jammer and GPS detector and am taking up Kung Fu.

And im not joking either.

MB

 

it is definately becoming not fun. I used to live in Coventry and, yes, there are cameras around but there are also a few good fun roads out in the sticks that are worth a blast.

I now live in Kingston and must confess that I hate my commute, winter is really bad because Richmond park opens late and closes early. Speed cameras and bumps are also pretty bad around here. Having said that, traffic wardens are a real nightmare here - they go around on scooters! complete t0sser5 :|

I also agree that 'safety' cameras cause the roads not to be safe. People _are_ too busy trying to spot them and mobile vans when they should be concentrating on the road.

Matt

 

You realise how bad it is driving in this country when you drive abroad in places like France and Germany where it is still a pleasure - no wonder 64% of the population here would emigrate given the chance !!

 

I drove from Oldham to Huddersfield down some top driving roads this evening - at 30mph which was OK for about 5% of the journey but 95% should be 40-60 easily. The proliferation of cameras is pathetic around huddersfield. Crawled onto the M way to gridlock & questioned why I bothered having a car capable of 0-60 in 4 odd secs. Then came off the motorway with a Clio 182 in hot pursuit & suddenly remembered why as it gloriously vanished to a tiny spec in the mirror! Turned off down my favourite local twisty bit & all was well again

 

What you need is a car that is more fun at lower pace. Thats why the original MX5 was such a hit, and why I still prefer my rackety old classic to any of the over engineered, sound proofed heavy newage Impreza's(haven't driven a SPec C, but I like the idea..light is better). Fact is a 'classic' impreza imparts a feeling of speed far beyond what the speedo says...totally different from, say, a 996 C4S or MY03STIPPP, where you need to constantly remind yourself of your speed by looking down...hence the old scoob is more fun more of the time IMHO.
I also make an anual trip to the Highlands to worship real roads
Cman

 

Try the Congleton to Buxton road really early one summer morning.

This is by far the best road I've ever driven on as you can see round nearly every corner - great for taking that racing line and getting the back end out. There's some great humps which means you can get all 4 wheels off the road at one time.

What out for sheep near the top though.

 

We could go off on a tangent and nominate stretches of road with the most inappropriate speed limits. Mine would be the long stretches of wide open roads in more or less pure countryside between Reading and Nettlebed or Henley (South Oxfordshire) where incredibly it is 30MPH but 40 would be more reasonable, if not 50. The stupid thing that a narrow and very twisty lane near Woodley (Berkshire) is national speed limit (60MPH) but you would be reckless doing any more than 30MPH. Local authorities need their heads banged together and told to adopt some sort of national standards on road speeds. I know that 'traffic flow regulation' may be a factor, but sometimes it's the sublime to the ridiculous.

 

Oh and.. the best stretches of roads for driving?

 

Driving wasn't much fun.....till I got the scooby! :-) I don't even mind going very slowly in it (which I frequently have to around my way) just sit back enjoy the torque and the flat four burble! :-)

Completely agree with all the coments about speed camera proliferation and pointless traffic claming measures though; we've got quite enough of them where I come from. I plan to take a trip to the lake district soon to enjoy some real roads, any suggestions? ;-)

Best.

 

JCT 40 M6 Then Penrith to Alston road fits the bill,as mentioned on here before.Just stick to the limit through the towns ,due to camera vans etc.Enjoy.

 

round here thank god we are blessed with decent rds, with no speed cameras, and narrow and twisty but still more then big enough for two cars to fit through.

BUT all the a-rd's have been reduced from 60 to 40

 

I dont find driving as much fun as i used to. Im selling the P1 and getting a golf tdi. When youre not looking out for cameras or plods with lasers youll find yourself in heavy traffic most of the time. Coupled with the excessive running costs Ive had enough of 6 years of impreza ownership.

 

Oi Nutta!
*slap*
Ok, now snap outta it!

Cman