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#Post#: 19937--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: andy_foster
Date: April 18, 2024, 5:16 pm
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Admittedly, a single incident is not statistically significant,
but my experience of traffic police and addressing bad driving
is not promising.
Some years ago, the M4 westbound unusually had a large number of
vehicles in lanes 1 and 2, travelling at a reasonable speed but
far too close together, so much so, that I felt uncomfortable
driving in said lanes, and pretty much no traffic in lane 3 -
which was far more comfortable due to the lack of an apparent 5
mile pile-up if anyone happened to sneeze. Obviously, it is rude
to sit in lane 3 without overtaking the vehicles in the lower
lanes, and my car at the time (a 2.9 Granada) effortlessly
picked up speed.
Cutting a long story short, after a marked traffic car stopped
coming to a stop on an overbridge (junction) when he saw me
"making progress" in lane 3, sat on my outside as if the
passenger was trying to syphon petrol out of my tank for about
half a mile at 65mph (having seen the marked traffic car react
to my progress, I had ceased making progress) before shooting
off at 140+mph because he was pissed off that he couldn't follow
check me at ~120, I got pulled by an unmarked car, which had
only managed to record my speed at 96 (which was too low for
their internal rules to process) and was majorly p*ssed off at
the at least 6 cars that had pulled out in front of me causing
me to brake sharply when the unmarked car was hoping to clock me
at ~120.
TL;DR - real (unmarked) traffic police's opinion of lemmings
dangerously pulling out in front of a car travelling at a far
higher speed is that this was a problem because it prevented
them catching me for a worthwhile speed.
Also had a few choice quotes. Opening gambit was "If it wasn't
for that traffic car, you'd be getting a ticket now", followed
by "stop smirking", and (considering that it was an unmarked
car) "we're surprised you didn't see us".
#Post#: 20054--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: roythebus
Date: April 20, 2024, 5:14 am
---------------------------------------------------------
In a similar vein back in the 1980s a workmate who lived in
Farnham and worked at Waterloo (train drivers) used to ride a
very quick Italian motorcycle and used to use its full capacity
in the early hours along the M3. He told that one early morning
on the empty M3 a set of headlights followed him at about 110
then dropped back. A bit further another set of headlamps caught
up with him so he accelerated a bit more. The bike had been
tested by a magazine at about 140 mph. The headlights dropped
back. He carried on along the Chertsey Road at a slower pace
(pre-speed camera days) and found a police road block on the
roundabout at Twickenham. He asked the officers what was the
problem, "you". He was asked how fast he thought he was going on
the M3. "Don't know" he replied I was busy watching the road".
He was told it had taken the officers of 3 police forces to
catch him, they didn't have anything fast enough to record his
speed so the road block was their way of stopping him. Fearing
the worse when he got the court papers through he was charged
with exceeding the 70mph limit on the motorway. As they couldn't
prove how fast he was going it was a nominal fine. I can't
remember if they done penalty points in those days.
#Post#: 20057--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: ivanleo
Date: April 20, 2024, 6:52 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: roythebus link ---
>
> As they couldn't prove how fast he was going it was a nominal
fine. I can't remember if they done penalty points in those
days.
>
--- End Quote ---
They did, a relative of mine tells me they were called
endorsements as they were physically put onto your paper licence
at the time. He proudly tells me how his licence was extended
with a number of supplementary pages that were attached in a
concertina pattern that would roll out when he opened it up.
They didn't ban him because his garage had a maintenance
contract with the police and it would have caused real problems
if they had.
#Post#: 20058--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: 666
Date: April 20, 2024, 7:13 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: cp8759 link ---
>
> [quote author=roythebus link=topic=1606.msg20054#msg20054
date=1713608069]
> As they couldn't prove how fast he was going it was a nominal
fine. I can't remember if they done penalty points in those
days.
>
--- End Quote ---
They did, a relative of mine tells me they were called
endorsements as they were physically put onto your paper licence
at the time. He proudly tells me how his licence was extended
with a number of supplementary pages that were attached in a
concertina pattern that would roll out when he opened it up.
They didn't ban him because his garage had a maintenance
contract with the police and it would have caused real problems
if they had.
[/quote]
They're still called endorsements, but it's only since the Road
Traffic Offenders Act 1988 that they've had points attached.
Before that there was no totting, but a court could simply take
a view that your record merited a ban.
#Post#: 20071--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: slapdash
Date: April 20, 2024, 9:51 am
---------------------------------------------------------
There was totting (and it was referred to as such colloquially).
A similar system.
After 3 endorsements (these were hand written on your paper
licence and recorded centrally, so printed on a replacement) you
got a 6 month ban. However you could argue hardship. At that
point (at least in '83) a simple "we'll fire them" letter would
usually do the trick.
You could repeat this process until the bench eventually
disqualified. (I survived 4, but not my 5th).
When you reapplied for your licence it came back with the same
XX99 code.
#Post#: 20267--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: roythebus
Date: April 22, 2024, 6:10 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Ah yes, endorsements, I've had a few of those over the last 54
years! Including one for driving a bus down a buses only road in
1973!! That is what made me take more than a passing interest in
motoring law.
#Post#: 20564--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: Pastmybest
Date: April 25, 2024, 3:36 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Some interesting views. Mine, increasing the speed limit for
those who believe they have the skill does not account for the
fact that the still have to share the roads with skill less
numpties.
The driving test needs be far more difficult to pass and people
need to understand driving is a privilege not a right, If you do
not have the skill nor the inclination to follow the rules then
you should not be allowed to drive.
I do not mean every little peccadillo should cost you your
licence, mistakes happen, but blatant disregard should.
I would propose a two tiered licence, the second tier allowing
motorway driving. Middle lane hogging, tailgating,etc should
result in the loss of the privilege of being able to drive on a
motorway,for a period of time
Once you educate drivers on the proper way to drive on a
motorway then you can experiment with the speed limits.
#Post#: 20565--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: roythebus
Date: April 25, 2024, 3:49 am
---------------------------------------------------------
The trouble is that drivers in the UK can use motorways without
ever having driven on one. Take those in Scotland for instance,
no motorway for hundreds of miles, how would they ever get
experience?
The only times I ever seem to get nicked for a speeding ticket
is after midnight when there's little or no traffic around and
the cameras can actually take a photo of a single car! Even
then, it's never been more than 10 mph over the limit. I tend to
take the view I may as well drive at about 86mph on motorways as
the threshold for 3 points is the same for 75 as it is for 86 or
whatever the limit is. I've got a mystery ticket coming soon in
a hire car last week, I'm not aware of being flashed anywhere, I
only drove the car at night.
#Post#: 20575--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: andy_foster
Date: April 25, 2024, 5:29 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Roy, if you're going to apply the 3 point rule, you might as
well drive at 95mph - although I don't know what your reactions
are like. If they are as good as your retention of facts, I
would suggest that we would all be far safer if you sat closer
to the back of the bus.
For 75 in a 70 limit, there will be no enforcement.
For 79 to 86 (10%+2 - 10%+9) you would expect to be offered a
course if eligible, otherwise
For 79 to 95, you would expect a fixed penalty
For 96 and above, go see the beak.
N.B. the above are based on recorded speed - if the camera
over-reads slightly and you can prove you were only doing 95,
the beak will not be impressed.
There are many, many ways that the driving test(s) could be
improved - but as long as it is a pass once and then do what you
like afterwards, driving standards will not significantly
improve. As a side-rant (although it doesn't affect me as I
passed my bike test pre-direct access), there is no point having
multiple tests to ride larger capacity bikes, if they are all
the same test, assessed on the same criteria, but taken on
larger capacity bikes.
#Post#: 20657--------------------------------------------------
Re: Driving law proposals could see motorway speed limits raised
to 100mph to 'reduce congestion'
DIR By: ivanleo
Date: April 25, 2024, 4:38 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I'd be all for mandatory re-testing.
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