Slow down!

[CarlMetro]

How many of you stick to the speed limits on motorways? We all break it occasionally, I know I do, usually at night when coming home from a gig, but I'm increasingly amazed at just home many people don't stick to the limit at all.

You should all try it sometime, just sit on a motorway at 70mph and see how many cars overtake you compared to the ammount that you overtake.

[Donney]

I am guilty, speed limit on motorways here is 120 km/h and I usually do 130 km/h, it is a little less than that, but at least 5 or 6 km over the limit.

[Drew]

I don't stick to the speed limit on the motorway.

Due to having a lack of petrol once, I drove along the dual carriageway at about 60mph then at 70mph when going down hill and I was a little surprised the amount of people flying passed.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Some speed limits seem tedious. Much of the A6 between Lancaster and Preston is 40mph even though it is, rural, quite straight, wide and has a god road surface. You could easily do 60mph without breaking into a sweat. 40mph seems incredibly slow.

I've yet to go on a motorway, but I know from dual carriageways that my cars tyre noise is very loud when you go over 70mph. So when I do go on a motorway I'll probably stick to the speed limit.

I'm worried about those speed cameras that track your average speed. If I get caught speeding twice i'll lose my license, and we don't want that do we ;)

[Stuartf12007]

i always do between 70 and 90 mph on the motorway, no matter what lane im in.

people that use the fast lane and dont get out the way are some what annoying.

[Mark]

Jon if you have excessive tyre noise at 70 then I would think that is a problem. My car is similar to yours and it can do 80 without thinking about it.

[GridGirl]

I suppose I may do 80mph on the motorway at night and may break the limit if I'm overtaking, but I wouldn't say I'm an habitual speed limit breaker. I can save a good quarter of a tank of fuel over a distance of say 125 miles if I stick to the 70mph limit compared to when I've been in a rush and driven faster.

What does annoy me is when your doing 70mph in the slow lane and start having to worry about undertaking people as they are doing 60mph in the middle lane when theres nothing to stop them pulling back in. :rolleyes:

[Mark]

Nice to have 150bhp there when it is needed tho :p

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Jon if you have excessive tyre noise at 70 then I would think that is a problem. My car is similar to yours and it can do 80 without thinking about it.

Maybe it's because I was used to driving a Renault. :p

It isn't excessive tyre noise, it's just noticeable.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Nice to have 150bhp there when it is needed tho :p

Tell me about it :p

60bhp really isn't enough for a car of the Punto's weight when you are going up Shap fell :\

[GridGirl]

Know what you mean Jon, my old 206 was a pokey 1.1 with not enough engine for such a big car. Getting a 150bhp to replace it might have been slightly excessive. Oh well. Sadly its been parked along with numerous supercars this week and looks like a weedy little slow thing. :bigcry:

Are you sure its tyre noise and not engine noise? Diesel cars, well new ones anyway sound much quieter than the equivalent petrol version.

[fandango]

These days I've often had the bicycle rack on the back of the van. Its only contact with the vehicle is via the tow hook, and in the instructions they basically say it's not 100% safe over 90kmh. So at the beginning I was careful, and I was amazed at what went passed. It didn't take long before I saw cars with the same bike carrying system flying past at at least 140kmh.

Today I stuck to the limit going through Montjuic (used to be an F1 circuit) 40 kmh!!! It felt like I was trying to be a mime or something...

[Stuartf12007]

Nice to have 150bhp there when it is needed tho :p

its better to have 198bhp

[Hazell B]

its better to have 198bhp

I've got not far off that according to the nice people who made my vehicle. Doesn't make it fast though, so I won't be showing off like a sad 'un ;)

Carl, I tend to stick to 70 and perhaps a massive leap to 75 if I'm on a long journey. It is quite a surprise how many vehicles pass, isn't it? Especially flimsy little things with a ten foot gap between them and the car ahead.

Can't remember the last time I used the fast lane, either. Having said that, I'm usually towing so stick to 50 as the law states. Cheaper in my heavy vehicle too.

Came home a few sundays ago along 10 miles of motorway at 50 (towing) and didn't see a single vehicle in the left hand lane and didn't catch up with anything. Two cars, both small hatchbacks, passed me towing loaded horse trailers. Bloody idiots. Several caravans passed me too, all speeding.

[Hondo]

its better to have 198bhp

Even better to have 325 bhp stuffed into the back of a 1986 Fiero GT. Not much range though. Only about 150 miles between fill-ups and it would chew up a geared-tooth water pump belt about very 500 miles. I used it for a daily driver for about 6 months then retired it to "toy" status. Awesome car.

[Hazell B]

Even better to have 325 bhp stuffed into the back of a 1986 Fiero GT.

You are my hero :p :

[J4MIE]

On motorways or dual carriageways I stick to 80. Don't see the problem with it although I did see "Bob Smith Builders" white and brown van parked on an overpass on the M6 recently, happened to have a speed camera sticking out the side of it :dozey:

Why should I slow down to 70? To see people overtake me? Bizarre :\

[Drew]

Can't remember the last time I used the fast lane, either. Having said that, I'm usually towing so stick to 50 as the law states. Cheaper in my heavy vehicle too.

Came home a few sundays ago along 10 miles of motorway at 50 (towing) and didn't see a single vehicle in the left hand lane and didn't catch up with anything. Two cars, both small hatchbacks, passed me towing loaded horse trailers. Bloody idiots. Several caravans passed me too, all speeding.

Hazell, isn't the limit 60mph on dual carraiageways and motorways whilst towing a trailer? Or have the laws changed?

[Iain]

On motorways or dual carriageways I stick to 80. Don't see the problem with it although I did see "Bob Smith Builders" white and brown van parked on an overpass on the M6 recently, happened to have a speed camera sticking out the side of it :dozey:



I saw something like that last year near Stoke on the M6, except it was an old VW camper van with a camera in it. :mark:

I stick to the limit on roads and in areas I don't really know. Back home, I'm a bit brisker. :p :

[GridGirl]

Wow, its like who can beat who on the horse power jobbies. After all its not size that counts, its what you do with it. :p

Besides, like your mother always says when someone overtakes you, "Well they won't get there any faster" ;)

[Mark]

Well my Mum is usually wrong about such things :D

[Brown, Jon Brow]

its better to have 198bhp

I'd prefer not to drive a 'white good' though ;)




Can't remember the last time I used the fast lane, either. Having said that, I'm usually towing so stick to 50 as the law states. Cheaper in my heavy vehicle too.

Came home a few sundays ago along 10 miles of motorway at 50 (towing) and didn't see a single vehicle in the left hand lane and didn't catch up with anything. Two cars, both small hatchbacks, passed me towing loaded horse trailers. Bloody idiots. Several caravans passed me too, all speeding.

The speed limit when you are towing is 60 mph :p



Even better to have 325 bhp stuffed into the back of a 1986 Fiero GT. Not much range though. Only about 150 miles between fill-ups and it would chew up a geared-tooth water pump belt about very 500 miles. I used it for a daily driver for about 6 months then retired it to "toy" status. Awesome car.

It had 325bhp in 1986 but who much does it have now? ;)

[oily oaf]

You are my hero :p :

Hehehehe The big swingin' dicks are restless tonite Bwana ;)

[Allyc85]

I used to everytime. but on the way to castle combe a few weeks ago I stuck to 70mph n got there just as quick and got to witness some shocking driving *cough* bmw drivers *cough*

[Stuartf12007]

i can gurantee you would'nt get there quicker than me

[Drew]

Not even if he was doing 91mph on the motorway?

[Hazell B]

Hazell, isn't the limit 60mph on dual carraiageways and motorways whilst towing a trailer? Or have the laws changed?

It's always been 50 with a 'mobile load' as they call it - such as cattle or a horse that can shift it's weight. No idea what the laws actually says as I've not read it, but if you hit somebody you're in the doodoo up to your ears if you were doing more than 50 with a 750kg horse and 800kg trailer behind you! The BHS trailer test says 50 for horses.

Plus, I need one hell of a stopping distance at anything above 50 when dragging weight, so stay slow. When drivers overtake they often (and by that I mean almost always :rolleyes: ) pull in so close in front it's just not worth the risk.

[Hazell B]

i can gurantee you would'nt get there quicker than me


That's because you're not weighed down by having any friends in the car with you ;)

[Allyc85]

i can gurantee you would'nt get there quicker than me

:D sounds like a challenge lol

[speedy king]

When i see 3 lanes i'll often do 90mph'ish. But normal duel carriageway i'll sit around 77mph to limit the risk of getting caught speeding. I find on motorway as everyone else is going as fast, i'll have to be very unlucky to get picked by a police car and the Road Angel alerts me of the fixed cameras and van sites.

I never go above 70 on some roads though, locally the A11 is terrible for the camera vans and coppers sat up slip roads.

I like to think i speed using some brain...i slow down when i know a bridge is coming up, slow down as i come up to slip roads and dont tend to speed if i see a newish Mondeo/Volvo etc behind.... :)

[CarlMetro]

When i see 3 lanes i'll often do 90mph'ish. But normal duel carriageway i'll sit around 77mph to limit the risk of getting caught speeding.


I've always been afraid of the same. Especially as i'm still on the 2 year probation after you pass your test, points are the last thing i need.

Perhaps you should take your own advice into consideration ;)

[Mark]

Southbound at Washington services, there has been a police car sitting on the hard shoulder for about two months now, camera pointing out the back window.

Don't know if he's looking for speeders or checking for uninsured drivers etc.

[GridGirl]

I've been working in Newcatle-under-Lyme all week. Because of a tight budget we've had to car share. I drove Monday to Wednesday and today was one of my other colleague turn to drive. He picked me up 20 minute late and we picked someone else up and 8.45 in Walsall when we should of been in Newcastle for 9.00am.

He then proceeded to drive most of the way when traffic allowed at around 98mph and at some points went over 100mph. All this in a 1.4 Pugeot 206. The guy is a complete idiot at the best of times so I've never been so scared in my life.

Surely there has to be some kind of speed limit that you just wouldnt go over if you were carry passengers you dont really know and who defiantely dont trust your driving? On the plus point, I've got out of travelling in a car with him tomorrow and expect him to get right royally lost! At least it will minimise the amount of time I need to spend with the idiot. :D

[CarlMetro]

Well here's one guy that's going to be slowing down in the near future, for quite a while too i would have thought, What a numpty :rolleyes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/6962448.stm

A motorist has admitted driving at a speed of 172 mph on a road in Oxfordshire.

Timothy Brady was driving a Porsche 911 along the A420 near Kingston Bagpuize when he was caught in a routine speed check.

Brady, aged 33, from Harrow in north west London, admitted the offence when he appeared at Oxford Crown Court and will be sentenced in September.

The speed is thought to be the highest recorded in the UK for such an offence.

[Daniel]

Does it say what time of the day? You're silly to do that speed at any time really but if there were others on the road you're even sillier.

[CarlMetro]

I know the A420 well, it's the main road between Oxford and Swindon. There are small sections of dual carriageway along its lenght, but most of it is single carriageway. It's also a popular route for trucks and certainly isn't the straightest road I've ever been on either. I hope he's banned for life.

[Drew]

Well, that's a story and a half for sure.

What is a routine speed check? Copper with a radar gun?

[Zico]

Ok, seems pretty much all of us exceed 70mph on the motorways I know I do... Speedos are usually out by aprox 10% in most cars anyhow so you're probably very unlikely to get a ticket.. BUT what about around town, do you stick religously to the speed limits on the 30 and 40mph limits?

Cant say I do all the time but I do drive according to conditions, environment (built up areas/schools etc), traffic and visual ranges. Not proud of it but life simply goes by way too slowly bang on 30.. Anyone else care to admit it.. and why do YOU do it?

[CharlieJ]

When I've been coming back up the M1 on Sunday evenings from BTCC meetings over the last few years, I've found that 90% of the traffic on the M1 at that time seems to be travelling between 90 - 110. The other 10% is trucks in the inside lane and occasional old duffers plonked firmly inthe middle lane at exactly 62mph. To and from Rockingham this year (including the slow bits at either end of the journey) I averaged 84.5 mph. And I was still being passed by more cars than I was passing.

In most cases it's not a problem, and the speed rises as the amount of traffic decreases, but there have been occasions where I have found the middle and outside lanes travelling at that sort of speed with barely a cars length between the cars - scary :eek: . Trouble is, if you try to go slower, there's no way to pull out of the inside lane to get past the trucks because the traffic is so tightly packed.

[Drew]

BUT what about around town, do you stick religously to the speed limits on the 30 and 40mph limits?

Cant say I do all the time but I do drive according to conditions, environment (built up areas/schools etc), traffic and visual ranges. Not proud of it but life simply goes by way too slowly bang on 30.. Anyone else care to admit it.. and why do YOU do it?

I stick religiously to speed limits in residential areas. I'm extra paranoid that a kid will wonder out into the road, even though there are no speed cameras in residential areas. On any other road I generally go at a speed that I feel comfortable with and just follow the flow of traffic.

Also I noticed that different counties seem to have different speed limits for villages and towns after national speed limits. In Devon (i've noticed) any residential area is instantly a 30mph zone, where as in cornwall it can be higher 40mph / 50mph and even some times NSL. But in North Wales on the A5, some of the villages are just straight through 60mph, I don't feel comfortable at all going so fast through a village.

[BeansBeansBeans]

Timothy Brady was driving a Porsche 911 along the A420 near Kingston Bagpuize when he was caught in a routine speed check.

Shame he didn't have his thinking cap on.

[AndyRAC]

Coming back from the Woodpecker on Saturday night, and on the A483 was overtaken by a Ford Galaxy with a trailer, must have been over 70 mph. What is the limit for a trailer??

[Daniel]

60mph I think......

[Drew]

Shame he didn't have his thinking cap on.

I've looked at this loads of times, unfortunetely I have no idea what you're going on about BBB.

[BDunnell]

It was a little pun on the fact that the incident occurred near Kingston Bagpuize. Did you ever watch Bagpuss as a kid?

[Daniel]

Drew isn't 40 you know :mark: :p :

[BDunnell]

Ah, but it's been repeated many a time. It had to be, given that only about a dozen episodes were made!

[Daniel]

I was trying to make fun of you for being older than myself and Drew but you didn't take the bait :p :mark:

[BDunnell]

I was trying to make fun of you for being older than myself and Drew but you didn't take the bait :p :mark:

For future reference, I'm sure I'm more bald, as well.

[Drew]

Ah, but it's been repeated many a time. It had to be, given that only about a dozen episodes were made!

Ahhh, there we go. Never watched Bagpuss :p :

[BDunnell]

Ahhh, there we go. Never watched Bagpuss :p :

Thought as much. Well, that dear creature used to don a thinking cap regularly.

[Iain]

Drew, go educate yourself now. :p : DVDs are readily available and it's also on Nick Jr after 7pm at night, along with other old favourites. :D

[RaikkonenRules]

I saw something like that last year near Stoke on the M6, except it was an old VW camper van with a camera in it. :mark:

Damn Hippies everywhere :p :

[RaikkonenRules]

Last week a Porshe Carerra overtook us and made us look like we were standing still on the M5 south of Glouster, and we were doing 100 :eek: We overtook him again going past Bristol thougth thanks to the congestion :p :