Auto Express / Evo Critic done for speeding
- Thread starter DAIR
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For the most part, doing that speed on a well lit, empty dual carriageway or motorway is not going to be a problem despite being very illegal... but on a single carriageway NSL? That's pretty reckless.
Just had a quick Google but a reaction time of 1.5 seconds means he will have travelled 75 metres before his brain even told his foot to engage the brake pedal. That's pretty far.
Just had a quick Google but a reaction time of 1.5 seconds means he will have travelled 75 metres before his brain even told his foot to engage the brake pedal. That's pretty far.
Nope. 26mph over the limit is an automatic court appearance, and the judge may then decide to take your licence away from you (depending on how good your defence is).
Where I live it doesn't feel highly irresponsible at all, I tend to do it at least twice a week. In fact, I was thinking of this thread when I did it today
Autoroutes here are extremely smooth and virtually empty, and 130MPH in a large saloon car like mine feels perfectly safe. I'd imagine a better car could maintain even higher speeds with no more risk. Even in England, I can think of several places (especially late at night) where it would also be perfectly safe, although I tend to not stray too far over 100 on a regular basis in England as I don't fancy the consequences of getting caught.
Do you do this speed at night, especially if the road is unlit? I thought the consequences of getting caught were worse in France with the on the spot removal of your licence, and large, instant fines.
Really don't see a huge problem here, he is someone who knows how to drive a car and travelling in a vehicle that is capable of accelerating to and maintaining very high speeds. Being a former racing driver I'm sure he is more than capable of using common sense and drive within his ability and we're not talking drag racing in rush hour traffic here but going fast in what was more than likely an empty stretch of a road very late at night. Imagine if a patrol car was sitting there after midnight then it's probably a regular speeding spot where drivers feel save to put their foot down.
What kills isn't the speed itself but driving too fast for a given situation and again I'm sure he was driving within his ability. As others have said sensation of speed in cars that are build to go fast can definitely feel different as well, I've been in a few where you don't realise just how fast you're going and over a 100mph wouldn't even feel like particularly fast. Just like in my current Jazz, I wouldn't feel safe going above 60
Still silly sod of course and will be dealt with full brunt of the law but hardly a baby killing psycho.
It was past midnight. At that speed even the best headlights only give around 5 seconds of visibility, coupled with the difficulty of judging distances (both from the car and other road users trying to work out where you are) makes it a highly risky thing to do.
Generally early morning/daytime, I've done it on some roads at night but usually not if the road is unlit.
The consequences for a UK licence holder in a UK car are severe, but ultimately amount to a large fine and temporary confiscation of your car and licence. Whereas if I was to do the same in Britain, you're looking at a very long ban, massive insurance costs for the next 5 years, and potentially a suspended sentence if there's aggravating factors. In mainland Europe there's no national database of UK licence holders so you can simply ask the DVLA for a new licence after it's confiscated, and unless the same officer stops you again you'll not have any problems. If I'm caught I'll happily face the consequences, but it's vanishingly unlikely considering the times when I tend to do such speeds.
The police here only tend to do speed checks at relatively busy times - you'll certainly never see them out at 5am for example. I've gone through several radar traps well over the limit (although nothing like 130MPH!) and never been stopped. 9/10 times there seems to be a German / Dutchman in front going even faster
Soldato
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He got off lightly imo. I saw another news article where a guy was doing over 100mph (albeit he came up with some silly excuse) got 18 months in jail.
Well, he lost his job, his driving licence and there will almost certainly be further repercussions in his personal life (probably lose his house unless he's extraordinarily lucky). Furthermore, the way things are going with Ched Evans you could well see a backlash against any motoring journal that hired him in future, so potentially his life is utterly ruined. It should be a salutory lesson for all of us, but there is very much still a "speeding is a victimless crime" attitude in the UK, as evidenced by most of the posts in this thread. I'm 99.9% certain that all of us, at one time or another have exceeded the speed limit, for a multitude of reasons. I'm sure he was REALLY enjoying himself, but I think most people would agree he's going to pay a very high price for that bit of fun.
Soldato
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Thats cos a racetrack is massive unlike a road
Next we'll have Scania in with somethink equally irrelvant
That's because speeding is almost always a victimless crime, unless it's directly responsible for an accident which causes injury or death which is actually relatively rare on NSL roads. Plenty of people do these speeds every day without killing or hurting anyone. The choice of road was the primary bit of stupidity in this case, there's a time and place and and this wasn't it.
Tbh I don't see the big deal. As someone above already said, the conditions would have been good, the timing made the road clear and the guy was experienced and under control and driving a car made for being driven at much faster speeds.
That more people should work harder and aspire to own a Porsche?
That more people should work harder and aspire to own a Porsche?
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You say "poor chap" as if it wasn't his fault and he had no choice in the matter?
We all speed, the only time you think about the consequences is when it all goes wrong!
I tend not to speed in towns/villages but if an empty A road or motorway looks inviting I will put my foot down. If it all goes horribly wrong then of course I've got nobody else to blame but myself.
Those that say they "NEVER" speed are either saints or just fooling themselves.
The car is more than capable of doing those speeds and stopping on a sixpence but the law is law, I'm sure he was fully aware of what could have happened to him
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What are the children doing wandering along a motorway at 12.45am ?
Should have still spotted them if he was paying adequate attention.
why would he be looking in the rearview mirror? Theres nothign doing that speed behind him
I'm with others tho, other drivers may not expect a car doing these kind of speeds and there where the largest issue arises I would think.
I still don't see how that makes him a "poor guy". He made a conscious decision to ignore the law, whilst fully aware of the consequences if he got caught.
There's a whole range of variations between "NEVER" speeding and doing double the limit, it's not as binary as you're attempting to make out, and generally I've found that the people who say things like "Those that say they "NEVER" speed are either saints or just fooling themselves." are simply trying to justify their own speeding.
I'm not going to say I never speed, but it's very rare, and no more than 5-10% over the limit, because there's absolutely no point in risking my licence (and job, home, etc.) for the sake of getting where I'm going 5 minutes quicker.
The car may be capable of stopping on a sixpence... what about the ~100m it's travelled before he's even touched the brake?
I love this sort of argument, you can apply it to anything.
Driving at 150 mph past a primary school isn't dangerous, its when a kid steps out...
Guns aren't dangerous, its when the guy pointing it pulls the trigger...
HIV isn't dangerous, its when it turns into AIDS...
Jumping of a building isn't dangerous, its when you hit the ground...
Drawing cartoons of the prophet Mohamed isn't dangerous, its when...
Nuclear weapons aren't dangerous, its when Obama throws a hissy fit...
Of course high-speed is dangerous. There's a clear distinction between an abrupt stop from 1 mph and a abrupt stop from 120 mph.
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No need to justify it, as I said in my post I do speed
And you're using the mistaken belief that everyone else does it as well to convince yourself that it's fine. That's what justifying it to yourself means
Man of Honour
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Inclined to agree.
He shouldn't have been doing it, but at the same time taking the whole picture it seems less of an issue.
However, that said, the law should be applied fairly.