Remind me the purpose of speed cameras again?

Tommy B · 2 Jun 2007 at 17:52

Morba said:
Then you do not pay enough attention to the roads or the signs on them. there would (should) have been signs saying what you were joining, let alone the colour of the signs being a huge indicator.

if you do not know a road, why speed on it? learn it first.

You have a point, but you'd expect any of these roads to be at least 60mph. I started speeding up to 70mph to join, when I suddenly noticed the 50mph sign and the speed camera as I joined it. There was no sign warning me of the 50mph speed limit as I initially joined, AND it was a 3 lane road and thus I suspected the speed limit would be higher. I don't see how what I did makes me a bad driver?

I've also been taught you can get away with 80mph and that is the speed I usually drive at.

The_Dark_Side · 2 Jun 2007 at 18:00

Tommy B said:
I've also been taught you can get away with 80mph and that is the speed I usually drive at.

it's a limit, not a target.

Tommy B · 2 Jun 2007 at 18:02

The Highway Code clearly states you must NOT exceed 70mph. How exactly is it a limit then?

The_Dark_Side · 2 Jun 2007 at 18:06

Tommy B said:
The Highway Code clearly states you must NOT exceed 70mph. How exactly is it a limit then?

a speed limit is a posted rate of speed that you are required to obey.
it doesn't mean you think you're allowed a little bit extra.

Tommy B · 2 Jun 2007 at 18:14

No, I mean why are you saying that 80mph is a limit? Surely that's breaking the limit if the official speed "limit" is 70mph?

The_Dark_Side · 2 Jun 2007 at 18:16

Tommy B said:
No, I mean why are you saying that 80mph is a limit? Surely that's breaking the limit if the official speed "limit" is 70mph?

i'm not.
i'm saying the posted limit is a LIMIT and not a target.
it was in response to your post that stated you'd been told you could get away with 80mph so that's what speed you drive to.

Tommy B · 2 Jun 2007 at 19:19

I don't want to get picky, but as the only speed I mentioned in that post was 80mph, I assumed your reply was regarding that speed.

Anyway, I'll accept you were referring to 70mph.

[TW]Fox · 3 Jun 2007 at 00:21

The_Dark_Side said:
the limit is 30 unless posted otherwise.

Not strictly true. The speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70mph unless posted otherwise, and 60mph unless posted otherwise for all other roads unless they have street lighting placed at a certain interval, in which case the limit is 30mph unless posted otherwise.

The_Dark_Side · 3 Jun 2007 at 10:36

[TW]Fox said:
Not strictly true. The speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70mph unless posted otherwise, and 60mph unless posted otherwise for all other roads unless they have street lighting placed at a certain interval, in which case the limit is 30mph unless posted otherwise.

well ok, but it's kinda potato potato.
to be honest i'm struggling to recall a dual carriageway that has no limit signs in position, regardless of whatever that limit may be.
you know as well as i do, if you honestly do not know what the limit is on the road you're driving on then you need to do some more 'o' that new fangled book learnin'

Duke · 3 Jun 2007 at 10:38

I thought dual carriage ways were 70 unless sign posted as 50/60 (groan).

[TW]Fox · 3 Jun 2007 at 18:26

The_Dark_Side said:
well ok, but it's kinda potato potato.
to be honest i'm struggling to recall a dual carriageway that has no limit signs in position, regardless of whatever that limit may be.

There are absolutely loads of them down here - all you get is the destriction sign upon joining, with no repeaters at all.

The_Dark_Side · 3 Jun 2007 at 18:44

[TW]Fox said:
There are absolutely loads of them down here - all you get is the destriction sign upon joining, with no repeaters at all.

but at least you've passed the derestriction sign so the only way you'd be unaware of the change in limit is if you were driving with your eyes closed.
plus as you said previously there are other, less subtle, ways to determine the limit.

pitchfork · 3 Jun 2007 at 18:48

Speed cameras are the only reason I bought a sat nav system, so I can use the speed camera warning thing.

I always bomb it down the motorway simply because i'm an impatient driver, I've gone 130 odd down the M4 at night before, stupid idea I know. I generally go about 80-90 though so the warning thing is pretty neccesary.
A laser gun will get me sooner or later i expect, though no speeding convictions as of yet.

Regardless, 70mph I can understand, 50mph just takes the urine.

Tommy B · 3 Jun 2007 at 21:22

I think as a young driver I have to try and get to at least 21 without any speeding convictions. After that I'll probably be tempted to drive between 80 and 90.

pitchfork · 3 Jun 2007 at 21:34

Ha ha, just drive as if you've been doing it for years, don't get all worried.
Thats what I did and I've never had an accident or any motoring convictions.

Tommy B · 4 Jun 2007 at 00:08

I've done circa 110mph before and I had no problem with the speed, just the anxiety that a police car would suddenly appear or some git with a speed gun would zap me from a bridge. At 110mph, the Golf really was completely maxed out though

Oh, and 110mph in the Golf speedo is probably more like 98. Didn't have the TomTom at the time so wouldn't know, but usually 80mph in the Golf is actually about 75mph.