The speed limit

Bruce Rioja · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 12:37 pm

Here's me breaking the law a few years ago. Burning up the tarmac at 36 mph. Bastids!!! I had to traipse all the way back up to Sunderland to sit the course, too. They don't just let you do one locally (unless you get nicked locally, of course).

Bijou Bob · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 1:26 pm

Just so you law breakers know the score: Most Police areas use the 'Ten percent plus 2 rule' for deciding whether you get potted ie anything over 35 in a 30 (Unlucky Bruce!) 46 in a 40, 57 in a 50 etc. Mobile Motorway cameras used to be set at 89mph, but as far as my recently retired mate was able to tell me, that's now come down to 85.

bobo the clown · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 3:13 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:

Here's me breaking the law a few years ago. Burning up the tarmac at 36 mph. Bastids!!! I had to traipse all the way back up to Sunderland to sit the course, too. They don't just let you do one locally (unless you get nicked locally, of course).

I challenged one once, as I couldn't recall being on the road they said in the year previously. Plus we regularly let people use our company cars to go & get stuff. It turns out the name extends right into town & I was the culprit.

The Sarge' at the shop brought the photo out. Though in B&W it was the most astonisngly clear pic.

Ah well.

thebish · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 3:17 pm

Bijou Bob wrote:

Just so you??? law breakers know the score: Most Police areas use the 'Ten percent plus 2 rule' for deciding whether you get potted ie anything over 35 in a 30 (Unlucky Bruce!) 46 in a 40, 57 in a 50 etc. Mobile Motorway cameras used to be set at 89mph, but as far as my recently retired mate was able to tell me, that's now come down to 85.

Bijou Bob wrote:

Every Friday for months I went down the M1 to London on the bike and every week there were 2 cops in yellow jackets on the 3 concrete bridges near Milton Keynes. Each week I razzed through their radar and waved.

TANGODANCER · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 3:22 pm

bobo the clown wrote:

The Sarge' at the shop brought the photo out. Though in B&W it was the most astonisngly clear pic. Ah well.

Mate of mine got done the same way. Claimed he'd lent his dad ( who had a clean licence) his car that day. Cops produced a photo and drew his attention to his door mirror. No doubting who it was, grinning out of it, so he got done anyway.

thebish · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 3:26 pm

Bijou Bob wrote:

Just so you law breakers know the score: Most Police areas use the 'Ten percent plus 2 rule' for deciding whether you get potted ie anything over 35 in a 30 (Unlucky Bruce!)

unless they were playing car-speeding snooker - and Bruce was out in his gleaming pink range-rover...

Lord Kangana · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 3:48 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:

Here's me breaking the law a few years ago. Burning up the tarmac at 36 mph. Bastids!!! I had to traipse all the way back up to Sunderland to sit the course, too. They don't just let you do one locally (unless you get nicked locally, of course).

Erm, sorry to break this to you Bruce, but yes they do. I just phoned them up and said it was too far to travel. Surprisingly, they immediately said yes.

Montreal Wanderer · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 5:15 pm

When I used the motorways (well there was only the M6 then), there was no limit. As I recall they charged some chap when he was doing close to 200 mph - he was a racing driver tuning up for Le Mans. They couldn't catch him on the M1 but through radio managed to pick him up when he exited. He was found guilty of reckless driving. Soon after they applied the 70 mph limit. I also discovered back then that an Austin Healey Sprite was capable of doing 100 mph, but the vibration and rattle were so much there was danger of the whole thing flying apart.

Over here the limit for divided highways is generally 100 or 110 kph depending on the province. Even 110 is below 70 mph. However they allow you 19 kph over the limit on highways and with cruise control one is seldom caught. The fines and points increase with each 10 kph. In Ontario doing over 140 will cost you your license and a $10,000 fine. In cities the limit is generally 50 kph and they don't stop you under 60.

We have photo radar here but in Quebec there are usually signs to tell you when you enter the zone. There is some question about the constitutionality of photo radar and cases of people shooting the cameras. We only have rear license plates and the cameras are set high to it is difficult to identify the driver.

In answer to the question I don't see the problem with keeping 70 mph if they do allow 10% plus 2.

jaffka · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 5:20 pm

70mph is fast enough for the majority of cock ends who use the roads.

Bruce Rioja · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 6:59 pm

Lord Kangana wrote:

Erm, sorry to break this to you Bruce, but yes they do. I just phoned them up and said it was too far to travel. Surprisingly, they immediately said yes.

This was in (I think) 2007, LK, so maybe they've changed in now. Lancs Police do them in Leyland and I tried to get a move to there, but met with a formidable rebuttal.

Lord Kangana · **Posted:** Tue May 15, 2012 11:23 pm

January 2007 as it just so happens :twisted:

bobo the clown · **Posted:** Wed May 16, 2012 12:52 am

Monty - what are these 'kph' things ??

Dujon · **Posted:** Wed May 16, 2012 2:33 am

[Monty] *splutters* Of course an AHS can do 100 mph without falling apart. Nor do they shudder and shake at that speed - well, at least, mine certainly did not. Perhaps the owner of the one you drove, or were a passenger within, should have given it some tender loving care rather than running it into the ground? :smile:

You knew I'd bite, didn't you. :mrgreen:

Speed limits are imposed, generally, as a safety measure. Yes, many people squeal like a stuck pig when they are caught out exceeding the the limit for a certain stretch of road - but there is only one person at fault isn't there? Even, as many in this country claim, speeding fines are to the government a 'cash cow' rather than a deterrent, why do so many drivers continue to deposit said monies into coffers of the governors? I was reading in my local paper the other day that drivers are contributing (or are about to) 42 million dollars in fines in the financial year ending 30 June. Why are those particular fines imposed? Driving through a red light! Yes, $42,000,000. That's a lot of drivers behaving like lunatics.

Bruce Rioja · **Posted:** Wed May 16, 2012 7:07 am

Lord Kangana wrote:

January 2007 as it just so happens :twisted:

Oh yeah, look

Montreal Wanderer · **Posted:** Wed May 16, 2012 5:23 pm

bobo the clown wrote:

Monty - what are these 'kph' things ??

Some French metric thing - I forget what exactly.

Montreal Wanderer · **Posted:** Wed May 16, 2012 5:32 pm

Dujon wrote:

[Monty] *splutters* Of course an AHS can do 100 mph without falling apart. Nor do they shudder and shake at that speed - well, at least, mine certainly did not. Perhaps the owner of the one you drove, or were a passenger within, should have given it some tender loving care rather than running it into the ground? :smile:

You knew I'd bite, didn't you. :mrgreen:

Speed limits are imposed, generally, as a safety measure. Yes, many people squeal like a stuck pig when they are caught out exceeding the the limit for a certain stretch of road - but there is only one person at fault isn't there? Even, as many in this country claim, speeding fines are to the government a 'cash cow' rather than a deterrent, why do so many drivers continue to deposit said monies into coffers of the governors? I was reading in my local paper the other day that drivers are contributing (or are about to) 42 million dollars in fines in the financial year ending 30 June. Why are those particular fines imposed? Driving through a red light! Yes, $42,000,000. That's a lot of drivers behaving like lunatics.

Outside of Finland and Denmark (which are unlimited and depend on income of violator) Canada has the highest speeding fines in the world according to http://autos.aol.com/article/highest-speeding-fines/ (well, at least Alberta - max $25,000 and Ontario max $10,000 do).

I was driven in 1960 in a Mark I 'Bugeye' Sprite by my sister's boyfriend (doubtless trying to impress me). As I recall the engine was under 1000 cc and was revved to the limit to get to the ton (especially since the bugeyes were not aerodynamic). Believe me it shook. Perhaps you had a later model, Dujon ...

Abdoulaye's Twin · **Posted:** Wed May 16, 2012 6:02 pm

Dubai has an interesting system of fines, black points and confiscation. The seriousness of the offence does not always carry one of the more serious penalties. Certain people are exempt from any penalty. Lots of people die on the roads here.

List of offenses in Dubai

They also offer discounts on the fines to encourage people to pay!

The other rule that isn't a rule; if there is an accident and you are in no way to blame. If the person causing the accident, driving at 200kmh the wrong way up the road, and they are an Emirati - you are to blame and will face the penalties :shock:

Dujon · **Posted:** Thu May 17, 2012 1:06 am

Yes, Monty, 948 ccs was the standard capacity of the bug-eye. Mine was indeed a bug, but, it being the love of my life at the time, had a lot of time and money expended on its well being. I won't bore you with the details, however there were not too many Sprite's around Australia that were road legal that'd match it. That's not an idle boast it's a fact (I won the Sprite Car Club of Australia's annual rally in 1967.)

Back to speeding: A 19 year old P-plater was tagged for exceeding the speed limit in Sydney yesterday. His P-plate confines him to a legal speed of 100 Km/h - he was travelling at 211 Km/h. This wasn't in the middle of the night when traffic is very light, it was at 0930! He must have been under the influence of something more than testosterone. :conf:

Hoboh · **Posted:** Thu May 17, 2012 1:09 am

Should have one lane for bikes and no speed limit!

Gravedigger · **Posted:** Thu May 17, 2012 1:25 pm

Often go down the Southend Road, A147, to Hockley and it's 70mph in parts. Personally I think it should be 40mph as it's all bumps and joining lanes. 80mph is going to be quite an experience on similar roads, but M-Ways should be 80, even 90mph.

The speed limit

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