Do you benefit from driving too fast?

[The Zee]

Recently a friend of mine got done for being over the drink drive limit. It was his own fault and knew he should not have driven, but that's another story. Whilst discussing this we drifted onto the topic of speeding. Now I am no expert and don't know the exact criteria for the following,  but it got us thinking. If I am not mistaken if you are caught speeding a few mph over the limit and it falls within the "offence" range then you get points and a fine. If at a higher speed there is the chance that you may be offered a driving couse and keep a clean licence. After the course you should be a better driver. So my question is this, get caught a little over the limit and get points or drive faster and keep a clean licence?

(This if course does not include any insurance issues).

Edited 14 February, 2017 by The Zee

[LHVRS]

Its the other way round, get caught just over and first offence you get offered the speed awareness course, get caught over the above prescribe limit and you get a fine and points. 

 

Aside from all that I feel I do benefit from driving fast, it help relieve stress.  

[Ally_bassman]

I like to feel like i'm making progress, therefore if i'm stuck behind someone doing the EXACT speed limit, I get stupidly frustrated.

 

I don't take the buscuit speed wise, I just drive to the conditions/road.

[camelspyyder]

If you get done a second time before completing the course, they don't offer it again. just advance to 3 pts and a fixed penalty.

 

And if she gets caught for 34 mph in a 30 or 45 mph in a 40 again I swear I'll sell her car! 

[lol-lol]

 

Part of the tricks are to know how fast you are actually doing and what is the limit in that area above which the cameras/cops will do you.

 

Periodically calibrate my speedo against the GPS which should be accurate to about 1%.  

 

My speedos, two which are digital and two are analogue, over-read by about 5%.

 

Cameras and speed traps with Police Officers, I have been told by Officers when working on Multi-Discipline Road exercies, are set to 10% above the nominal speed of the road plus 2 to 4 mph ie 35 or 37 mph in thirty to account for tolerance in speedometer and tyre diameter variation.       

 

So I find it is OK to travelling through the 50 speed limited zone at an indicated 53/54 and the same for other speed limiter areas.

 

Touch wood I have not had a speeding ticket for about 15 years working on this practice.  

 

Having got rid of the Various petrol VRSs also has taken away the temptation to do twice the speed limit.  No law against acceleration times though.   

 

 

 

 

[gadgetman]

From listening to Jason Mamford talking about attending a speed awareness course and for every 5mph over the limit you save 2-3 minutes an hour. 

[Aspman]

However if you go really really fast neither the cameras or plod will catch you.

So you get where you are going extra quick and no point or fines

 

So with that time and court saving advice I'm off to get the car chipped and de-restricted.

 

 

[Ootohere]

Aspman,

if in our country we are not getting offered a driving course what ever the speed caught over the limit, only maybe a Re-sit of an extended driving test. 

or if just over a 'Formal Warning from Police Scotland'. 

http://mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/record-breaking-motorcyclist-jailed-after-9770766

The unlucky guy from Aviemore just got given a 4 months jail sentence for 149 mph and the one that is trying to come up with some cunning defence for doing 157 MPH will possibly get the same. (maybe looking for some technicality to get off.)

Edited 15 February, 2017 by Offski

[old newbie2]

16 hours ago, gadgetman said:

From listening to Jason Mamford talking about attending a speed awareness course and for every 5mph over the limit you save 2-3 minutes an hour. 

Possibly, but the faster you travel the less time you save.....

Why, to halve the time taken for a journey you have to double the average speed.

 

Average speed of 30 mph, time taken = 120 minutes.  A very good average in a busy conurbation.

Average speed of 60 mph, time taken =  60 minutes.  One whole hour saved, worth building the motorway!

Average speed of 120mph, time taken = 30 minutes.  Only possible in Germany, fuel costs doubled (+?) just to save another 30 minutes.

Average speed of 240 mph, time taken = 15 minutes. Not yet possible with ground transportation...........

 

We can all save a useful amount of time by keeping to the posted speed limits, here in the UK or in most other countries too, but apart from the "fun factor"

in fast driving it's not worth the costs.

 

I'd be happy to see an enforced 90 mph / 150 km/h limit on suitably designed motorways, most modern cars  are probably safer at those speeds than the cars we were driivng

when the 70 mph UK limit was introduced........

 

Discuss?

 

DC

 

[Ootohere]

Single Carriageways with NSL but HGV's on them and limited passing and maybe even Fixed Cameras or Average Cameras or Camera Vans on the straights and 40 mph average might be as good as it gets in a car.

Even on routes with stretches of Dual Carriageway or Crawler Lanes where HGV's start Elephant Racing the average might never get to 50mph for a trip.

eg 120 miles or even more of a journey on the A9, A77 etc with 50 & 60 MPH limits & average speed cameras.

Edited 15 February, 2017 by Offski

[vrskeith]

Why do people drive stupidly fast. Normally they are a pratt  , inconsiderate etc. Mainly however, they don't plan their journey, set off late for an appointment or whatever ,,make no allowances etc. Probability very high for getting caught speeding, full stop.

 

Unfortunately you may be that normally civilized person, law abiding, but once behind the wheel of a projectile you turn into a" plonker Rodney !! "

Oh, bloody hell, I've just described myself .

 

Answering your question :No!

Edited 15 February, 2017 by vrskeith

[Isocrem]

19 hours ago, camelspyyder said:

If you get done a second time before completing the course, they don't offer it again. just advance to 3 pts and a fixed penalty.

 

And if she gets caught for 34 mph in a 30 or 45 mph in a 40 again I swear I'll sell her car! 

 

If you choose to go on a speed awareness course, you will not be able to go on another for 3 Years. After 3 Years, you might be offered one, if they are still available.

 

EDIT. Re read your post! My mistake 

Edited 15 February, 2017 by Isocrem

[Ootohere]

One of the more important factors missed by many car manufactures is the ability to get a move on from 30 ish to 60ish mph to do overtakes and also allow others to get passed slow moving vehicles as well, not just them.

 

0-62's are commonly given and max speed, not many modern cars are around that can not keep up with modern traffic,

but the ability to get some decent acceleration seems to be beyond some vehicles or just beyond the driver.

Often the cars sitting up the backside of the one in front is the one that just manages to pull out and overtake at some rather oddly slow speed.

Maybe they need a bit more of a run up or a bit of a dropping of a gear or 2.

[Isocrem]

19 hours ago, Ally_bassman said:

I like to feel like i'm making progress, therefore if i'm stuck behind someone doing the EXACT speed limit, I get stupidly frustrated.

 

I don't take the buscuit speed wise, I just drive to the conditions/road.

 

So, you get stupidly frustrated because you personally can't break the speed limit and travel maybe 3-6 mph faster? Man, that's high blood pressure territory. 

[chimaera]

A good chunk of it is about control of your situation. If you're held up by traffic in front of you you'll want to go faster no matter how fast you're already going. If there's nothing in front of you and you can choose your own speed it's less frustrating/stressful.

 

At this stage of my life I find it less and less interesting to pursue high speeds on the motorway. It's much more fun trying to maintain a good average on the back roads

[Warrior193]

On a recent trip to the Land of The Free, we found the speed limit on the I 80 from SLC to Wendover (two-lane freeway) was 80 MPH all the way - which was pretty good because once you've seen a few miles of salt-flats, you've seen em all - apart, of course, from the obligatory stop to see the land speed record track. The trucks were usually spaced at 0.5 to 1 mile apart, so you could comfortably travel in the RH lane for most of the trip without overriding cruise control.   

[Aspman]

3 hours ago, Offski said:

Aspman,

if in our country we are not getting offered a driving course what ever the speed caught over the limit, only maybe a Re-sit of an extended driving test. 

or if just over a 'Formal Warning from Police Scotland'. 

http://mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/record-breaking-motorcyclist-jailed-after-9770766

The unlucky guy from Aviemore just got given a 4 months jail sentence for 149 mph and the one that is trying to come up with some cunning defence for doing 157 MPH will possibly get the same. (maybe looking for some technicality to get off.)

 

Case proved George, they weren't going fast enough. If they were going fast enough they wouldn't have been caught.

 

Facetious comments aside, speed is rarely a problem, its inappropriate speed and or bad driving that causes problem.

I've fewer issues with someeone driving a well driven road missile than some ignorant tvvat driving a 1.2 Corsa at 90 on the limit of the car's performance and well beyond the driver's.

[Warrior193]

For me, personally, it's more about maintaining a reasonably steady rate of progress at a speed that suits the conditions - rather than an attempt on the Land Speed Record or making up time. Fully agree with Aspman, there are a lot of alleged drivers out there who would be unsafe at anything above walking pace.  

[chimaera]

Start with the morons who think merging onto a motorway at 70 km/h is a good idea!

[Warrior193]

Or the ones who slow-down on dual-carriage way on ramps - then stop at the end because they now cannot fit into any gaps in lane one. 

[old newbie2]

1 hour ago, Offski said:

One of the more important factors missed by many car manufactures is the ability to get a move on from 30 ish to 60ish mph to do overtakes and also allow others to get passed slow moving vehicles as well, not just them.

 

0-62's are commonly given and max speed, not many modern cars are around that can not keep up with modern traffic,

but the ability to get some decent acceleration seems to be beyond some vehicles or just beyond the driver.

Often the cars sitting up the backside of the one in front is the one that just manages to pull out and overtake at some rather oddly slow speed.

Maybe they need a bit more of a run up or a bit of a dropping of a gear or 2.

Too true, especially knowing when & how to overtake safely. 

SWMBO is a keen bowler & often comments that when she's being driven to / from bowling clubs by fellow (elderly, like wot we is...) club members 

she is appalled by their lack of driving skills, especially when knowing when to shift gear.

 

We both realize that we've lost the daily commuter drivers "edge", but we do not want to become typical OAP drivers either. 

Not sure how to to avoid the descent into mediocrity, maybe a careful choice of car will help?

 

DC

[vrskeith]

19 minutes ago, old newbie2 said:

Too true, especially knowing when & how to overtake safely. 

SWMBO is a keen bowler & often comments that when she's being driven to / from bowling clubs by fellow (elderly, like wot we is...) club members 

she is appalled by their lack of driving skills, especially when knowing when to shift gear.

 

We both realize that we've lost the daily commuter drivers "edge", but we do not want to become typical OAP drivers either. 

Not sure how to to avoid the descent into mediocrity, maybe a careful choice of car will help?

 

DC

David, you and the Better half are safe, as you are DSG / Flappy paddle merchants- no danger of you two missing a gear, offsets "old forts" forgetfulness.

[keystonedriving]

I benefit from people driving too fast...........

 

I deliver speed awareness courses.........

 

I'll get my coat.......

[vrskeith]

2 hours ago, keystonedriving said:

I benefit from people driving too fast...........

 

I deliver speed awareness courses.........

 

I'll get my coat.......

Hope you checked your rear view mirror when leaving.

[mac11irl]

We get told constantly that driving to/from/for work is the most dangerous thing we do so try to minimise our time on the roads.

 

Thats why i was doing 90mph passed that school your honour  ....

 

Solid defense