I've noticed on the clear dual carriageway I use every day that drivers are going slower than they did say 5 years ago. I used to be the slow one doing 65 or 70 but while my speed hasn't changed I find myself overtaking most other cars. It's really noticeable. 

 

My colleague commented that it's because modern cars have a speed alarm.  Has anyone had experience of this? Does it keep chiming or flashing or something? It's certainly slowed drivers down - a bit too much sometimes. 

15 minutes ago, Tailhappy said:

I've noticed on the clear dual carriageway I use every day that drivers are going slower than they did say 5 years ago. I used to be the slow one doing 65 or 70 but while my speed hasn't changed I find myself overtaking most other cars. It's really noticeable. 

 

My colleague commented that it's because modern cars have a speed alarm.  Has anyone had experience of this? Does it keep chiming or flashing or something? It's certainly slowed drivers down - a bit too much sometimes. 

I too have noticed that there are more cars driving under 70 on the motorway.

I put it down to the improved fuel economy at lower speeds.

1 minute ago, EnterName said:

I too have noticed that there are more cars driving under 70 on the motorway.

I put it down to the improved fuel economy at lower speeds.

Maybe so but cars (supposedly) have never been more economic and it seems such a noticeable difference. May be as simple as that though. 

1 minute ago, Tailhappy said:

Maybe so but cars (supposedly) have never been more economic and it seems such a noticeable difference. May be as simple as that though. 

I have no evidence to back it up, so your theory is as good as mine.

Additionally, I am so used to roadworks on the M42 and other motorways that driving slowly on the motorway seems pretty normal now.

Cars telling you what the posted speed is a good thing and some are pretty accurate most of the time.

 

Not so modern Skoda,s and others have had 2 'Speed warnings' you can set if you fancy. 

The regular one and then the 'winter tyre' speed warning. 

 

 

This is my 'might get banned' speed warning.

 

 

On 29/06/2023 at 19:07, toot said:

Cars telling you what the posted speed is a good thing and some are pretty accurate most of the time.  Not so modern Skoda,s and others have had 2 'Speed warnings' you can set if you fancy. The regular one and then the 'winter tyre' speed warning.    This is my 'might get banned' speed warning.

 

 

Dacia, Renault and Volvo all limit their top speeds to 112/113 mph since the last year or so.

https://www.motor1.com/news/503466/renault-dacia-limit-top-speed/

 

Not TESLA

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rzGb26wBoA

 

Edited 5 July, 20232 yr by lol-lol

@lol-lolThey show the 2023 Volvo Polestar 2 as having 127 mph max speed.

2 hours ago, toot said:

@lol-lolThey show the 2023 Volvo Polestar 2 as having 127 mph max speed.

 

Which for a car with either 230,300 or 420 hp is much slower than the power translate as.

 

Drivers in Germany regularly drive at over 200 kph from what i have seen to perhaps Polestar thought 185 kph was a bit slow for the European market and over 200 kph more appropriate.  Not sure if any of the Polestars are two geared, like TESLA and Audi /Porsche are.

 

Many EVs do not have the gearing to reach a top speed commensurate with their power. My Clio will do over 110 mph with 90 hp but the Zoe will not do much more than indicated 90 mph every though it has half as much power again ie 135 hp, probably closer to 150 hp according to the power reading on the dash.  It is speed limited on the electric motor revs.

 

All fairly academic unless driving on the Autobahns.

 

      

 

 

 

I think it's more to do with volume of traffic. Motorways speeds down south (just back from a couple of long trips) seem to often be barely above 60mph.

Lot's of cars have speed warnings but they're manual. I've got them set on a few of our cars but they are set at 90+, and they are just a warning bong not a limiter.

My Maserati is a bit of an oddity, it's not signed up to the 155mph gentlemens agreement so in theory I can beat an M5 on the right road as the diesel Mas can ht 157mph.

Just now, Aspman said:

My Maserati is a bit of an oddity, it's not signed up to the 155mph gentlemens agreement so in theory I can beat an M5 on the right road as the diesel Mas can ht 157mph.

If BMW are as 'careless' with the 155mph limiter as Audi then the M5 will do more than 155mph - the Audi B7 RS4 had a 155mph limiter (unless you paid ££££ for the limiter removal factory option) but several owners checked it with GPS on unlimited German autobahns and the limiter didn't happen until nearly 170mph.

BMW had (has?) an optional drivers package that includes upping the speed limiter to about 170. I wonder if those cas had been though that option.