| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
RobBrady
Frequent Visitor
Joined: Jul 21, 2004
Posts: 2718
Location: Chelmsford, UK
|
 Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 5:53 pm Post subject: Speeding Fines Almost As High As Driver Ignorance |
 |
|
Amidst proposals to increase speeding fines for convicted motorists, data has suggested that the total number of speeding motorists caught on British roads increased over the past year, with driver ignorance named as one of the main contributors.
The figures, which were compiled from numerous counties across the UK, showed that the total number of speeding motorists had risen by 6% in 2011, with these drivers reaching an average speed of 56 mph - 2 mph higher than the average figure for such motorists in 2010.
The research, which was undertaken by insurer LV=, also showed that many of these drivers were repeat offenders. A survey of more than 1,500 drivers claimed that 9% had been caught speeding since 2009, with 17% of them being caught on more than one occasion.
Driver ignorance was named as one of the main causes for the misdemeanours as 52% of respondents admitted they were unaware of the speed limit on rural roads without street lights. Approximately one third didn't realise there was a 60 mph limit in place on single carriageways and a staggering 71% failed to identify the correct speed limit on rural roads, residential streets, single carriageways, dual carriageways and motorways.
Of course, not all of the convicted drivers committed their offence unintentionally, with just under half (41%) admitting that they regularly flout the 70 mph on Britain's fastest roads if they think they can get away with it.
With motorways set to trial a new 80 mph limit following Government proposals, this means these drivers could soon be put back on the right side of the law.
_________________
Robert Brady |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
253
Lifetime Member
Joined: Mar 05, 2007
Posts: 1058
Location: The green bit between the M40, M4 and M25.
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:10 pm Post subject: |
|
|
It was always thus.
_________________
Triumph Tbird 1700. And now a Bonnie T100. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Guivre46
Frequent Visitor
Joined: Apr 14, 2010
Posts: 1262
Location: West London
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well as discussed elsewhere, they'll take notice when their insurance renewal premium beats even their ignorance quotient.
_________________
Mike R [aka Wyvern46]
Go 530T - unsupported
Go550 Live [not renewed]
Kia In-dash Tomtom |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spook51
Lifetime Member
Joined: Mar 26, 2004
Posts: 548
Location: East Midlands
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 7:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
| 253 wrote: | | It was always thus. |
No it wasn't. 20mph, 40mph and 50mph speed limits were introduced relatively recently and have been applied haphazardly across the country due to differing policies from county councils.
For example, Somerset CC introduced 40mph 'buffer zones' when entering a 30mph zone - other county councils didn't. Lancashire CC is introducing 20mph limits on all urban roads, other councils aren't.
This inconsistent application of limits that has contributed to drivers' and riders' confusion but that's no excuse - that 71% couldn't identify various speed limits is disgraceful; vehicle users are always supposed to know the limit for the road they are on. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
253
Lifetime Member
Joined: Mar 05, 2007
Posts: 1058
Location: The green bit between the M40, M4 and M25.
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| spook51 wrote: | | vehicle users are always supposed to know the limit for the road they are on. |
It was ever thus.
_________________
Triumph Tbird 1700. And now a Bonnie T100. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Graculus
Lifetime Member
Joined: Mar 07, 2006
Posts: 51
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
| spook51 wrote: | | Lancashire CC is introducing 20mph limits on all urban roads. |
All urban roads? I suspect not. You may need to qualify that statement a little. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
M8TJT
The Other Tired Old Man
Joined: Apr 04, 2006
Posts: 10118
Location: Bexhill, South Sussex, UK
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I don't think that Spook was trying to produce a definitive list, just pointing out the inconsistency of speed limit changes between different authorities. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spook51
Lifetime Member
Joined: Mar 26, 2004
Posts: 548
Location: East Midlands
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Graculus wrote: | | spook51 wrote: | | Lancashire CC is introducing 20mph limits on all urban roads. |
All urban roads? I suspect not. You may need to qualify that statement a little. |
If you look on Lancashire County Council's website you'll find maps of the proposed phasing in of 20mph zones . It is claimed these zones will be residential areas and near schools but in many places they appear to include whole towns including major through routes - 'residential areas' seems to be very loosely defined. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
aj2052
Frequent Visitor
Joined: Jul 03, 2005
Posts: 1431
Location: Leics,UK
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
Surely this is just an increase in arbartery spped limits that do not necceseraly fit the actual road conditions, but what about the pushing of green issues for reducing carbon emissions, the emissions of engines relate purely to rpm/load so to maintain 20mph needs you be possibly in second gear at the same rpm over a longer time to maintain the same distance at 30mph thus increasing emissions by 33%.
Personally i dont think 20mph adds anymore to 30mph for safety, and neither am I green and also i didnt get my calculator out so dont shout at me, just trying to offset the view.
_________________
Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
M8TJT
The Other Tired Old Man
Joined: Apr 04, 2006
Posts: 10118
Location: Bexhill, South Sussex, UK
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:01 am Post subject: |
|
|
| aj2052 wrote: | | Personally i dont think 20mph adds anymore to 30mph for safety, and neither am I green {snip]. |
I think you are right about the green issues. My opinion is that very few people actually give a toss about carbon emissions and 'save the planet'. It's only a big con to exract more money out of the majority due to the misguided theories of a tiny minority, based on incomplete data from dubious research . As the UKs carbon emissions is only a tiny proportion of the world's man made output. it would make virtually no difference whatsoever if the UK reduced it's carbon emissions to zero. So why the heck is it costing us all so much to try to reduce them.
However, safety is a different thing alltogether. Highway code gives stopping distances as 40ft at 20mph and 75 feet at 30mph. This is a reduction to a little over half the distance at 20mph compared with 30mph. Not only that, if you hit a person at 30 you are likely to do them far more damage than at 20. So a greatly reduced stopping distance and probably less injury if you do hit someone obviously contributes to road safety and anyone who thinks differently is living in cloud cuckoo land.
PS. I do think that the 20mph limit is ridiculous in some places. I support it where there are lots of kids (and adults behaving like kids), but not in all urban areas. And my thoughts are just for road safety reasons. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DennisN
Tired Old Man
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 14892
Location: Keynsham
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
| aj2052 wrote: | | the emissions of engines relate purely to rpm/load so to maintain 20mph needs you be possibly in second gear at the same rpm over a longer time to maintain the same distance at 30mph thus increasing emissions by 33%. |
Hmm. I too haven't got me calculator out, but if the engine does 30mph at optimum rpm/load in 4th gear, let's say it's doing 2,000 rpm. But to do 20mph at same optimum thingy it needs 2,000rpm in 3rd gear. But the significance is that at 20mph it takes 1.5 hours to do 30 miles, whereas at 30mph optimum it takes only an hour. So the increase is 50%. I wish Anita was here - she'd tell us. And I don't know if I'm green TBH. 
_________________
Dennis
If it tastes good - it's fattening.
Two of them are obesiting!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
aj2052
Frequent Visitor
Joined: Jul 03, 2005
Posts: 1431
Location: Leics,UK
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
TBH i not sure myself if green or not due to both green and safety being pushed at you, but must admit perhaps 20mph is neccesary at schools but generally i do think most motorists do drive within the speed adequate for the surroundings they are in but spoilt by the few, lets face it their are cameras placed in some indiscrimite places and none placed where perhaps they are needed,
My calcs were simply done to highlight the alternate issues.
_________________
Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DennisN
Tired Old Man
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 14892
Location: Keynsham
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
| aj2052 wrote: | | My calcs were simply done to highlight the alternate issues. |
Sure, I know that, I wasn't looking for faults. So were mine and I've no idea whether either of us makes much sense except that we do, at least to ourselves. 
But I can't agree wholeheartedly with you about most drivers travelling at adequate speeds within their surroundings. That's because I'm a bit of a nutter about speeds in built up areas - in any and ALL such areas, there MAY be excited children, deaf, blind, disabled people. They are entitled to expect me to not only avoid scaring the wits out of them by speeding and driving in an agressive manner, but also expect me to NOT kill or maim them with my personal killing machine. It would be quite unacceptable to go round swinging a baseball bat at people, so I don't see the difference just because my van/car is prettier than a piece of timber. Sadly, every day my exhaust pipe is regularly harrassed by other drivers who think it's OK to tear their way around the local housing estate. So I will welcome 20mph blanket urban limit - it's just 30mph by another name and another gear and it will give drivers and pedestrians alike an extra (50% ?) time/distance to avoid each other. We can all get used to it and if the fools I see daily around my estate do the same as they do today, hopefully they'll at least be doing less than 30. If a blanket 20mph limit is introduced, it will not be confusing. Of course, the government is not willing to impose it - that would give local councils an excuse to ask for increased funding to cover new signage (same argument over going decimal for measurements - sell wood, cloth and stuff in metres, but leave us with miles so that they don't have to pay to change all the road signs).
But I'm also wholeheartedly behind spook51 over those stupid Somerset (and others) 40mph buffer zones.
And, of course, if 80mph is introduced in some motorways, the present speeders will go even faster. Far better to simply trial unlimited speeds on some. Then all the guys with the biggest (cars?) will be able to really scare the living daylights out of me!
_________________
Dennis
If it tastes good - it's fattening.
Two of them are obesiting!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pcaouolte
Frequent Visitor
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: 998
Location: South Lincs, UK.
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| DennisN wrote: | | But I'm also wholeheartedly behind spook51 over those stupid Somerset (and others) 40mph buffer zones. |
I don't agree that the buffer zones are stupid. Drivers often fail to apply their brakes when they see a 30mph sign, they simply take their foot off the gas. If they are travelling at 60mph when they take their foot off the gas they will be well inside the 30mph zone before their speed actually reduces to 30mph. With the buffer zone they take their foot off the gas when they see the 40mph sign and are likely to be travelling more slowly when they reach the 30mph zone.
_________________
Paul |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
aj2052
Frequent Visitor
Joined: Jul 03, 2005
Posts: 1431
Location: Leics,UK
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Fools will always be fools, whether it be 20,30 or 80mph, and unfortunately the only way is more cameras,will that be the next step,hope not.
_________________
Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
![]() Posted: Today Post subject: Pocket GPS Advertising |
|
|
We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
Have you considered making a donation towards website running costs?. Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in for private messages
Log in
