BBC News on Bad drivers Sounds like the Government might at last be doing something good toward clamping down on dodgy drivers.
I hope it goes through and that the Police actually have officers on the roads to do some enforcement.
Tailgaters are my pet hate alongside inconsiderate barstewards who overtake into blind bends.
Pros and cons - I can see wealthy drivers nodding their head; a fine here, a fine there, get out of jail free (or at least keep the points at bay).
I have noticed that these days police patrols are rarer than unicorn dung. When I passed my test back in the '80s, I recall patrol and panda cars all over the place. This kept the boy racers in check. XR2s, Escort Mk IIs, ah, those were the days. Anyway, all very well having on the spot fines, but with no fine-ers, there can be no fine-ees.
Fancy Driving around Bedfordshire then, I see atleast 2 on the way to and from work.
I hope if they're going to do this that it will also include the inconsiderate and infuriating drivers who insist on crawling along national limit roads at about 45 mph. That irritates me considerably more than any of the things mentioned in the news story.
As infuriating as that is, they're within their rights to do so. What's more infuriating is the way that it seems to be the only speed they drive at: when the limit changes to 30 or 40mph for a village, they speed off ahead!Originally Posted by RobMongoose
Anyway, I agree with the "what's the point if there's no-one around to enforce the fines?" feelings above, plus the "rich people will just cough up and continue driving like morons" sentiments and add that given the already-existing plethora of sites/books about how to weasel your way out of speeding/parking tickets it all seems a bit of a waste of time and just a good soundbite for Scameron.
The road I go commute on is constantly congested by one car doing 35-40, 45 max, along a 50-60 road. The queue created is just stupid, ok some of those in the queue would catch up with anyone, but they hold up the flow. Both ends of the roads end up at a roundabout/filter system so when that queue reaches either end it causes a blockage as that amount of traffic can't be accommodated at once. & yes they are always the ones that reach a village half way along and carry on at 40 through the 30 zone.
I can just see it being another thing people whine at the Police about. "Shouldn't you be out catching real criminals" will be the whine, not realising that there is a direct link between the the lack of cracking down on small crimes and the escalation of major crime.
Does it not count as failing to make good progress, or interupting the flow of traffic or something? Definately agree on the point about continuing at the same speed!
i assume that if said person is doing 45 you aren't sitting inches away from their bumper trying to force them to go quicker?
it's a maximum speed limit of (for example) 60, so as long as they aren't driving over that speed or under it enough to cause a hazard (which i doubt 45 is causing anybody a hazard) then they are quite entitled to.
there can always be other factors too. not everybody is as confident on the road as you may be, so they slow down slightly to feel more comfortable. i know a few country lanes near me that have a 60 limit, but i dont know them well enough so tend to slow down a lot there as i dont find myself half way up a tree. but i still have those that think that 60 is only a guide and those blind corners should be taken at 70 at least right up behind me trying to edge past.
also, remember if you have a flat and have a space saver wheel put on, then you are limited to speeds again. i know this wont account for every single person you encounter driving slower, but to lump them all in a category as "worse than tailgating and undertaking" is silly.
I wouldn't have thought so. Traffic is still flowing, just not at the maximum limit allowed, and failing to make good progress, again...they are making progress, just not to the satisfaction of other drivers
@LeMarchand:
Actually you can be fined for going too slow and holding up the traffic if the conditions of the road and weather are consistent with the speed limit of the road in question.
Its all about the flow of the traffic and it is up to the individual officer to determine at that time whether or not a road traffic offence has been committed taking all the different variables into account.
What might be conceived as a bad manoeuvre by one officer may not be by another.
but i've had drivers up my a**e because 57 in a 60 was too slow and i should have obviously been pushing 90 to keep them happy. if its slow enough to cause a genuine hazard, and not just mean impatient people undertake because they want to, then yes, it should be a fine, but if 45 is still keeping the traffic flowing, then where do you set the limit? that then means 55 in a 60 is too slow. why not just get every car with cruise control, knock it on to 60 and be done with it. i bet some drivers would still over/undertake even if everybody else were doing dead on the limit@LeMarchand:
Actually you can be fined for going too slow and holding up the traffic if the conditions of the road and weather are consistent with the speed limit of the road in question.
Its all about the flow of the traffic and it is up to the individual officer to determine at that time whether or not a road traffic offence has been committed taking all the different variables into account.
What might be conceived as a bad manoeuvre by one officer may not be by another.
Quite. And the only thing you can reasonably do when someone drives too close, is gradually slow down until the gap they are willing to leave is appropriate for the speed.
I stand corrected. However, I firmly believe that MK-2's assessment is spot on:
When one of Mme LeMarchand's girls was in Aberystwyth Uni the roads on the approach (mainly very bendy and on the side of a small mountain with a steep drop to the side) were 60mph - but there was no way in hell that I was going that speed (particularly on the way back in the dark)! Those familiar with the road may well have felt confident enough to do so, though.it's a maximum speed limit of (for example) 60, so as long as they aren't driving over that speed or under it enough to cause a hazard (which i doubt 45 is causing anybody a hazard) then they are quite entitled to.
there can always be other factors too. not everybody is as confident on the road as you may be, so they slow down slightly to feel more comfortable. i know a few country lanes near me that have a 60 limit, but i dont know them well enough so tend to slow down a lot there as i dont find myself half way up a tree. but i still have those that think that 60 is only a guide and those blind corners should be taken at 70 at least right up behind me trying to edge past.
also, remember if you have a flat and have a space saver wheel put on, then you are limited to speeds again. i know this wont account for every single person you encounter driving slower, but to lump them all in a category as "worse than tailgating and undertaking" is silly.
I wouldn't have thought so. Traffic is still flowing, just not at the maximum limit allowed, and failing to make good progress, again...they are making progress, just not to the satisfaction of other drivers
There is no specific offence of driving "too slow" or "holding up the traffic". You can be stopped for ANY reason and you could be prosecuted for "inconsiderate driving" or perhaps "driving without due care and attention". I very much doubt a case would stick if the prosecution case was just "going a bit too slowly". As a driver you have to be prepared to deal with agriucultural vehicles, cyclists and horses. You have no right to *expect* to be able to do 60 just because the speed *LIMIT* is 60.
I'd agree that not everyone who drives at 45 in 60/70 limits is guilty of obstruction, but some really do take the ****. I follow a lot of 20% under whatever the limit is, just under 50 in 60, just over 30 in 40 stretches and near stopped in the 30 zones. Same car, just won't drive to sensible speeds whatever the limit.
Last edited by Andrew_C; 11th May 2011 at 11:29 AM.
20% less than the speed limit is considered dangerous driving as it CAUSES more accidents than it prevents...so doing <24mph in a 30mph zone is a risk, as is doing <48mph in a 60mph. Anything between the 20% and the limit is deemed safe (Driving examiner told me that once).
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote