Any police officers on here? (Speeding question)

[Kes]

Kes no offence but I would not admit to have once ran a speed safety partnership! It might be something you want to keep to yourself!

 

No offence taken

but from a satisfaction point of view, demonstrably saving lives is a good thing ,as part of a team and by any method, so, its actually something that did a bit of good and gave me lots of insights and (satisfaction).

It is interesting from the debate that we all hold very strong opinions yet how many have picked up the bodies and know the details of why things went so fatally wrong ?

Ask a police traffic chap - the man who knows his onions above and I will always venture an opinion.

 

Remember when eating your Mars bar whist driving, using your mobile, tuning the radio, changing a CD, driving for too long, smoking etc - I have seen the results and if it was you, your family would not like it, so whatever you believe - drive safely and ********* concentrate on just that.

 

I very much admire the police officers who deal with the aftermath - its not a job i'd like to do, so for ANY ex-police chap or police chap to express an opinion, in my mind - its worth a listen.

[leeds chimp]

Driving is a skill

 

I remember years ago before I passed my test being a passenger while my old man drove.

Came to a roundabout big lorry inside lane.... we on the outside..

old man let the lorry join first and held back... asked him why and then saw.... the tail end of the lorry went into the lane and would not have given any room to go anywhere.,,, hope that makes sense

[Nial]

What evidence? ?

 

 

I don't have links to hand but those who study traffic flow/ human behaviour etc have shown this is the case.

 

This...

 

http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/szn/determining_the_85th_percentile_speed.htm

 

..explains the thinking behind it. The 85th percentile for the UK is something like 83mph if I remember correctly.

 

A _realistic_ limit could slow traffic down and reduce accidents/injury.

 

 

As a rule of thumb you know if you go above 80 you will stand a good chance of getting done on the motorway, i cant see what the problem is. We all know this surely?

 

But it's a **** way of operating, there should be a realistic enforced limit.

 

Nial.

Edited September 6, 2013 by Nial

[oscarsdad]

Rediculous statement especially considering your job.

Skill has nothing to do with it.

Put Lewis Hamilton in a car doing 40 and then the same car doind 30 and make him do an emergency stop.

Do the cars travel the same distance or not?

What a stupid comment - of course skill has everything to do with it...if you are a skilled driver then you are permanently on the look out for hazards, both immediate and in the distance - so the skill is to drive at a appropriate speed in relation to hazards and therefore be able to react to an incident or occurance.

 

Of course speed and stopping distance are fixed variables, but the skill comes in anticipating and driving defensibly in order to mitigate potential risks on the particular stretch of road.

[gibspoon]

Any time I've been involved in speed enforcement, it's been as a result of residents of an area complaining to the police about speeding. Community policing= listening to what the community wants and responding. Personally, I'd rather not do the speed enforcement as I'm not keen on targeting motorists and generally don't like traffic stuff. But hey-ho, the law's the law and we are all expected to stick to it.

 

Edit- It annoys me a bit when people claim that the police do it to make money, when in fact its been done in response to complaints from the public, or because of a high accident rate on a stretch of road.

Edited September 6, 2013 by gibspoon

[Elby]

What a stupid comment - of course skill has everything to do with it...if you are a skilled driver then you are permanently on the look out for hazards, both immediate and in the distance - so the skill is to drive at a appropriate speed in relation to hazards and therefore be able to react to an incident or occurance.

 

Of course speed and stopping distance are fixed variables, but the skill comes in anticipating and driving defensibly in order to mitigate potential risks on the particular stretch of road.

Jesus another one that doesn't read.

My point was the best most skilled driver in the world will take longer to stop doing 40mph than doing 30mph

[oscarsdad]

Jesus another one that doesn't read.

My point was the best most skilled driver in the world will take longer to stop doing 40mph than doing 30mph

An F1 driver is far from the best driver, he may be quick on the track but is not looking for hazards on the road in the same way as someone who is trained to do so, so the trained advanced driver would stop quicker because he would anticipate the need to earlier.

[colin lad]

What type of ball?

a rugby ball

[Nial]

My point was the best most skilled driver in the world will take longer to stop doing 40mph than doing 30mph

 

The skilled driver won't be doing 40 where he's going to have to stop suddenly.

 

Nial.

[oscarsdad]

The skilled driver won't be doing 40 where he's going to have to stop suddenly.

 

Nial.

Exactly

[chady]

Lol you said people don't fall out on these threads!!!

 

Now, now, play nicely children!

[Muddy Funker]

What a stupid comment - of course skill has everything to do with it...if you are a skilled driver then you are permanently on the look out for hazards, both immediate and in the distance - so the skill is to drive at a appropriate speed in relation to hazards and therefore be able to react to an incident or occurance.

 

Of course speed and stopping distance are fixed variables, but the skill comes in anticipating and driving defensibly in order to mitigate potential risks on the particular stretch of road.

 

A short post which completely hits the point, the vast majority of drivers do not match their observation and planning with the speed they are doing. So at 30 mph they are looking at a patch of tarmac just in front of their bonnet. Then at 100 mph they do exactly the same thing and wonder why they can't react to something that has suddenly changed in front of them.

 

The fact is that for an advanced driver whether it be police or civilian then there is rarely a suddenly, this is because that driver will be looking way, way ahead, prioritising hazards, anticipating what might happen, constantly taking information and assessing. And it's incredibly mentally fatiguing.

 

You can see how poor peoples observation is daily when you are following a line of traffic when every few seconds everyone's brake lights come on sequentially, this to me clearly shows that people are only looking at the car in front and reacting to it's brake lights.

 

Advanced, or drivers with good observation and planning will see the need to brake probably before the first car in the line or certainly when that car brakes. That driver will then back off using acceleration sense and completely negate the need to brake, unless of course the traffic is coming to a complete stop.

 

To be a truly safe driver then the only thing you should be concentrating on is the driving, not the kids, not the stereo, not the phone and not the other multitude of distractions.

 

No one said it was easy.

[Elby]

 

The skilled driver won't be doing 40 where he's going to have to stop suddenly.

 

Nial.

Ahh so the skilled driver has a crystal ball.

He knows when a child, a deer ect is gonna run out on him

[Browning 425 clay hunter]

Elby its called perceptional awareness, good drivers have it, you on the other hand, haven't even got a clue about it. And for gods sake don't start driving around with a crystal ball on your lap

[wildtrax]

the graveyards are full of highly skilled expert drivers and there innocent victims. if you get caught speeding its no good crying about it just pay your fine and take your points like a big boy. if its a risk you cant handle, walk or get a bike and pray you dont fall victim to a speeding know it all driver.

[Nial]

Ahh so the skilled driver has a crystal ball.

He knows when a child, a deer ect is gonna run out on him

 

No, but he knows when it's a possibility and adjusts his speed to account for it.

 

There are times when 40's safe because nobody could possibly get from cover to in front of your car before you saw them and stopped.

 

There are times (when the limit's 30) that 25 isn't safe, ie past a row of parked cars when there are a load of small kids on the pavement.

 

Or do you just to the speed that the big sign tells you to?

 

Nial

[Nial]

the graveyards are full of highly skilled expert drivers and there innocent victims.

 

No, it's full of idiots who thought they were god and were driving too fast.

 

 

The skill isn't in the physical driving of the car, as pointed out above it's situational awareness.

[wildtrax]

full of idiots perhaps who beleaved there situational awareness was tip top and ok. personally i cant see how an aware driver can see a small child standing behind a car who without looking steps into road, the facts are if speed is kept within limits there chance of survival is increased.

[Nial]

> i cant see how an aware driver can see a small child standing behind a car who without looking steps into road

 

They can't see the small child, but they should know it's a possibility and be driving slower (speed limit or less) and towards

the centre of the road (if possible) to give them more time to react.

 

 

What about if you're the only car driving on a two lane route into town, there's nobody on the pavement and there are

no side roads for the next couple of hundred yards. Is it safe to increase your speed to 40 for this stretch?

 

Nial

[wildtrax]

if i was on a two lane route into town i would be reducing my speed any way and not concentrating on doing the maximum permissable for the last 200 yards. ive been passed by many drivers determined to get to the next set of traffic lights as fast as they can only to be sat there at a red light all of 1 cars lenth in front of me.

[Nial]

if i was on a two lane route into town i would be reducing my speed any way and not concentrating on doing the maximum permissable for the last 200 yards. ive been passed by many drivers determined to get to the next set of traffic lights as fast as they can only to be sat there at a red light all of 1 cars lenth in front of me.

 

Who said anything about traffic lights?

 

It sounds like you need to read a copy of this...

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roadcraft-drivers-handbook-Essential-Handbook/dp/0117021687

 

 

Nial.

[Pole Star]

This thread will go on forever & ever ! none of us like getting caught but at the end of the day its our own fault for not paying enough attention !.

They have all been done ie the rich the famous , barristers judges & chief constables & the best one I like was when the chief constable of Essex I believe it was got nicked by his own traffic cops as he was breaking the speed limit on his way to a home office meeting good on the boys who nicked him but I some how doubt they ever got promoted .

I got nicked for speeding over Sydney Harbor Bridge on my Triumph Bonneville years ago ( still have the ticket some where ) but it was my own fault & no point me moaning about it .

ATB Pole Star

Edited September 7, 2013 by Pole Star

[Elby]

Elby its called perceptional awareness, good drivers have it, you on the other hand, haven't even got a clue about it. And for gods sake don't start driving around with a crystal ball on your lap

Really?

I was a track day instructor for 4 years.

And it wasn't about perception it was about speed.

Again my point was speed does kill, FACT the faster you go the longer the stopping distance.

Doesn't matter if it's 40 in a 30 or 100 in a 70

So (as already stated) if a really fantastic driver with great awareness, perception ect is driving along the M1 at 100mph and the driver in the middle lane gets a blow out would he or would he not stand less chance of stopping or avoiding the collision?

Also if he can't avoid the collision is he more likely to sustain damage at 100mph rather than 70mph?

[Mungler]

One word (again) "autobahn"

 

And if the government raises the speed limit to 80 mph does that mean all the reckless bad driving law breakers who were naughtily speeding at 78 mph one week are suddenly law abiding citizens the next.

 

It's all about the revenue.

[Pole Star]

One word (again) "autobahn"

 

And if the government raises the speed limit to 80 mph does that mean all the reckless bad driving law breakers who were naughtily speeding at 78 mph one week are suddenly law abiding citizens the next.

 

It's all about the revenue.

 

Ask your own chief constable Mungler he might be able to answer your question assuming he was not sacked or retired since !

Edited September 7, 2013 by Pole Star