Road safety

[Shutpa]

The idea is that those who break the law should pay for the means of enforcing the law rather than drivers like me who stick to the speed limits.

Come on joe-90, hand on heart. Did you switch to this posting from 'Do You Enjoy Driving?' because you knew that if your needle didn't become unstuck, the post would probably be locked.

Here you have the chance to start all over again! "I am joe-90. I always obey the law - I never break the law. I am a dalek and if all other road users were daleks and never broke the speed limit there would be no road accidents. All vehicles would be twenty yards behind the one in front and road accidents would be reduced. And the outside lane would be marked 'For law-breaking non-daleks only'. I am joe-90, I always obey the law - I never break the law"

Oops here come the mods - must start a new topic 'Driving Within the Law'.

 

[Softus]

IMO there's nothing wrong with how joe-90 drives or what he's advocating as decent law-abiding behaviour in a car.

It seems that simply because most drivers speed, some people think it's OK to belittle and insult the people who choose not to.

 

[Thermo]

if speed cameras didnt generate money, ie if you were caught speeding and were just given the points would people be so opposed to them?

Tell you what, you take my points, i'll pay your fine.

ive never been done for speeding or any motoring offenece. I can see the benefit of speed cameras, although i question the siting of some. i alkso see how they are viewed as a cash generator for the government. If that element was taken away, would that not reduce oposition for them?

 

[Shutpa]

some people think it's OK to belittle and insult the people.

I know that I have taken this right out of context Softus, but I have to agree with you. Now, who, I wonder, would stoop to belittle and insult, contributers to this forum?

 

[Softus]

I'm covered in first-stone wounds, bolo, but I have not criticised anyone for belittling joe-90 on this topic, merely highlighted out the mob mentality and the underlying envy of someone who has the discipline to do what's right and legal.

What I wonder is whether or not you're capable of discriminating from the style of a person's post from the fact of whether they're right or wrong.

 

[masona]

"I am joe-90. I always obey the law - I never break the law.

I'm sorry but I'm with Joe on this one, none of us is perfect but occasionally I have driven slightly over the speed limit but not on purpose, we're talking about drivers that drive 35-40 mph regular on the 30 mph zone and only slow down where the speed cameras are.

 

[Softus]

Tell you what, you take my points, i'll pay your fine.

Better still, use that money to pay for your car insurance.

 

[megawatt]

Softus: On the one hand you criticise "mob mentality" against J90 on recent posts and complain about him being belittled and insulted and then aim this at Libby Lou Lou ...

Better still, use that money to pay for your car insurance.

Your treatment of LLL in many recent posts has been appalling.

What a hypocrite you are

You're certainly not worthy of being able to criticise anyone else on this forum.

MW

 

[anobium]

I used to average about 50k miles a year for about 20 years.
I have never had an accident but I have been done for speeding 3 times by being caught in radar traps etc. In fact at one stage I had 11 points on my licence, so I made a conscious effort never to exceed the speed limit.
Well to be honest I stuck to the unwritten law of 10% plus 2 mph
My point is that speed is relative to the ability of the driver, I have seen people crawling along and they are a greater danger on the road than somebody who is exceeding the speed limit.
In my experience I felt that the motorways in particular were more dangerous during the summer holidays when what I classed as weekend drivers were on the roads.
Cameras and the like will never pick up these drivers, you need more police cars on the roads.

 

[joe-90]

But if you HAD hit something then the impact would have been much greater and the risk of death much higher.

 

[Softus]

Your treatment of a <self-declared criminal> in many recent posts has been appalling.

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=714670#714670

 

[Softus]

Cameras and the like will never pick up these drivers, you need more police cars on the roads.

I disagree. This is like the "the prisons are full so we need more prisons" argument.

What we need is better driver education, and to give people a reason not to drive dangerously OR break the law.

If this forum is any indication of the mind set of all drivers, then something radical needs to happen with driving re-tests and license revocations, because there are people posting here who, given their attitude to speeding, shouldn't be on the road at all.

 

[tim west]

Ok the law says one thing but we all know in practice its different, most drivers (not the loonies) drive a bit above the limit but keeping in sync with others around them ie on motorways the traffic stays mostly together, even the police seem to ok this as many a time i have passed a police vehicle whilst following the rest of the traffic at perhaps 5 to 10 miles over the limit and they seem to accept that?

 

[Softus]

many a time i have passed a police vehicle whilst following the rest of the traffic at perhaps 5 to 10 miles over the limit and they seem to accept that?

Well, what choices do they have?

If 100 cars are doing an actual speed of 75mph, then can:

1. Accept it.
2. Stop one car and let the others gleefully increase their speed to 85mph.
3. Stop all 100 cars.

Er, #3 isn't a real option of course.

 

[anobium]

Cameras and the like will never pick up these drivers, you need more police cars on the roads.

I disagree. This is like the "the prisons are full so we need more prisons" argument.

So you are saying that cameras pick up those drivers who either signal to late when pulling out on motorways, or usually don't signal at all, sit in the middle lane doing 60 mph, and generally have no idea about motorway driving. I don't think so.

What we need is better driver education, and to give people a reason not to drive dangerously OR break the law

Even though I have been fined for speeding I have never been fined for dangerous driving.
You can drive dangerously and still be within the speed limit it is all down to the ability and experience of the driver.

Joe 90 wrote

But if you HAD hit something then the impact would have been much greater and the risk of death much higher

But the point Joe is that I did not, a poor driver is more inclined to have an accident whatever speed he/she is doing.

Just like any other thing in this life there are amateurs and professionals, and I class someone who drives very little particularly on the motorways as an amateur.
Even I now realise that my reactions on the motorways are not as quick as they were when I drove on them daily.