Speed awareness course by zoom (update)

JohnC6 said:
How do foreign drivers know what our system is ?
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There is a basic obligation on any driver to familiarise themselves with the road laws and signs in any new country, not just the speed limits, anyone who fails to do that deserves all they get, just hope they don't involve others. This touches on the unfortunate fact that most people do not take the responsibility of piloting a tonne of metal at speed with the attention it deserves.

There are very few single lane country roads where travel at over 60 mph is advisable, that or thereabouts is much the same in most countries, most of Canada (outside of dual carriageways) has a 50mph limit, so your BiL might need some education
 
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If you don’t know what the speed limit is, it is perfectly possible to assume that it is lower than you want it to be! ‘Limit not target’ is quite a good mantra.
 
In the UK it's easy. If you can see streetlights then it's 30 unless there are signs up giving you a different speed limit. If there are no streetlights and no signs then it's 60 for single carriageway. If the limits are different then there should be repeating signs reminding you.

In France there are generally no repeating signs in the way there are in the UK. Ordinary roads all used to be 90kph, but there was a rule change and now most are 80 but some are 90. Towns and villages may be 50 with a section of 30 near schools etc indicated by signs and speed bumps, but some villages are also 70. And some still follow 'priorite a droite' for fun.

The UK is becoming more difficult and less rational.
 
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JohnC6 said:
My brother-in-law and his wife came over to visit from Canada and we took them around the Cotwolds. Most of the roads are subject to a 60mph limit,sometimes 50. We drove on mile after mile and no indication re what the speed limit was unless it changed from 60mph. I know it's 60mph unlesss otherwise stated but he asked, how do drivers know what the speed limit is ? I agreed with him. How do foreign drivers know what our system is ? Hopefully, they'd check before hiring a car or if having driven over from mainland Europe. I agree with my bil that the speed limit should be painted on the road every few miles,maybe..or road signs or a mix of both. It's not a problem for us now as our car shows the speed limit when in SatNav mode.
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It has to be posted on repeaters (about every mile I think) otherwise a 50mph limit is not valid, and should you go to court and prove that there are no repeaters on an unlit road, you will win (as long as you weren't doing over 60mph).

It is the council's responsibility to make sure that roads are clearly labeled for speed limits, just like parking.
 
I must admit that I rely on my SatNav when not driving locally. Speed limits seem to change in odd places and it is easy to otherwise get caught out. I was travelling to Papplewick from Gloucestershire at about the same time as another Camera Club member. Towards the end of the journey I travelled through a village which was clearly 30mph. At a junction I was directed to turn North and found myself on a wide straight road going down hill with no houses so it felt like at least 40mpg. However my SATNAV persisted in stating 30mph so kept to that and at the bottom of the hill was a hidden police camera. The other guy did not use a SATNAV and got booked for speeding. You cannot rely totally on the SATNAV but it is pretty accurate generally.

Dave
 
^ as long as it is updated, which in cars ones may not be, unless you pay up and do updates.
 
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I,m booked one early August. In the last 60+ years I,ve been good, but just a moment din't check my speedometer.


Trevor
 
Well finally did the zoom course today and what an eye opener, not because of the course itself but because of one prick that refused to take it seriously. Despite being warned numerous times by the tutor he finished up lying on his settee drinking lager and talking to his mates. The tutor closed the meeting for 10 minutes to phone his office for advice. He finally expelled him from the meeting and told us that as he had elected to do the course instead of accepting the fixed speeding penalty he will now finish up in court. Don't know how true that is but l hope a magistrate takes a dim view of it and deals out a hefty fine.
 
It is a condition of agreeing to do the course that if you do not complete the course you revert to the fixed penalty. AFAIK you don't get your course fee back either.
 
woof woof said:
A similar thing happened to me once on a stretch of road with multiple speed limit changes but in my case I was stopped by a cop car. I'd just pulled out of a petrol station and had accelerated up to about 50mph as I thought I was in a 60mph limit and must have been speeding for all of about 400m and the national speed limit sign was visible when they played back my offence for me to see in the cop car. I was really tempted to say "WTF? Haven't you got better things to do?" but I had after all been speeding.
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I really hate roads where limits change a lot. Near me there is a road where it goes 30 to 40 for a very short distance. I really can't see the point.
 
One of the best things about my car is that it has both cruise control and a speed limiter.

I use the former on dual carriageways and the latter in urban driving. I switch them both off when on rural roads and concentrate on looking out for the next vehicle coming round a bend on the wrong side...

Hyundai I30 instrument binacle A65 DSC03594.JPG
 
beyond the blue said:
Well finally did the zoom course today and what an eye opener, not because of the course itself but because of one prick that refused to take it seriously. Despite being warned numerous times by the tutor he finished up lying on his settee drinking lager and talking to his mates. The tutor closed the meeting for 10 minutes to phone his office for advice. He finally expelled him from the meeting and told us that as he had elected to do the course instead of accepting the fixed speeding penalty he will now finish up in court. Don't know how true that is but l hope a magistrate takes a dim view of it and deals out a hefty fine.
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"You can make me attend, but you can't make me pay attention." Oh, wait.....

AndrewFlannigan said:
One of the best things about my car is that it has both cruise control and a speed limiter.

I use the former on dual carriageways and the latter in urban driving. I switch them both off when on rural roads and concentrate on looking out for the next vehicle coming round a bend on the wrong side...

View attachment 369014
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My old car had both those but I never got used to the speed limiter so didn't use it. My new car is simpler because it combines both so the cruise control is a maximum speed - it uses satnav and observation to set the speed at or below that depending on other traffic and bends. Once I trust it, I bet it will be great.
 
My current car doesn't have a speed limiter option (previous car did), but it does have a speed limit warning which you can 'Bump' to to anything you like, it then starts beeping like crazy when you pass 140mph, which is handy as it really starts to drink fuel then.

I would have liked to have adaptive cruise control though as standard cruise control is next to useless unless the road is quiet.
 
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