Penalty points, has it had any effect on your driving style.

Galaxy66

Galaxy66

Jeremy Beadle
Suspended / Banned
Messages
9,190
Name
My name is Mal not Jeremy :)
Edit My Images
Yes
As you know from the insurance hike thread Mrs G has 3 points on her license.

This has had an effect on her driving style that she is not happy with.
I know speed limits are there for a very good reason but she is finding it stressful keeping rigidly to the limit as it is very easy to stray over it by a few miles unless you are watching your speedometer more than the road conditions. She has on a number of occasions came home with tales of cars trying to force her to go faster by tailgating her.

As I said in the other thread she is not a speeding motorist, I now feel this conviction has had the opposite effect on her, this is not making her a safer driver, in my opinion as she already was a safe driver. She does not enjoy driving and is now seriously considering giving up her car :(.

I expect if she had been an inconsiderate, unsafe, speeding driver, the real culprit that should have been targeted it would not have had this effect on her.

She was also upset that she was not offered a speed awareness course, I would have thought her driving profile would have been the target for such a course, I have heard of some younger drivers being offered the course that have already 3 points on their license.

She is not a happy bunny:(
 
Last edited:
No, but it made me invest in a sat nav so I can know in advance where the speed cameras are :lol:
 
Galaxy66 said:
She has one but this location does not flag up as a temp camera site.
Click to expand...

Neither did the one that got me my current 3 points, but then I've been caught twice at the same location (20 years apart, mind you) so it's my own fault :lol:
 
Yes, having points makes me drive within the speed limit now as can't afford any more! :)

It also saves loads of petrol! so I am saving money there! :thumbs:
 
When I got my speeding tickey it slowed me down a hell of a lot, and then when I had my first crash (my fault) it slowed me down even more.

Doesn't matter how careful you are though, some dosy b****r driving her husband's company car will still pull into your front wing when she's trying to overtake
 
Galaxy66 said:
as it is very easy to stray over it by a few miles unless you are watching your speedometer more than the road conditions.
Click to expand...

I dont agree with this. You should be able to maintain your speed by ocasionally looking at the speedometer and listening to the engine sound.

You shouldn't be constantly staring straight ahead anyway. You should be checking the left and right wing mirrors too. So a routine of straight ahead, left mirror, straight ahead, right mirror, straight ahead, speedometer, straight ahead (repeated) should give you all the information you need to drive safely and at an appropriate speed.



Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
I dont agree with this. You should be able to maintain your speed by ocasionally looking at the speedometer and listening to the engine sound.

You shouldn't be constantly staring straight ahead anyway. You should be checking the left and right wing mirrors too. So a routine of straight ahead, left mirror, straight ahead, right mirror, straight ahead, speedometer, straight ahead (repeated) should give you all the information you need to drive safely and at an appropriate speed.



Steve.
Click to expand...

Who drives by looking straight ahead anyway ? I have never said either I or my wife drives in such a manner :shrug:

So I take it that from your reply that you NEVER stray over the limit at any time by adopting your recommended driving style, if that is so I find that very hard to believe!!.
 
Last edited:
I try not to go over the limit and yes, I do constantly use both wing mirrors.

Being a musician helps with listening to the engine tone too!



Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
I try not to go over the limit and yes, I do constantly use both wing mirrors.

Being a musician helps with listening to the engine tone too!



Steve.
Click to expand...

From that reply I fail to see the point of your original post then :shrug:
 
Ive had cruise control fitted to mine now (fairly easy on my car although not all are) doesnt help in all situations but those long tedious motorway journeys when you have to be extra vigilant for foreign lorry drivers pulling out on you, and idiots all over the shop, and contend with the centre lane owners club as well, it does help.
 
IanC_UK said:
Ive had cruise control fitted to mine now (fairly easy on my car although not all are) doesnt help in all situations but those long tedious motorway journeys when you have to be extra vigilant for foreign lorry drivers pulling out on you, and idiots all over the shop, and contend with the centre lane owners club as well, it does help.
Click to expand...

Oh how I wish I had cruise control:(, I had two Mitsubishi Gallants which had cruise control and I loved it, used it whenever I could, even at 30mph and great on long journeys for giving the accelerator foot a rest.

Perhaps in the interests of safety and the green brigade all cars should have it fitted.
 
I've been lucky enough not to have been caught speeding. I generally don't speed but I would be lying if I said there weren't a few occassions when I'd been expecting a letter through the door just from realising I was going a few miles over, it just never arrived.

The worst was running a red light on a roundabout. It was an area I didn't know well, a roundabout with four lanes and someone had put traffic lights part way round!!! I was at the front of the queue and when the lights changed to let me on the roundabout I just went for it. I knew as soon as I saw the traffic coming on from the other sliproad what I'd done and adjusted my driving to compensate.

I felt dreadful, and the wait for the letter was excrutiating, fortunately it didn't arrive. When you are a normal, considerate driver one of the worse things must be waiting for that letter. I'm not sure really at what point you can say ok, I got lucky that time but I normally give it two weeks.

I don't think the Police realise that for most drivers the thought of getting points would horrify them. The odds are that most drivers at some time will get a speeding fine just because they are judged on that split second the camera goes flash not how they have been driving the rest of that day.
 
Galaxy66 said:
Perhaps in the interests of safety and the green brigade all cars should have it fitted.
Click to expand...

CC won't provide you the greatest fuel efficiency, neither will sticking ridgidly to the speed limit. The trick is to build up speed on the downhill sections, so you can ease off the throttle on the uphills.
CC will keep you at a constant speed, no matter what the incline, applying more throttle as you slow on the uphill and by breaking as gravity accelerates you on the downhill.
 
Jim.R said:
CC won't provide you the greatest fuel efficiency, neither will sticking ridgidly to the speed limit. The trick is to build up speed on the downhill sections, so you can ease off the throttle on the uphills. Is this not a bit like believing in perpetual motion? unless you apply the brake on the downhill section you will lose momentum to take you up the hill, but the less energy required to ascend the uphill section will be cancelled out by the increased acceleration on the descent if you used the accellerator (does that make sense:thinking:)
CC will keep you at a constant speed, no matter what the incline, applying more throttle as you slow on the uphill and by breaking as gravity accelerates you on the downhill. .Mmm that is true
Click to expand...
 
I've just booked onto a nu-labour speed awareness workshop. Talk about jobs for the boys.
 
2blue4u said:
I've just booked onto a nu-labour speed awareness workshop. Talk about jobs for the boys.
Click to expand...

You've been given the opportunity to go on a speed awareness course instead of points on your license ? or am I mistaken and this is something else?

Tell me more....
 
2blue4u said:
I've just booked onto a nu-labour speed awareness workshop. Talk about jobs for the boys.
Click to expand...

Ah well, you'll be told you're a puppy killing, climate changing psychopath for doing 34mph then.

Getting 3 points did slow me down a little, but not by a huge amount. I don't speed excessively, I just drive at the safest maximum speed allowed by the road conditions. This might be 20mph, but could easily be 100mph (only on private roads, m'lud ;)), depending on the road/weather/traffic levels and 101 other things.
 
No recent points on my licence after 3 points about 6 years ago - learnt my lesson and as I do about 25k miles a year I need my licence :thumbs:

Best advice for sticking to 30 where you have to is to drop down to 3rd gear and don't be tempted into 4th.
 
Might be worth reminding Mrs G that someone up your ares trying to force you on is insightiment to speed, also punishable by 3 points and a fixed penalty. Not many people realise this, and if they did I'm sure there'd be less of it about. I know telling her won't stop it happening but at least she may have the confidence to know she's in the right and the scrote behind is in the wrong.
 
i got my first set of points the first week i had my current car.

Going from a really slow 1.2 clio to a torquey 1.8tdci, it was oh so easy to accellerate without noticing.

Got done for doing 54 in a 40 by a temp van.

It was my own fault, but i haven't adjusted my driving, just learned how to drive the car..
 
I got caught last June by a camera van hidden away on the side of the road :( a momentary lack of concentration after pulling out of my mates road and accelerating around the corner, I had no time to slow down for it.

It did slow me down, and in someways it still does, but the effects of "adhering strictly to the speed limits" have worn off.
 
When I changed location and moved home 5 yrs ago I accumulated 6 points in as many months .... that did change my driving behaviour as I reckoned that in another 6 months I could be banned.

Do I still speed? -- occasionally!!

But I do spend far more time with cruise control on. I did invest in a sat nav after the second incident but it is the cruise control that has kept my licence.
 
It's been 10 years since I received my only speeding fine , I was on the M6 near Preston driving through some very long road works, the limit was 50mph, I slowed as I approached the roadworks, about 1/2 way through there was a section where it went back to 3 lanes and I simply forgot where I was and went back up to 70.

There was a Police car in the 3 lane section on the hard shoulder and I didn't even slow down as it wasn't until I saw the next 50 sign I realised I was still in the 50 limit.

The Police car didn't stop me so I thought no more of it, then next week I got the letter 69 in a 50

The thing that annoyed me more than anything is why didn't they stop me, if speed causes death as they say why allow me to carry on at 70mph , could it be there was money to be earned staying where they were.:suspect:

It didn't alter my driving style then but I have changed now, I rarely go over 30, mostly because I realised it gets you nowhere in a 30 mph limit, you just arrive at the next red light 20 seconds earlier.
 
Galaxy66 said:
She has on a number of occasions came home with tales of cars trying to force her to go faster by tailgating her.(
Click to expand...

Touching the brakes can normally stop that ;)
 
TG. said:
Touching the brakes can normally stop that ;)
Click to expand...

I do that with my left foot, so I don't slow down, but the lights come on. I also make a habit of slowing down if I get tailgaited, becuase I need a longer stopping distance if I have to allow for idiot boy behind me.

I am in a pool car at work which is a Toyota Prius, an automatic hybrid car. That is a way to keep the speed down. It tells me an average and instant consumption, so I know how economic I am being. It also has a funky graphic which shows when I am using the petrol engine (and fuel) and when I am using the battery (cruising for free). I like the free option, and it happens more with a lighter right foot.

I am getting 51 to the gallon out of a 1.6 petrol engine. Now my diesel renault did that, but I am paying less tax, and also 10p less per litre......

(untill my new diesel renault turns up.....)
 
TG. said:
Touching the brakes can normally stop that ;)
Click to expand...
She would never do that, she also does not believe in tooting other motorists, I on the other hand often touch the brakes, or another favourite approach of mine on faster roads is to gently slow down further:D. I will also toot someone if they did anything which threatened my safety.
 
Galaxy, I would remind her that most car's speedo are inaccurate, so even if she strays to 34 for example, she's probably only doing 30. Ever driven past those speed camera's at road works?? My van reads 56 on the speedo, shows 50 on the sign.
 
JDholic said:
Galaxy, I would remind her that most car's speedo are inaccurate, so even if she strays to 34 for example, she's probably only doing 30. Ever driven past those speed camera's at road works?? My van reads 56 on the speedo, shows 50 on the sign.
Click to expand...


My Suzuki Swifts optamistic on the speedo front, according to the sat nav, 80mph is 72.

Which is good, as is makes you think you`re going faster than you are!
 
minky_monkey said:
My Suzuki Swifts optamistic on the speedo front, according to the sat nav, 80mph is 72.

Which is good, as is makes you think you`re going faster than you are!
Click to expand...

That's 'cause the swift's a heap :D :lol:
 
as my points are for a ts10 rather than speeding i dont find that it has had an effect on my every day driving (as i probably only see a set of traffic lights about once a week!) however at traffic lights i am far more aware of the light sequence and ensuring i dont go through on amber if i can help it, i am also far more aware of whether they have a signal camera on the lights as well.
 
Bad lad!
 
JDholic said:
Galaxy, I would remind her that most car's speedo are inaccurate, so even if she strays to 34 for example, she's probably only doing 30. Ever driven past those speed camera's at road works?? My van reads 56 on the speedo, shows 50 on the sign.
Click to expand...

I appreciate that as she has sat nav but having got 3 points on her license it would be best for her to err on the side of caution and rely on her speedometer.
 
A cricket bat would help to suggest people back off :shrug:
 
I invariably drive at or about 10 miles an hour over the limit on most of my journeys except in 30mph Urban areas where I do stick rigidly to the limit...

Coming back to the UK is going to be a nightmare after the relative freedom of German roads...
No points and variable penalties for speeding offences (the most I paid was 18€ for 12kph over the limit in a 70kph zone on a dual-carriageway - you try going from 150kph to 70kph in 50m...the Germans don't do progressive slowing - the speed camera was 30m beyond the 70 sign...by the time I spotted the sign it was already too late...lol).
 
2blue4u said:
that'll be the one.
Click to expand...

Pay the fine, given a short lecture, then computer games, all in under 2 hours, and no insurance hassle.

No such luck for Mrs G:(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top