Worst case of speeding I have witnessed.

[mrgubby]

Speed kills, simple.

It's not simple, any speed kills if the person is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Obviously the greater the speed the greater the impact, but if there was nothing to hit then nothing would happen .


My pet hate is the advert with the child on the road with the guff about 40mph kills, 30mph doesn't.

BEING ON THE ROAD IN TRAFFIC KILLS :bang:


Ps My friend was killed by a stationary sheep, life sucks sometimes

 

[Rozzy]

I love how everybody is an expert in this field!!!!!
to even discuss it..............................
you know the risks and implications.
shut up whinging!

 

[Matt Sayle]

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ETA: This is just a joke. DO NOT TAKE IT SERIOUS. No doubt some soft sod would

 

[Monkey]

it is a joke, but technically, to have an accident you need to be in a specific place at a specific time.

There are a number of times im my driving life that having the power to increase speed rapidly has actually helped avoid an accident.

 

[nowler]

this is an interesting thread. fwiw, here's my take on some of the topics mentioned

most performance cars i've had or have driven have been under braked in terms of their acceleration/top speed performance. they may be able to stop quicker than your average family wagon, but they can't stop as quickly as they should be able to.

most drivers of normal cars, if there is such a thing, have little idea of how fast a "quick" car can accelerate. the amount of near misses i've had when overtaking people is not funny. by the time they've gone from mirror, signal to manouver, a quick car can be alongside them, they are none the wiser, and things are getting hairy.

speed does kill, no doubt about it. and most folk that speed aren't up to it in terms of driving skills. more to the point, the rest of the road users around them are not used to it, which only adds to the danger. excessive speed on public roads is stupid.

equally dangerous, imho, are drivers who drive well below the speed limit and don't allow road users behind them to overtake. as are people who tailgate lorries or caravans, to the extent that they can't see what's coming towards them because they are so close the the vehicle they'd like to overtake. thus preventing more sensible drivers behind them from being able to overtake......

i also hate slow, bad drivers who drive so badly that they can't get past the lorry etc. and get upset when someone tries to overtake them, so they shut the door on them leaving the sensible overtaker nowhere to go.

rant over i guess.....

 

[Jelster]

All the people who 'try' to justify speeding I bet have never had someone close to them killed by a speeder ~ I have.

I always try to stay within the speed limit (do I fail sometimes? I'm sure I do, I'm only human but I never knowingly speed).

Speed kills, simple.

No, Poor observation and inappropriate speed is what kills. I didn't say "all speeding was OK".

Steve

 

[nilagin]

I can't abide people who will not accelerate to a sensible speed to join a motorway or dual carriageway from a slip road. I've even encountered people who slow down on these slip roads for no reason instead of accelerating.

 

[NathanJT]

Speed kills, simple.

I know you have prior experience of the aftermath of dangerous driving but speed does NOT kill.

The government's own 4 year review on the effectiveness of speed cameras even backs this up. They don't tell you that in the road safety adverts do they? And they quickly buried the dft document that proved it.

There's the common myth pushed by the likes of BREAK and the local camera partnerships that 1/3rd of all people killed on our roads are caused by a speeding motorist. It's actually 7%, with only 3% caused by drivers over the prescribed limit (because SPEEDING is defined as inappropriate for the conditions NOT exceeding a predetermined variable).

The problem we face on our roads today is not an increase in the number of people driving above the limit, it's an increase in the number of people driving too fast for the conditions, their car or their own ability. And one of the main causes of this is the pathetic mantra put out by road "safety" groups that sticking to the speed limit is safe. It's absolute garbage and should never be allowed!

We have to get back to the situation we had in the early nineties where road users had an appreciation of their abilities, the road they're on and the instinct to react to an unknown. We've lost this and because of it annual trend of reduction in road deaths has been reversed and is now on the increase. And this is in spite of things like NCAP5 cars, traction control and numerous other technological advances.

Oh and yes, I'm a 3 series driver... I fail to see what relevance that has to do with my ability to drive! And yes it has indicators, and yes they're used as a rule not just on my birthday!

 

[MikeeB]

I can't abide people who will not accelerate to a sensible speed to join a motorway or dual carriageway from a slip road. I've even encountered people who slow down on these slip roads for no reason instead of accelerating.

Same here. It's designed to gain speed so you can join the motorway at a safe speed, and people still crawl along at 30 straight into the outside lane. Thats one way to cause an accident.

As is braking on a motorway, unless its absolutely necessary.

 

[Borats Baby]

There is indeed, lots of sides to this story. Its interesting to read the varying sides.

I dont drive excessively fast although I will nudge over the limit on most occasions, who doesnt ?

I also treat every other road user as an absoloute moron. Its the only way.

I've noticed a few people tell the o/p that he should have been more aware. for the record I dont agree with that. I've also been in a similar position where I checked my rear view for cars before moving into the right hand lane to turn right at a roundabout. The coast was clear, so indicators on and within 3 seconds or so I was moving into the right hand lane. Before I had finished my manouvre, there was a Mazda 6, right there, hanging off my rear bumper, headlight blazing away in a fit of fury.

The ****** hung on to my bumper but continued straight on at the roundabout so he was clearly in the wrong lane anyway, and driving like a loon.

I have been known to drive like a loon, many times, but I would never put anyone else in danger to do it.

 

[Steep]

Limit all cars ! simple solution to a major problem.....nobody really needs a car to have the excessive speeds that road cars are achieving.

I agree with that ^

 

[DJC013]

I can't abide people who will not accelerate to a sensible speed to join a motorway or dual carriageway from a slip road. I've even encountered people who slow down on these slip roads for no reason instead of accelerating.

I was joinging the M23 once on the slip road, when the bloke in front stopped at the bottom of the slip road !!!

 

[Borats Baby]

I was joinging the M23 once on the slip road, when the bloke in front stopped at the bottom of the slip road !!!

I was passing a slip road joining the M6 once when a bloke was reversing back up it !!!

 

[Monkey]

I was passing a slip road joining the M6 once when a bloke was reversing back up it !!!

and heres the thing, if a porsche was joining the motorway on the same sliproad at 90mph and clipped the car reversing.....

In the report it would show the porsche speeding as the cause of accident, not the dick reversing the wrong way back up it.

 

[dseered]

I was joinging the M23 once on the slip road, when the bloke in front stopped at the bottom of the slip road !!!

See it alot, Junc 34 M6 entry slip - THEY ARE GIVE WAY, if the motorway is busy you have to stop !

 

[nilagin]

I was joinging the M23 once on the slip road, when the bloke in front stopped at the bottom of the slip road !!!

I also dislike people who insist on driving up to roundabouts with there blinkers over their eyes and stop to see if anything is coming when the roundabout is empty and plainly obvious to everyone else behind them. Probably the same people who sit at 50 mph in the centre lane of a motorway or A road scared whitless to look either side of them and realise they are in the wrong lane and holding everyone up.
I find myself having to drive defensivly alot. I can never understand why when driving through the right hand Dartford Tunnel, people cannot just drive straight through at the 50mph limit without causing everyone else behind them to keep braking. There is one entrance and one exit yet people just can't manage it.

 

[leon1p]

I'm sorry but some speeds are just stupid.. To be expected to be "aware" of a car coming from behind you at anything over 120 is ridiculous. I consider myself to be a very aware driver but I have been caught out by a bike before.. At speeds of a guesstimated 130 passing me on a narrow country road he literally wasn't there one split second then passed me and out of site within a few seconds. I defy anyone to say they can be totally aware of speeds of that nature.

Someone passing a car while doing 140mph should assume that any cars they pass may not be expecting a car to have caught up on them so quick and therefor should expect that the car may pull out in front of them at any time.. And to be honest I don't care what sort of car/brakes setup you have.. Unless your can stop literally in the blink of an eye then you can't consider yourself able to drive at that speed safely. Sometime things can happen at <70 that can catch people of all abilities out.

PS I might sounds like an old git but as it happens I have uprated brakes on my car.. I just wouldn't expect them to save me from killing anyone by crashing into them because I was driving like a knob.

 

[CarolF]

I think new drivers should be limited to 1000cc cars (so you're ok, Tony )

Totally agree here. You get a limit on bikes for a reason if you take the standard test. Take the advanced one as long as you're old enough and you get a bit more leeway.

Why they don't do the same for cars is beyond me. I drove my mum's 998cc car for 2 years (and her up the wall!) while I saved up for my own.

 

[Monkey]

i agree with that to a point, but it should be based more on power to weight ratio than actual CC's

 

[newyorkaddict]

Driving defensively is the only way to drive sometimes. If you are expecting something to happen you are more likely to be better prepared for it, than someone who is driving with their head in the clouds.

My biggest pet peeve is people who cut across roundabout, from the left lane straight across the inner lane and then straight ahead. Where i live there is a small roundabout that leads to my village, it is wide enough for two cars to travel around at the same time, it is on the North Devon Linkroad which is a notoriuos accident road. The amount of times i have been turning right to go to my village, in the right hand lane, and some d**khead has cut me up, i couldn't even begin to count. It is usally the middle management types in their Audis, BMW's or Mondeo's, BUT there are a lot of times when it is just plain moron's who have no concept of anyone else on the road than themselves.:nono::nono:

 

[JumboBeef]

No, Poor observation and inappropriate speed is what kills. I didn't say "all speeding was OK".

So what about a blow-out, a deer running into the road, something lying on the road? All of which you might avoid at 70mph but have less change of avoiding at 100mph.............

Driving slower saves lives.

 

[Nod]

You can avoid a blowout at any speed?

You might possibly avoid losing control at a lower speed (but don't bet on it) but there's no way of avoiding a blowout, whatever speed you're doing.

 

[Monkey]

Driving slower saves lives.

no........... driving carefully saves lives

how slow is slower, because technically if we get to 0mph there couldnt really ever be another accident ever again

Dont get me wrong i dont condone the dick who drives down a road where kids are playing doing 70 in a 30 zone, thats just plain dangerous, and careless.

But if its 1am, no one else on the road, ill happily drive the length of a motorway at a ton, and its perfectly safe to do so. i could even go so far as to say its safer, because at high speed your concentration is increased. 70mph at 1am on a motorway is like being rocked to sleep

 

[JumboBeef]

You can avoid a blowout at any speed?

You might possibly avoid losing control at a lower speed (but don't bet on it) but there's no way of avoiding a blowout, whatever speed you're doing.

You know what I mean. You stand a much better chance of controlling a blow out at 60mph instead of 100mph.

But if its 1am, no one else on the road, ill happily drive the length of a motorway at a ton, and its perfectly safe to do so. i could even go so far as to say its safer, because at high speed your concentration is increased. 70mph at 1am on a motorway is like being rocked to sleep

I often drive hundreds of miles at night on an empty motorway at 70 without a problem. If you struggle to stay awake (whatever the speed is), then you shouldn't be driving.

Saying it is OK to speed because the roads are empty is like saying it is OK to drink and drive because the roads are empty.

 

[dseered]

So what about a blow-out, a deer running into the road, something lying on the road? All of which you might avoid at 70mph but have less change of avoiding at 100mph.............

Driving slower saves lives.

You would have passed where the deer had run out into the road at 100mph and run straight into it at 70mph

As for something in the road, get real mate, limit the roads to 20mph if thats the way you think !

I will drive to the speed limit whenever possible and that includes making very good progress on some back roads, I don't tend to worry about the deer so much, concentrate on what is there, not what might be !

 

[Monkey]

You know what I mean. You stand a much better chance of controlling a blow out at 60mph instead of 100mph.



I often drive hundreds of miles at night on an empty motorway at 70 without a problem. If you struggle to stay awake (whatever the speed is), then you shouldn't be driving.

Saying it is OK to speed because the roads are empty is like saying it is OK to drink and drive because the roads are empty.

its natural to become tired if there is nothing to concentrate on, and although i dont condone any type of drink driving, hell yeah do it when the roads are empty so they only kill themselves and not others.

The difference is the drink drive limit is set through scientific tests as to when alcohol affects your judgement, speed limits were decided many years ago, and were based on the cars in production at the time.

Stopping distances have been reduced dramatically and vehicles can cope with much higher top speeds.

When the 70mph speed limit was decided, not many people owned a car that could hold that speed for any length of time.

Driving at a safe speed is about applying common sense to the set conditions, and making a decision, you cannot do this with drink driving as your judgement is impaired by alcohol.

 

[Monkey]

answer me this then --- who is the worst offender?

The road in question is 30mph limit

Scenario 1/

Hot summers sunday afternoon im driving down the road with my window down,listening the the radio driving at 40mph.

Scenario 2/

Mid december, 2 inch of snow on the road, -4 degrees, the road is like an icerink, car is driving down road at 30mph dead because thats the law but the driver has zero traction due to the conditions, and kids are playing at the side of the road.



Which one then ( just for reference, myself the criminal speeder would be doing 10mph in scenario 2, because my common sense would tell me thats all the conditions allow.)

 

[JumboBeef]

As for something in the road, get real mate, limit the roads to 20mph if thats the way you think

Right, I'm offically out of this discussion if there are going to be comments like that. You really think there is no difference in driving at 70mph or 100mph in your chances of avoiding something on the road....?

I don't know how old you are, but I'm 43 with 25 years and approx 500,000 miles of driving experience.........

As I've already posted, I lost someone close to me (a lady and her 3 year old daughter) because someone thought they could drive safely over the speed limit. I'm sure they thought it was safe to speed too.

If I continue to post in this thread, I will say something I will regret, so I'm out.

 

[Monkey]

the problem is it is all to easy to take a variable, in this case speed and assign the blame to it.

If you didnt drive the variable would be cars, and all cars would be dangerous because they kill people.

My mother used to do my head in when i was young telling me bikes are dangerous - she formed this opinion because she knows, as i do, people who have had near fatal accidents on them.

Its not the bikes fault, its the riders, or driver if someone in a car mows them off the road.

As in "speed" is not at fault, it is the judgement of the driver.

As in "heroin" is not to blame for crime by junkies, its the person who chooses to take it.

As in "smoking" is not to blame for cancer , its the person who chooses to smoke

i could go on, but i think there are enough examples


By all means absolutely hate the ******* who killed someone close to you, but blame him, not a variable that cannot accurately be measured as to if it was safe at the time or not.

 

[sportysnaps]

coming home tonight along a dual carriageway this guy was doing 45-50 in the outside lane - cars were backed up for half a mile very close together as this pratt was going too slow - several cars passed on his left, i decided not to - held back and eventually he moved to the (empty) inside lane - what was he doing? - talking on the phone.....

as i said before - i'll take a speeding car over a pratt any day.

i'm not scared of heights -i'm just really not keen on falling and getting hurt, or another way of putting it - speeding (going fast - not breaking the law) does not kill - stopping or hitting something does...

I totally support low speed limits around schools etc - but i wish people would get the message that hitting a child with a car will hurt and it will do so at any speed

70mph car vs child = hurt child
30mph car vs child = hurt child
10mph car vs child = hurt child

100mph vs child not in road = well child


- but if the child stays out of the road then they will not get hurt, and this is what should be the message.

What do the police do about
tailgating?
no signals?
jumping lights?
tired drivers?
inside overtaking?
driving too slow on motorways <40mph

well not much from what i can see- shame - that may start to save lives...

 

[nilagin]

I think new drivers should be limited to 1000cc cars (so you're ok, Tony ) and barred from driving between the hours of 11pm and 6.30am for the first two years...

Ford in the US are going to launch vehicles with a chip in the ignition key. This will allow parents to limit the speed of the cars for their kids as well as the volume that the stereo will be able to produce.

 

[Whittie]

I've driven over 140mph at 18 years old before... Hands up.

I think if you put a fast car in the hands of inexperienced drivers... they'll push the car to the limits, and they're just lucky that they don't crash.

 

[pxl8]

Just to put things in context. A car travelling at 140mph will gain 100ft a second on a car travelling at 70mph.

 

[Galaxy66]

There is indeed, lots of sides to this story. Its interesting to read the varying sides.

I dont drive excessively fast although I will nudge over the limit on most occasions, who doesnt ?

I also treat every other road user as an absoloute moron. Its the only way.

I've noticed a few people tell the o/p that he should have been more aware. for the record I dont agree with that. I've also been in a similar position where I checked my rear view for cars before moving into the right hand lane to turn right at a roundabout. The coast was clear, so indicators on and within 3 seconds or so I was moving into the right hand lane. Before I had finished my manouvre, there was a Mazda 6, right there, hanging off my rear bumper, headlight blazing away in a fit of fury.

The ****** hung on to my bumper but continued straight on at the roundabout so he was clearly in the wrong lane anyway, and driving like a loon.

I have been known to drive like a loon, many times, but I would never put anyone else in danger to do it.

Thank you for that support.

 

[Galaxy66]

and heres the thing, if a porsche was joining the motorway on the same sliproad at 90mph and clipped the car reversing.....

In the report it would show the porsche speeding as the cause of accident, not the dick reversing the wrong way back up it.

They are both dicks then.

 

[Galaxy66]

I'm sorry but some speeds are just stupid.. To be expected to be "aware" of a car coming from behind you at anything over 120 is ridiculous. I consider myself to be a very aware driver but I have been caught out by a bike before.. At speeds of a guesstimated 130 passing me on a narrow country road he literally wasn't there one split second then passed me and out of site within a few seconds. I defy anyone to say they can be totally aware of speeds of that nature.

Someone passing a car while doing 140mph should assume that any cars they pass may not be expecting a car to have caught up on them so quick and therefor should expect that the car may pull out in front of them at any time.. And to be honest I don't care what sort of car/brakes setup you have.. Unless your can stop literally in the blink of an eye then you can't consider yourself able to drive at that speed safely. Sometime things can happen at <70 that can catch people of all abilities out.

PS I might sounds like an old git but as it happens I have uprated brakes on my car.. I just wouldn't expect them to save me from killing anyone by crashing into them because I was driving like a knob.

Thanks for your support Graeme

 

[dseered]

Thanks for your support Graeme

It begs the question how often some of you guys look in the mirrors when driving, it really does !

 

[leon1p]

If speed is not an issue but skill is then why do rally drivers occasionally get it wrong? They are highly skilled.. In fact they are so highly skilled going by the logic in this thread it would be ok for them to race on the public highway instead of forests because their skills and judgement would save them from causing any chaos..

There is only one way to change such opinions.. Therefore I hope to god some of the opinions on here are never changed.

It's scary to think about the kind of attitudes that are behind the wheels of the cars on the road!

 

[dseered]

If speed is not an issue but skill is then why do rally drivers occasionally get it wrong? They are highly skilled.. In fact they are so highly skilled going by the logic in this thread it would be ok for them to race on the public highway instead of forests because their skills and judgement would save them from causing any chaos..

There is only one way to change such opinions.. Therefore I hope to god some of the opinions on here are never changed.

It's scary to think about the kind of attitudes that are behind the wheels of the cars on the road!

I'm pretty sure their skills would be fine, it would be the other drivers that would be the worry, you know the ones not looking in the mirrors as often as they should

 

[leon1p]

I must admit.. I am guilty of spending the majority of my time looking where I am going.

Although given that I have have a car licence and PCV I must be doing something right.. In fact it would be interesting to sit you in a bus and let you see just how much vision you don't have in a big vehicle.