when i first started driving if you was on a motorway at 3am often you wouldn't even see another car
UK - New 80MPH speed limit
- Thread starter Grande Mark
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UK - New 80MPH speed limit
when i first started driving if you was on a motorway at 3am often you wouldn't even see another car
Roads are still quiet oop Norf.
Perhaps a separate licence catagory for access to drive on the Motorways? Just need to show confidence and good awareness/planning in a short test? Then the limit could be raised.
Perhaps a separate licence catagory for access to drive on the Motorways? Just need to show confidence and good awareness/planning in a short test? Then the limit could be raised.
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ive not seen a quiet motorway for years even at 3am
oh apart from 1 time i went to ace cafe and it snowed i got home in an hour instead of the normal 1 1/2 - 2 because everyone else stayed in
Few months back on the way to plymouth at 4am I got to heathrow airport in 45mins from my house, normally takes hour and a half, M25 was empty apart from a few lorries & construction stuff in the roadworks at that time
It's not that stupid if you extrapolate the figures. You know the kind of thing, you work out what the average fuel consumption of for example, FIAT 500 MJ is. Let's say, for argument's sake, that at 70mph it's 50mpg and that at 80 it works out at 10% more, in other words 45mpg. You take the average annual mileage and from that multiply by the number of those cars in your country. Then you do that for every car and from that you can work out how much more, or less, fuel will be consumed. It's all theoretical as many drivers will drive just as they did before.
Actually I do agree with you, although I would prefer the word futile to stupid.
Personally I think poor lane discipline is more of a problem, compounded by those who at the same time drive below the limit or aren't overtaking. If anyone knows the Sharston By-Pass which is where the M60 from Stockport merges onto the M56. This is a two lane link which is (probably) around 1.5 miles long and has signs warning of an "Advisory" speed limit of 50. Yet everyday large numbers of drivers negotiate that stretch at 50.....in the right hand lane while making no progress on the car ahead in lane 1.
By and large, Driving Instructors teach what the pupils want them to teach, not what they really should.
Lurking P.O.C., as per usual. During my younger days - no ageist comments please, I used to have the seat reclined quite all the way back until I could climb on to any unsuspecting fema.....er, sorry about that, wrong seat. I used to have the driver's seat reclined quite a way because that was how Jackie Stewart, Peter Revson, Clay Regazzoni and the rest of my GP idols drove. I've tried it in a number of FWD cars but either I was wrong all those years ago or front drivers have an entirely different driving position as it really doesn't feel as if I have as much control as sitting in the text book manner.
P.O.C. was pretty close in his description. With your hands on the top of the wheel the arms should be either straight or have a slight bend at the elbow. In an ideal world, the heels of both feet should be on the floor, but bear in mind that someone with size 10 plates would find that a lot easier than one with only size 5s. DSA attitudes are generally more relaxed than in days of yore and they will even allow a limited ammount of arm crossing when steering.
As for the whole 80mph debate, although most of my Motorway driving is at 60 - 65 I think there is a case for the higher limit. On quieter roads or at night 80 is a good limit. When the 70 limit was first introduced in 1965, my dad's car, an Austin A40 would be lucky to hit 80. The Austin 1100 that followed it wouldn't do much better. In the '60s, even the big makers top models such as the Vauxhall Cresta and Ford Zodiac with 3 litre(ish) 6 cylinder engines would be lucky to pass 110 or 115. The Aston Martin DB4, Ferrari 330 GTC and the Jaguar E-Type were pretty much kings of the hill, and even they would only just about hit 150 and to be fair, as a kid I only ever saw half a dozen Jaguars and one of those was owned by my Uncle Bernard and the other Dennis Law's, both Mk 2s.
Anyone care to list how many cars today can hit 150? Well, the Audi S3, S4, S6, A8 to name a few. The point I'm finally (and painfully slowly) getting round to is that in 1965 the vast majority of cars would have been at 80 or 90% per cent of their engines capabilities at 70. Today, even my Panda MJ can hit 99 mph and I'd warrant that almost every model in the FIAT can pass 80 so the speed limit is far more appropriate now than at any time before. Tyres are better, as are brakes and steering. Modern cars have stronger structures and are fitted with ABS, ASR, airbags front. rear and side. In fact the only component in a car that hasn't improved is................ yup, the driver.
I think that whilst mechanicals are improving, the drivers are getting worse - and I wonder if some of this is down to drivers being cossetted with their power steering, abs etc etc. They are shut in their nice, warm coccoon set at just the right temp, sunk into their luxury comfy seats with so much padding behind the exterior that you'd be hard pressed to hear anything but a nuclear explosion. It's your own little sensory deprivation tank, heck the glass is even darkened for you.
Whereas back in the day, you had to stay awake to drive a car, it was a complete seat of pants experience - the simple act of parking required the strength of a Russian weightlifter - these days you can take the wheel lock to lock with your little finger - and that's on tyres twice the width they ever were!
Took youngest out on a driving lesson last night. Every start he had to boot it to get the car to the limit in the shortest time possible, he said this is how his instructor had taught him - WTF are they teaching kids these days?
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I can't remember where i read it, but i was reading a report about accident statistics and risks comparing the introduction of new safety features, and it basically pointed out in most cases increased perceived safety leads to higher risk driving.
It also mentioned that younger drivers are better drivers than the older drivers, as they have faster reactions and other attributes, but, the important part is the older drivers compensate by being more cautious, and vice versa, which is a similar effect.
MrMigs08
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Hmm first two left hand lanes restrict hgv's only to them in 3 and 4 lane motorways, the right hand lane allow the 80 mph limit but only for that lane, people make good use of the fast lane to be honest and the 80 limit isnt a bad idea but i think 70 is generally a nice speed which should remain universal! what needs to happen first is the law cracking down on idiot drivers motorway driving and on the phone at the same time, its disgusting, and not being sexist here but its always women drivers on their flippin phone, makes me so angry ffs.
Not just motorways but everywhere, mobiles need to suicide! (or road signal inhibitors if they exist) although im guessing people are ok with hands free but im not sure!
Not just motorways but everywhere, mobiles need to suicide! (or road signal inhibitors if they exist) although im guessing people are ok with hands free but im not sure!
think you need to have a chat with his instructor then
my instructor would have bollock me if i did that unless it was necessary for some reason
and i know many other instructors that would as well
Haha! That sounds a bit like me when I told my Mum&Dad that the reason my school report from my English teacher (that was so bad it was quite amusing - I can still remember it now) was only because the teacher didn't like me. In other words a porky!
Heck, they even have a section in the test now on how to drive in a "green" manner, so I think young Sludge is in for a shock on his test. Unless of course he only drives like that to impress you.
To take that the other way, there's nothing worse than someone pulling out, and taking an age to get up to the limit.
Most infuriating on single-carriage way 50mph roads.
Most infuriating on single-carriage way 50mph roads.
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One of my pet hates - they look right at you can see there is no car behind you but they pull out under your bumper and crawl only to turn off (very slowly) a bit later. Zero consideration for others on the road.
The other serious gits are those who think 40 or 50 in a 60 limit is somehow safer when there is a great frustrated snaking tail crawling along behind them. They they have the cheek to get upset when you overtake (perfectly safely) or worse they speed up to make it harder to get by.
The other day I was watching a plonker in the fast lane on a long dual carriageway doing about 65 so probably had 70 on the speedo and feeling smug. Loads of space but no way was he moving over (there was a lorry on the horizon). But when a Porsch came along doing at least 100, boy did the plonker scuttle and he actually stayed where he should be!
The other serious gits are those who think 40 or 50 in a 60 limit is somehow safer when there is a great frustrated snaking tail crawling along behind them. They they have the cheek to get upset when you overtake (perfectly safely) or worse they speed up to make it harder to get by.
The other day I was watching a plonker in the fast lane on a long dual carriageway doing about 65 so probably had 70 on the speedo and feeling smug. Loads of space but no way was he moving over (there was a lorry on the horizon
). But when a Porsch came along doing at least 100, boy did the plonker scuttle and he actually stayed where he should be!
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Millions of people in this country (and others of course) are habitually selfish and unthinking in their every day life. FionaB's neighbours talking outside on a mobile in the early hours, garden bonfires, taking up 2 seats on a train, trees blocking out a neighbour's light, dogs barking outside all night....the list is almost endless. So we shouldn't be too surprised at a driver doing 65 in the outside lane of a motorway when there is room to pull in. Selfish, stupid, ignorant people.
In fact on balance I think I prefer animals !
In fact on balance I think I prefer animals !
I find myself agreeing with virtually everything you say. Much of what I perceive as being deteriorating driving standards is, I believe, down to the improved passive and active safety equipment. One edition of 5th Gear a couple of years ago had Tiff Needell driving (I think) a Jag where he put it into an almost uncontrollable skid on ice and the car responded to his imputs and came out of the skid. If the system was that good it would be on current models and no Jaguar would ever crash. It isn't and they do.
But the adage that "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing" is very true here. Many people know their car is fitted with ABS and presume they can stop in an unrealistic distance. I think I posted on here a few years ago that with all this new safety equipment on cars now, if drivers carried on as they were before their would be less deaths and serious injuries as there would be less collisions and those that there were would result in less fatalities and serious injuries. There definitely are less deaths and serious injuries but not the reduction there really could be. The chances of surviving a high speed crash today have never been higher, but I think that too many drivers drive at higher speeds at inappropriate moments because their car is fitted with ABS, ASR and all the other safety kit.
As to weight of controls, my Panda has PAS, Mrs. Beard's 156 also has it as did her Stilo which, despite ABS she managed to write off last year. But before that, and we're talking 2005, her Mk 1 Punto didn't have it. The various Focuses I've had were all fitted with PAS, but the Fiestas before that, say from 1998 to 2003 had manual steering. The 7.5 tonne Bedford truck I used to drive in the early '80s didn't have power steering and in fact up until the early '70s many much heavier trucks didn't have it either.
If we drove the same way after we had all the safety aids fitted as we did before, the death, injury and crash rates would go down as a matter of course. But we don't do that, we drive faster and closer than before, thus negating any safety advantage we've gained.
As for the fruit of your loins, perhaps he's (maybe subconciously) cherry picking from what he's been taught. If he got anywhere near the redline on a regular basis he wouldn't pass and neither would any of the instructor's other pupils. Maybe what he's being taught is to move off smartly and accelerate "briskly" to the speed limit. Most 44 tonne trucks can out-accelerate a learner-driven car up to 30 or 40 mph which is a) embarassing and b) potentially dangerous. One of the contributory factors in causing traffic congestion is dopey drivers who are slow away from the line and then accelerate so slowly that they just cause holdups and frustration among other drivers. An extension of this is the kind of driver who occupies the right hand lane at traffic lights and then move off really slowly. If we can remember some of our first driving lessons is that the right hand lane is for OVERTAKING and turning right. If they aren't going to do either, what the hell are they doing there in the first place?
Everyone should take their driving test after every ten years of driving full stop and it would half the accidents and half the insurance claims making everyone's world a better place+get some of the old people off the road that never even sat a test (Grandfathers rights).
get some of the old people off the road that never even sat a test (Grandfathers rights).
are any of them still alive?
That reminds me of the old Jasper Carrot gag about his gran or his mother in law driving.
The one who pulls the choke out to hang her handbag on.
She's never had an accident, but she's seen hundreds - in the rear view mirror.
The one who pulls the choke out to hang her handbag on.
She's never had an accident, but she's seen hundreds - in the rear view mirror.
Perhaps we need to get a sense of perspective here with regards to age. Young drivers, and I was one, once upon a time, have quick reflexes and generally good eyesight. What the lack is a sense of their own mortality and that of others. They often think they'll live forever and although there are times when braveness/stupidity are useful, on the road is not one of them.
On the other hand, as some of us get older, me included, we become more aware of our own mortality and have a greater sense of responsibilty to others. We also realise that our faculties are not as sharp as they once were. So we/they drive more slowly in certain situations. Recently I drove Long Hill from Buxton to Whaley Bridge in Mrs. Beard's 156, a car with more performance and roadholding abilty than any car I used to drive 30+ years ago with the exception of my Chevette HS, yet although I was keeping up with the 60 speed limit I realised I was taking every bend slower than I would have in Mk1 Cavaliers, Opel Kadetts and Sierras years ago. I guess that's me accepting that I'm getting older and not as quick as I used to do.
All I, along with many others, need to remember is to try not to get in the way.
that dont answer my question, how old would some one need to be now to have got a licence without passing a test?
