Ken Wilshire wrote:

Nobody has yet pointed out that speed limits generally were set at the
nearest 10 mph lower than the 85th percentile (approx from memory) of
all road traffic on a stretch of road (blanket 30 mph zones excepted)
in the 1960s. Therefore, "exceeding" a posted speed limit just means
that you are driving faster than the 85th percentile - not an offence
if you are driving sensibly.

No, If you are exceeding the speed limit you are committing an offence.
You may not be driving dangerously in any real sense, but you are still
committing an offence.

Since the 1960s car control has improved tremendously from power
steering through ABS brakes, yet the Highway Code still has the
stopping (thinking/braking) distances of old. I would like to see
these distances recast for modern cars with two tables, one for dry
conditions and one for wet.

The tables will continue to be current until all non-"modern" vehicles
are removed from the roads.

Modern downward tinkering of speed limits is practically all about
anti-car, not common sense, cf ever increasing swathes of 20 mph
zones, etc.

Cite?

Speed cameras are a danger (except at real accident black spots) as it
is a reflex action to brake when you see one on a road not traveled
before, and you lose concentration checking that you are 'safe'.

If you are not aware of what speed you are doing, then you clearly
aren't concentrating enough in the first place. Indeed, if it has become
a reflex action for you to brake when you see a speed camera, it shows
you have quite a disregard for the limits in the first place. (When I
first started driving and saw that kind of behaviour, I wondered why
there wasn't another camera in advance of the speed camera, looking for
brake lights.)

There is also the huge cost to the economy of braking/accelerating and
wear and tear on the brakes at these points and at speed cameras in
general.

Again, that huge cost is only caused by those who are misbehaving in the
first place. Good drivers don't brake suddenly except in emergencies.

As the tolerances for speed cameras are not advertised, then
it is foolish to risk your license by driving past at any mph above
the posted limit.

AOTBE, roads are safest when they are filled with people driving at the
same speeds. People who think they can choose whatever speed they like
to drive at put not only their licence at risk, but also their safety
and that of other road users.


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(60 020 at Winwick, 10 May 2005)