On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 20:58:22 +0100, "PeterE"
wrote:

Yes, I pass stop lines against red lights on occasion, though I never
enter the junction itself.

But you are admitting adopting a "contingent" approach to the rules in the
HC rather than the absolute one you urge on others.

Sure. I freely admit it. I have also given reasons, and the limits
which I set myself, and I have said more than once that if I get
caught I won't be bleating about the injustice of it. Advanced stop
lines are common, and where they are used I have never felt the need
to pass the line. I pass the line only when and where it will improve
my safety. I notice rather a lot of motorcyclists doing the same, now
I come to think of it. Sometimes the best place to be is right in the
following driver's line of sight.

If you think it may, in some circumstances, be OK to exceed the posted speed
limit by 10% provided it increases danger only slightly, then fair enough, a
refreshing outbreak of common sense on your part.

To be honest it's hard to have a rational discussion about speeding
because there is a certain faction out there who resent anything put
in place to enforce the limits, and that really gets my goat. The
whole business about "straying" over the limit is quite reasonable,
but you don't "stray" 10% + 10mph over the limit, or even 20% over the
limit (36 in a 30, the slowest I've heard of being prosecuted).

As far as I'm concerned,driving at the speed limit means aiming to
drive at or below the limit, which might mean occasionally finding
yourself a bit over and easing off, occasionally finding yourself a
bit under and applying the loud pedal. Which is not really right -
one should ensure that the needle never edges above the magic number -
but given that speedometers routinely over-read by a few percent and
there is a degree of error allowed for in enforcement policy it's
debatable whether someone who drives like that will ever commit a
chargeable speeding offence. If everyone drove like that speeding
would be a non-issue. I do agree that there should be more repeaters,
and I think they should have put repeaters on the backs of the cameras
instead of the yellow Diamond Grade.

If, however, you repeatedly drive fast enough to make the cameras go
off, that indicates a different approach: rather than driving within
the law, given a reasonable balance of attention to the road and
attention to instruments, that is driving as fast as you think you can
get away with - not so much respect for the law as grudgng
acknowledgement that some people want you to obey it. Which is how I
used to drive, and how many people say they drive now. Including,
presumably, the ones who have attacked me with their cars for daring
to obey the limit.

Straying a couple of mph over the limit is a small thing, and I quite
agree that it would be harsh to describe one who drives like that as a
scofflaw. The Latter situation, Gatso-baiting, is more akin to
cyclists who routinely pass through light-controlled junctions against
the lights. It is dangerous and undesirable behaviour.

And yes, you rightly point out that I have made some very absolutist
statements in the past. When an argument runs on in Usenet it is
inclined to become increasingly polarised - I plead guilty to being
human. In reality I have never considered going a couple of mph over
the limit when the road starts running downhill to be speeding.
Speeding to me is going fast enough to be nicked, which in every
instance I've ever come across involves a significant margin over the
limit.

Guy
===
http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk: Respectable rules for responsible people