skip diving - whats the best you have rescued?

[The Medway Handyman]

You miss the point again you idiot. What about the appropriate speed for the rest of the road users?

[Dave Liquorice]

driving", she is not safe to be driving. Having a driving licence is a privelidge given to those in society who have demonstrated that they can operate a road vehicle in a safe manner and with due consideration to other highway users. A driving licence is not a right.

[geoff]

vbg

[Dave Liquorice]

Not always signed but you should still know what the speed limit is by the type of road (single/dual carriage way, lit/unlit, etc) and your vehicle.

If the limit for a particular stretch of road is not what the type of road indicates there should be small repeator signs every few hundred yards with the limit that applies (to cars).

[Dave Liquorice]

Please cite the relevant legislation that makes driving at 45mph on a motor way "an offence". It might be offensive but that isn't the same.

Assuming the motorway is not chock a block it is dangerous though as traffic doing the legal limit is closing at 25mph and that will catch out half the day dreamers that populate our motorways (see comment about the lane 2 hogs).

The other thing that annoys me are the number of people who think they have right of way when joing a motorway from a slip road, combined with those that blindly pull out into lane 2 at junctions. The traffic on the motorway has right of way and those joining should match their speed to that traffic and fit safely into the traffic flow. It's not difficult, Highway Code Rule 259.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I've driven on a motorway, towing two cars on a trailer, at less than

30mph. Got overtaken by a tank on a tank transporter.

Combination of hill, too much weight, underpowered transporter and some dodgy diesel.

It WAS dangerous, but fortunately most of the traffic understood we were doing the best we could.

[Adrian]

"Dave Liquorice" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

RTA, Driving without due consideration for other road users.

[Adrian]

The Natural Philosopher gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Was it within the towing weight limit for the tow vehicle? If not, you'd have got hit with a damn sight more than DWDC&A if you'd been tugged.

[The Medway Handyman]

The offence is 'driving without reasonable consideration'. Same penalties as driving without due care and attention.

That drives me nuts as well. I've had drivers hoot & wave fists.

Applies to A roads as well around here. Entrance to the Medway tunnel is especially bad. Have to say its mainly young females.

[ARWadsworth]

In Stalybridge some speed cameras are painted green to help them blend in with the trees.

Tameside council website says

"Camera sites have to be clearly visible from a distance of at least 60 metres"

"The purpose of safety cameras is to improve the safety of roads for all road users. Speed limits are in place for a very good reason - to inform motorists of the safest maximum speed for a stretch of road. Motorists who break the speed limit are putting themselves and other road users at risk"

A camouflaged camera is not helping people remember the speed limit and is not clearly visible from 60 metres. It is a revenue producer.

Adam

[Adrian]

"ARWadsworth" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

What a load of bollocks.

Most of my commute is on roads where a fraction of the limit is too fast

- even in ideal road and traffic conditions. On some stretches, barely a quarter of the limit is as fast as is appropriate.

Equally, on other stretches of road, the limit is far lower than an otherwise safe and appropriate speed would be.

[ARWadsworth]

As the 3rd most dangerous stretch of road in the country (I cannot find a reference at the moment) is half a mile from my home I find it odd that the only speed camera on it is located at the safest place on the road (ie just before it becomes a 30mph limit and where there are traffic lights). All the accidents and deaths are 1 mile further up from this camera where the non traffic light controlled crossroads are.

So it is not just Tameside that takes the piss with speed camera locations.

Adam

Adam

[dennis]

There are a few Motorways with minimum speed limits. There is a minimum speed that vehicles must be able to do before they can use the motorway.

That is a very common driving error. It is also illegal but hard to prove. I expect geoff and clot do that all the time as they appear to be those superior drivers who are better than everyone else.

[dennis]

[dennis]

No it is not.

[dennis]

Less than the speed limit.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Up to around 1990, I would say speed limits were generally all quite reasonable - there were very few cases where I found myself disagreeing with them. Some time around then, local councils were given powers to impose speed limits without referring to the DoT. This was the point where speed limits started becoming political rather than technical/safety issues, and we saw all the silly 30 MPH limits spring up for 100 yards either side of a councillors house. Since then, speed limits have become more and more political, and nowadays bear no relation to technical/safety issues. We have politians declaring stretches of road as dangerous (with no understanding of how to actually make any such judgement from the data they might have) and reducing the speed limit is the only knob they know how to turn, even though it mostly isn't the issue. (I suspect a larger number of drivers around who actually can't drive very well is a factor for which we all end up paying.)

[Adrian]

"dennis@home" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Which is...?

(With authoritative reference, of course)

[dennis]

How can it be? A camera has to be part of the safety camera scheme before the local authority gets any of the revenue. It can't be part of the safety camera scheme if its hidden. Its there to catch the idiots and costs the local authority money to operate.

They should hide them all and that will get the idiots disqualified quicker.

[dennis]

Laws HA 1980 sects 16, 17 & sch 4, MT(E&W)R regs 3(d), 4 & 11, MT(E&W)(A)R, R(S)A sects 7, 8 & sch 3, RTRA sects 17(2) & (3), MT(S)R reg 10