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Mobile speed cameras - again

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Old Feb 18th, 2018, 09:12   #21
Simon Jones
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The problem here is not the top speed of car, it's the driver using it inappropriately. Let's say cars were limited to 90 mph but someone decided to drive it at 90 in a 30 limit outside school when all the children were coming out. The manufacturers would then be blamed for making a car that could exceed the limit by a factor of three. Taking it to the logical conclusion, no vehicles should be able to exceed the lowest speed enforceable limit, which is probably 20 mph.
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Old Feb 18th, 2018, 09:30   #22
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Actually, it takes a lot of torque, but here's the real problem. Manufacturers produce cars which can exceed even the 70mph limit by a significant margin. It is actually difficult to defend selling cars with such 'licence-risking / dangerous speed' potential. Only a very small proportion of UK drivers ever experience the joy of the German autobahns where, when conditions allow, you can have blast at over the ton. On such smooth roads, my XC60 is very quiet and stable under these conditions. Fuel consumption is poor, but you only drive for short periods at this speed (unless you are a 'local'). However, in all other countries, what is the point in selling cars which can drive so much in excess of the national motorway limits ? There is none, and it begs the question why governments have not regulated for speed limiters to be fitted to cars. This would not affect in-gear acceleration required for safe overtaking, but merely curtail 'dangerous' motorway speeding. A limit of 90mph could be argued as a reasonable measure, but some would argue it could be less, although not 70mph, as you would then have the situation with cars as you do for lorries limited to 56mph when you get convoys trying to overtake at marginal speed differences.
I would guess manufacturers will produce high capacity powerful engines while ever there is a demand. Who would want a Ferrari or Aston with a 1500cc 120bhp powerplant. Whilst powerful cars can easily exceed speed limits they are still inanimate unthinking lumps of metal, until there is some human interaction and then 'driver attitude' comes into play. Even if speeds were limited to for example 90mph the car could still be driven far in excess of lower posted speed limits.
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Old Feb 18th, 2018, 09:44   #23
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....what is the point in selling cars which can drive so much in excess of the national motorway limits ? There is none, and it begs the question why governments have not regulated for speed limiters to be fitted to cars. This would not affect in-gear acceleration required for safe overtaking, but merely curtail 'dangerous' motorway speeding.
Quite right. Car manufacturers, magazines and boy racing celebrity oiks a la Top Gear have a lot to answer for in our perception of motoring. Essentially, a car is a means of getting from A to B efficiently, in comfort and safely. It is not meant to be a racing car - they’re built for race tracks where high speed belongs.
So when will manufacturers stop trumpeting irrelevant 0 to 60 and top speed figures, and instead promote the virtues of inbuilt limiters and loud warnings when speed limits are breached? When, if, all cars become autonomous then no car will exceed the road limits, so why not get used to it now?
For example, sign recognition is already a feature of many new cars - why can’t the next step be to automatically cut the speed to the designated limit, with an override for emergencies?
Radical? Killjoy? Boring? Probably, but people’s safety is far more important than pandering to the Sterling Moss brigade, many of whom are nowhere near as good a driver as they think they are. Let loose with fast missiles like cars they are a menace and only a complete rethink of attitudes will change things.

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Old Feb 18th, 2018, 09:58   #24
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Actually, forget it.

Last edited by canis; Feb 18th, 2018 at 10:03.
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Old Feb 18th, 2018, 10:02   #25
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Begs the question why do we need cars with road sign recognition, blind spot detection, speed limiters et al. I'm all for safety, but we have passed the driving test, been granted the privilege of holding a driving license so what's going wrong? Is driving becoming so dumbed down! Perhaps it is and that's part of the problem.

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Old Feb 18th, 2018, 11:10   #26
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There's no easy answer to 'speed'. Actually, most of us are more 'at risk' of being 'caught' in urge areas where the limits change from 30 to 40 to 50 to 40 to 30. The rural / national 60 and 70 limits are much easier to adhere to, often with the sensible use of cruise control. I know when I drive in areas I am unfamiliar with, this is an extra level of concentration required on top on road signs and getting in the right lane.
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Old Feb 19th, 2018, 23:24   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XCeed View Post
When, if, all cars become autonomous then no car will exceed the road limits, so why not get used to it now?
For example, sign recognition is already a feature of many new cars - why can’t the next step be to automatically cut the speed to the designated limit, with an override for emergencies?
If autonomous cars ever appear in numbers, I hope the speed limit recognition system is vastly improved. My 2015 car has it, it recently showed a 10mph limit sign on the dash, in a 50 limit on a dual carriageway ( where UK trucks were all doing 56mph, Irish ones 65 mph). If as a result the car had automatically slowed to 10mph I think I would have been in an accident quicker than any manual override could have been used. Can you imagine the chaos with autonomous cars all "thinking" the posted speed limit is different ? ( regardless of what the real safe speed is).

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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 02:40   #28
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The other problem is the resolution of he speedometer. Mine goes to 160mph. Why is this over twice the motorway speed limit ?
If they only ran to 100mph, the resolution at 30/40/50/60 and 70 mph would be improved, making it easier to stick to the particular limit.
And no, I don't like digital speedometers.
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 09:47   #29
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If autonomous cars ever appear in numbers, I hope the speed limit recognition system is vastly improved.
Indeed, the system will have to be foolproof, which will mean a massive investment to improve all road signage, even through temporary limits such as roadworks. How else would an autonomous car know the speed to travel at since the car occupant will be asleep on the back seat!?
Actually, I think the present system is worthwhile (although not perfect). It concentrates the mind when a big speed figure in a red circle looms large on your dashboard.
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 10:23   #30
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are we talking about a mobile van that has signs saying its a van with a camera in it? The big vans that you can spot that are usually white ... siting on the side of the road or the top of the bridge where you dont usually see things?

Surely just keeping your eyes open while driving should allow you to see these things unless your doing 140mph+ If you cant I recon spec savers might be worth a visit

I would be more concerned about the under cover police cars thats roam around the motorways. Here I would scan sleen exec cars for two people in the front seats and if they have their police jackets on or not ... and also any dectoctor ariel stuff in or outside the car.
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