To wonder who all these people are, speeding?

[justonanote]

Or more to the point, how they think they can get away with it, or clearly do all the time?

I do a lot of motorway driving and I see so many cars doing over 80!

See also dual carriageways near me. People do 80+!

I'll be in a lane sometimes doing 70 and I have cars behind flashing at me to speed up

My question is do people not get done very much for speeding? I wouldn't really think to speed anyway but surely the strong possibility of a fine or more is a deterrent? Do people just not care?

I don't drive on motorways precisely because I'm not comfortable with those sorts of speeds.
But as an observer, it seems a bit odd that speed limits are set but not enforced.
I watched a programme once about early motorways. Apparently they were created for industrial traffic, but nobody thought to tell drivers this. So motorways have just become bigger and faster and busier.
My concern is that people go onto motorways with no training and therefore no experience, and find themselves driving at speeds beyond their capability.
The good thing at least is that everyone is going in the same direction.
Statistically, A roads have more fatal accidents.

In answer to the original question, I think quite a lot of people get caught out by speed cameras (I have before) I stick to speed limit now as I need a clean licence for my job, and I learnt my lesson the first time.

I’ll be in a lane sometimes doing 70 and I have cars behind flashing at me to speed up

Perhaps their speedometers are more accurate than yours.

Speedometers are allowed to over read by up to 10%, so you could only be doing 64.

@OnceAgainWithFeeling

Motorway driving is now compulsory for learners. (Still freaks me out seeing the L plates!).

It's not compulsory

@teaandtoastwithmarmite

I would say 80 is my usual speed, sometimes 90 or a bit more if it's a clear road. It feels normal in my car.

Sounds more like a heavy right foot @teaandtoastwithmarmite let us know how that mitigation goes with the magistrates when you’re in front of them.

Back to OP's original question -- I often wonder how people get away with chronic bad driving. Judging from the Police Interceptor shows, many of them lost their license years ago (!!)

I am a reformed speeder which means I often have someone tailgating me now. Being pressured by other drivers was a main reason I used to speed. Minor country roads, btw, I live in a county without motorways. It's the "Always 40" brigade make me laugh, on country lanes. They have one speed cars. what @PrivateHall said.

These threads confuse me.

Is 71 mph over the speed limit ?

Or not ?

If it is then - regardless of lane placement - a car doing 70 isn't "in your way". It's merely "in front of you". After all you weren't going to break the speed limit to pass it were you ? On account of your not being a jet powered bellend.

Seeing a traffic census were 3 cars went past a school doing over 90 on a road I'd worry about doing 30 on rather turned me against people who can't stick to the limit. And no - if you need to break the speed limit to overtake then you are the problem, not the solution.

(You might guess I've done a SAC where I paid attention )

Also dropping from 70 to 60 would save a bit of fuel if people are interested. And maybe help the planet a bit. Again, if anyone is interested. It's easier than recycling.

These threads confuse me.

All driving threads on MN are confusing and full of spurious facts. Everyone gets told they shouldn't be on the road, the OP is always in the wrong even when they aren't.

Chances are if you're driving at 70mph on your speedo, you're actually doing 65mph.

I tend to drive at 75mph.

For the people who are horrified at someone doing the legal speed limit in the outside lane, you are morons!!

If I'm overtaking slower traffic in the middle lane, I'll move to the outside lane and still do the same speed (75mph on speedo so 70mph really) as that is the speed limit. I'm not breaking the law just because you want to flash your lights at me. I'll pull across when it is good and safe for me to do so not because you raced up my behind and flashed me.

Also see, obeying the 2 second rule. That space in front of me I'm keeping clear for my breaking distance not for you to drive into. Most motorway pile ups are because no one keeps a safe breaking distance from the vehicle in front.

I've been driving for 20 years, do over average milage, on the motorway almost every day. I speed every day. Never had a ticket. I don't go crazy speeds or 80 for the sake of it but will drop ve to the conditions eg 50-60 in the dark/rain/ snow/ice. I'll go over 70 to overtake lorries and cars going 65 or under.

I know where the cameras are. I know where the police sit. Lots of drivers do and you can notice them slowing at these points.

Some speed limits are ridiculous - like so many motorways at 50.

I've never had a crash caused by speeding either.

But I do hate boy racers and always hope they get stopped.

If it is then - regardless of lane placement - a car doing 70 isn't "in your way". It's merely "in front of you". After all you weren't going to break the speed limit to pass it were you ? On account of your not being a jet powered bellend.

But it's not our job to police the roads.

People shouldn't be trying to stab each other but I'm not going to stand in the way of someone with a knife.

I do wonder if the flashing (and generally the flashing accompanies tail gating just to hammer the message home) also causes people to think 'well I'm not moving now you've flashed me, I'm not being told what to do'. which in a way is understandable. All this flashing is unnecessary, leave the policing of people's driving to the actual police.

@Sparklingbrook

I do wonder if the flashing (and generally the flashing accompanies tail gating just to hammer the message home) also causes people to think 'well I'm not moving now you've flashed me, I'm not being told what to do'. which in a way is understandable. All this flashing is unnecessary, leave the policing of people's driving to the actual police.

I'll be honest I'm the kind of person who's likely to slow down if someone's tailgating me if I'm alone in the car and I'm driving sensibly overtaking or whatever and just not doing it as fast as they'd like.

It's not safe or sensible really as it winds people up but I'm not going to be bullied off the road if I'm actually overtaking or similar either.

Chances are if you're driving at 70mph on your speedo, you're actually doing 65mph.

I use the GPS on the sat nav - which is more accurate and tends to read 1-2 mph lower than the limit. I could set my limiter to 32 instead of 30. But I'd rather have a tiny bit of leeway.

80 is not that fast. 130kph is standard on many motorways in Europe.

What puzzles me on motorways is people driving incredibly slowly. Like 40-50mph. I sometimes drive a small lorry and it feels ridiculous having to overtake someone on a motorway driving at 45mph.

Speeding on non-motorway roads however is really dangerous and in many places the national speed limit should be much slower than 60mph.

I remember hearing a radio phone-in quiz, and the question which law do (IIRC) about 80% of us admit to breaking daily?

It was speeding.

80 on a motorway doesn’t bother me. I wish that all the wannabe racers doing 60 down my quiet, residential street and its environs would go there!

@Solosunrise

I don't drive on motorways precisely because I'm not comfortable with those sorts of speeds. But as an observer, it seems a bit odd that speed limits are set but not enforced. I watched a programme once about early motorways. Apparently they were created for industrial traffic, but nobody thought to tell drivers this. So motorways have just become bigger and faster and busier. My concern is that people go onto motorways with no training and therefore no experience, and find themselves driving at speeds beyond their capability. The good thing at least is that everyone is going in the same direction. Statistically, A roads have more fatal accidents.

In answer to the original question, I think quite a lot of people get caught out by speed cameras (I have before) I stick to speed limit now as I need a clean licence for my job, and I learnt my lesson the first time.

Statistically more people are also killed on a roads. The motorways are the safest roads when combining numbers of accidents ( urban areas highest there) and cause of deaths ( country and a roads worst there )

Driving at 70 ot 80 on a motorway will make very very little difference to the level of safety of your driving, though of course it may make a little .

Driving at 80 on an A road dual carriageway where the limit is 70 or at 60 on a country road with a speed limit of 40 or 50 really does make you considerably less safe

People are not flashing you to speed up. They're flashing you to move over to the inside lane.

Cars may be capable of higher speeds but not the drivers. Many more drivers with poor skills on the roads.

@roxisolerenshaw

People are not flashing you to speed up. They're flashing you to move over to the inside lane.

Yes, they want you out of their way. Their journey is very important!

@womaniswomaniswoman

I remember hearing a radio phone-in quiz, and the question which law do (IIRC) about 80% of us admit to breaking daily?

It was speeding.

On my SAC, very early on, the (excellent) instructors asked us how much you were allowed to break the speed limit by when overtaking. Out of 24, there were some who thought it had a number that wasn't zero.

"Cosi fan tutti" is an opera, not a directive in the Highway Code (which we were encourage to ensure we read regularly, like eye tests ...)

Who subscribes to the George Bernard Shaw view of definitions ? Clearly we're all criminals here. Just arguing about the price.

IMO anybody who tailgates/ flashes should be strung up by the thumbs. Get off my rear bumper Audi twat, I'm already doing 80 and I'm not going to immediately move back into the middle lane am I, because I'd collide with that lorry I'm currently overtaking. Not only bullies, but thick as shit 🙄

@RantyAunty

Cars may be capable of higher speeds but not the drivers. Many more drivers with poor skills on the roads.

It's painfully clear from any 10 minute spin down the motorway that most drivers limit of view is their windscreen wipers, not the 500-1000 metres you need at 70mph to be able to anticipate and be in the right place at the right time.

Ideally at 60, you should have the next 30 seconds of travel evaluated as you move. Not go from L3 to slip exit in 50 metres.

'Because Op is in the fast lane doing exactly 70. There is nowhere for the person behind her to go . If you are doing 70 you should not be in that lane.'

It's fine to do 70 in the overtaking lane as long as you're overtaking, and pull back in to the slow lane as soon as you get a sensible space.

I admit I usually do 75mph. If I'm on a variable speed limit section though I set my cruise control and stick to that
Always amazed when it's a 50mph bit with cameras and people are cruising past me at 70