How many of you stick to the speed limit while driving??

[bobg]

I ask this following on from the over 70's thread and because having read the thread about conserving petrol by driving more slowly I thought I'd test the theory.
Firsly I hav to admit that until recently I tended to " keep up with prevailing traffic", most of which seem to do about 35/38 in 30 limits round here Yes I'm sure that will infuriate some if you but I'm being honest
In the last week I have been hooted and shouted and gesticulated pretty much daily, even to the extent of being abused because I didn't jump an amber light .. which is pretty much a given in this area by cars, lorries and cyclists alike.

 

[LarryDuff]

I try to in towns but 30 mph on some roads is hard to keep to.

On the motorways I rarely exceed 60.

 

[PaulB]

Well anyone can write pretty much what they like on here but one thing I will say and am happy to subject the article in question to any scrutiny that my driving licence is blemish-free and I've had it since 1982. Of course I could exaggerate the mileage but as a sales representative in the medical trade since 1983, I estimate to have done 1,000,000 miles and in that time have only had one single speeding ticket and that I argued. I was in the process of overtaking a tractor on a road to Harrogate and the copper happened to be parked at the point I was definitely over the speed limit (never admit it though - it's up to them to prove it, not to you to accept it) but for only the time it took me to get in front and pull back in. Just bad luck but that came off the licence in 1997.

So all-in-all, I reckon that I do pay very close attention to all road conditions and always obey speed limits. I also see more drivers obeying the speed limits in the last few weeks and think this is as a result of the realisation of the price of fuel and the cost of going above about 55-60 on a long motorway journey.

 

[oldfatfool]

Speaking as a driver it would be a lot easier if the speed limit was signed frequently on every road rather than saying well the lamp posts are x feet apart so it is automatically a 30.

A road close to me was a 40 limit, this was then dropped to a 30, no arguement about that, all the 40 signs came down and where replaced by 30's. After a few months the 30 limit signs where removed and replaced with camera signs. The large sign saying welcome to Birkenshaw remember the speed limit was left up, BUT the big red 30 on it was carefully covered up with reflective tape identical to the background. WTF I guess they meant it literally.

 

[gavintc]

I have no desire to pay a speeding fine and the increased insurance costs and although I have held a car licence for over 36 years, I have not (yet) been caught. I do watch speed limits, and will allow a little extra on the higher speed ones. On motorways, I will usually travel around 75mph, but in a 30mph zone, there is little variation allowed on speed cameras, I will do my utmost to keep below 30mph.

 

[Night Train]

I do stick to the speed limit as best as I can.
The times I drift over tend to be when I am trying to make good progress in long 40mph or 50mph restrictions on motorways. Even then it is only by 1 or 2mph for a moment or two when the road starts to go down hill. The rest of the time I am usually a bit under, approximately 28 in 30, 47 in 50, 55 in 60, 60 in 70.

I don't give a toss what other drivers think so long as I am legal and safe in the conditions. If someone behind wants to speed then they are welcome to overtake and I will let them when the conditions allow.

In the dim and distant past I would speed and thought nothing of driving at around 85-90 on a clear motorway (though never on urban or busy roads) in good conditions but not anymore.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I stick to 30 and 40 limits, but go over the NSL on clear roads. Not by much in a car, but when I had motorcycles I often saw three figures on the speedo.

 

[Arch]

I was talking to our work insurance broker at a lunch this week, and he was telling an anecdote about driving his daughter to a uni open day when the trains went belly up, and how his little work Toyota aygo coped with 85mph. I expect that would invalidate his insurance in the event of a collision...

(The same guy was astonished when I told him about NT's high average mpg figures...)

I drive very little nowadays, and mostly in a vehicle that can barely exceed 10mph, let alone the limit*. But I do try to keep within limits when I do drive. Like NT, if I go over, it's for a very short period, and not intentional.

Although having said 'not intentional', I take issue with the idea that it's hard to stick to the limit. I really mean my attention has drifted for a moment. Most vehicles, as far as I'm aware, have a brake to retard progress, and an accelerator which can be eased off. Careful use of gears also helps to keep speed regulated. When I have to drive a van at work, I'm rarely out of third gear, pottering about at up to 30.

*It's very relaxing. Foot down, up to max speed, potter along. Loads of reaction time, no stress.

 

[Paul J]

I speed out of 30mph limits when conditions are good and will aways do so. The challenge is not to get caught these days. I have been caught in the past and anyone who knows Progress Road where it meets the Arterial Road (in Southend on Sea) I got caught many years ago doing 127mph in the 30mph limit. In those days it was a radar across the carriageway and I nearly run over the copper.

 

[Oxo]

Some years ago I had a car with a speed limiter. It had a leeway of 5mph. Set it, for example to 30mph, and the power cut out at 35mph which gave you enough margin to cope with the flow of traffic. I used to use it, along with cruise control, for most of my urban/motorway driving.

 

[Night Train]

Although having said 'not intentional', I take issue with the idea that it's hard to stick to the limit. I really mean my attention has drifted for a moment. Most vehicles, as far as I'm aware, have a brake to retard progress, and an accelerator which can be eased off.

This is where trying to make, and keep, good progress can be difficult. When there is a nice big motorway, with a few cones on the hard shoulder and nothing much going on, trying to keep close to 50 without going over is hard work.
Where conditions allow I just let my speed creep down to around 40-45mph and then I have a bit of 'fiddle room' for the changes in speed due to gradient, tailwinds, etc. without exceeding 50. However, trying to do exactly 50mph on an undulating road is hard, even for cruise control, easier to just do 45, 46, 47, 46, 45, 43, 42, 45, 46, 48, 45, etc.

 

[Oxo]

However, trying to do exactly 50mph on an undulating road is hard, even for cruise control.

Not all cruise controls work in the same way. A friend had an S Type Jaguar and the cruise control allowed the car to accelerate over the set speed when going downhill, other makes brake the car when going downhill to maintain the set speed.

 

[gbb]

I was talking to our work insurance broker at a lunch this week, and he was telling an anecdote about driving his daughter to a uni open day when the trains went belly up, and how his little work Toyota aygo coped with 85mph. I expect that would invalidate his insurance in the event of a collision...

(The same guy was astonished when I told him about NT's high average mpg figures...)

I drive very little nowadays, and mostly in a vehicle that can barely exceed 10mph, let alone the limit*. But I do try to keep within limits when I do drive. Like NT, if I go over, it's for a very short period, and not intentional.

Although having said 'not intentional', I take issue with the idea that it's hard to stick to the limit. I really mean my attention has drifted for a moment. Most vehicles, as far as I'm aware, have a brake to retard progress, and an accelerator which can be eased off. Careful use of gears also helps to keep speed regulated. When I have to drive a van at work, I'm rarely out of third gear, pottering about at up to 30.

*It's very relaxing. Foot down, up to max speed, potter along. Loads of reaction time, no stress.

I'd sincerely tell that guy, for the sake of his daughters safety that thinking 'a car that can cope with 85' is a VERY dangerous way of thinking. Some cars can, usually expensive ones...some cars cannot, usually cheap ones.
I was driving a company Ford Escort some years ago, pretty basic model, quite capable of driving at 85 mph. Then someone walked straight into a dual carriageway in front of me....you try emergency stopping at 85 mph,only then do you know how good a car is at that speed. I fishtailed all over both lanes AND a feeder lane trying to control a car with an average chassis, average brakes, average suspension (and a driver that had overestimated his ability in that car ) I got away with it, but by Christ, it taught me a lesson that day.

Back to OPs question...i have to admit to both extremes of driving ...i rarely travel over 70, mostly travel single lane A roads at 55, but rarely keep to the lower speed limits, i'm always 5 to 10 mph over DEPENDING on conditions, time, traffic and volume of people.
Any 30 mph road in a housing estate...30 mph or less particually if there's kids around.
Any 30 mph road in the city...30 mph or less particually if there's kids around.
Any 30 mph urban road where there are fewer houses and people..generally a bit more than the speed limit.
Any 30 or 40 quiet village road for instance at 6am when there's no one around, i always add 5 to 10 mph.

 

[biggs682]

yes as i normally have 1 piece of treasuer ( ie family member) in car with me

but its not you its the idiot coming other way or behind you

 

[slowmotion]

I'm pretty saintly really. However, if the motorway is empty, I succumb to temptation.