"Limited to 70mph"

[asterix]

In fact its not legally allowed to do 70.
http://www.dft.gov.u.../vanspeedlimits

Except on motorways

 

[asterix]

The Germans were threatening (not unreasonibly) to ban UK trucks and vans that are speed limited from their entire autobahn system as they are dangerous not only to themselves but also other road users.

Having driven a (UK) van in Germany that could only do 68mph top whack I completly agree with them.

As Arch says, the solution is in technoligy, is would be very easy to limit vehicles to the maximum speed permitted on a given stretch of road, as even the simplist GPS system has this feature.

The question is: Vote winner or vote looser ?

Could we not ban German cars from our roads because they tend to be driven dangerously?

 

[XmisterIS]

must get past.... must get past..... must get past.....

if you are driving at the speed limit and come across another vehicle driving slower and need to speed up over the limit to pass it safely, one would suggest its not safe to carry out the manouverea and you don't need to overtake.

if its a vehicle trundling at 20mph on a National speed limit road then good anticipation and reading of the road ahead, something you also get taught on the advanced driving schemes, also negates the need to travel faster than the speed limit. if you have to pass a stationary vehicle then a good top speed is not what you need but a good acceleration.

I completely agree! Many's time I've sat patiently on my motorbike behind a driver on an NSL road, rather than moving out to the right, tucking down over the tank to stop the bike from popping a wheely, and winding the throttle all the way back ... I would never do such a thing as that ...

 

[Melonfish]

legally it might as well have had a sticker that said "this car is limited to the speed of light so as not to tear the fabric of the universe"

 

[Coco]

If your speedo says you're doing 70mph you're probably doing less. Speedometers usually under read.

However, these limiters are being put in by the 'owners' of the vehicle to prevent the 'drivers' from exceeding the speed limit.

Interesting article here

 

[Arch]

If your speedo says you're doing 70mph you're probably doing less. Speedometers usually under read.

However, these limiters are being put in by the 'owners' of the vehicle to prevent the 'drivers' from exceeding the speed limit.

Interesting article here

A bit sad, isn't it, that companies have to resort to limiters to preserve their image. Whatever happened to, you know, just obeying the law?

I know speedos under read a bit, I recently drove for the first time with a Satnav, that told me my speed, so I could see the discrepancy. Out of habit, I still tended to go by the speedo. What's wrong with being a few MPH under the limit? Makes sod-all difference to how long it takes to get there.

Anyway, I'm not generally concerned with what prats do on the motorway, it's the bits about town I come into contact with, and unless you limit them to 20mph or less, concentrating on speed alone isn't everything. Why not take pride in having decent drivers?

 

[Coco]

Why not take pride in having decent drivers?

How can you tell you've got decent drivers?

 

[Arch]

How can you tell you've got decent drivers?

Well, a lack of points and endorsments would be a start. But I meant more like, encouraging an ethos of good driving. I don't know how you incentivise that, but it's possible to instill pride in a workforce. Look at the shirt and tie thing Stobarts used to have. Just because someone delivers sanitary bins for a living, doesn't mean they shouldn't care about the company image, and public safety.

 

[fossyant]

If they thought about the Environment, they would limit them to 60.

PS Can't be a Mercedes Sprinter - they don't go slower than 90.

 

[Arch]

If they thought about the Environment, they would limit them to 60.

Well, exactly, it's all greenwash. As someone who genuinely works with low emission vehicles, (well, depends if I've had beans for supper), I feel a bit miffed that a van limited to 70 is somehow environmentally friendly.

 

[Coco]

Well, a lack of points and endorsments would be a start. But I meant more like, encouraging an ethos of good driving. I don't know how you incentivise that, but it's possible to instill pride in a workforce. Look at the shirt and tie thing Stobarts used to have. Just because someone delivers sanitary bins for a living, doesn't mean they shouldn't care about the company image, and public safety.

The more I thought about it the more I like this limiter idea. Forget about the green bit - that's nonsense.
But it is quite a good management trick. Rather than having to give someone an incentive (I hate the verb) to not drive over 70, you take that option away from them. Lots of management time saved trying to find and re-educate speeding drivers and hopefully a better public perception as stated in the article. It may not stop the under 70 speeding but it's a start and from the fuel savings quoted seems to be quite a big chunk of the driving problem.

Also it's worth pointing out that the 'owners' of the vehicle are probably a separate division of the company and might not have direct management input into the drivers' training/performance.

 

[mcshroom]

Sat in the most boring race I've ever seen once when my mate was racing his 70 limited van against his mate's identical van. We ran the whole section of the A13 we were driving exactly the same distance apart.

From my experience the 70mph limiter in those vans was actually set at 70, the van was reading 74mph

 

[the_mikey]

Maybe it's designed to make bullying motorists back off when faced with a van with a 'speed restricted to 70mph' label on the back, and if you're following close enough to see it at that speed then you're driving too close anyway, it's almost as if people think they have a right to drive at 100mph these days..

 

[asterix]

Depends upon the vehicle, ever wondered why german cars are travelling the fastest on motorways; their speedometers are accurate, when the speed shows 85, it is 85. For someone in a Citroen to travel at the same speed they would think they were going at 94.

Source; My Berlingo vans 9% slower on speed & 4% lower on distance. The wifes Mercedes is 99% accurate on both speed and distance.

It is surely impossible for speedos to be as accurate as that since tyre wear and choice would make a significant difference? Or have those klever Germans invented a GPS speedo?

In any case German cars are fastest because they are designed to encourage fast driving. I used to have a Mk 1 Golf GTI (Campaign Model), I know about these things.

(Incidentally my old car was completely rebuilt by its new owner and is now as new and worth rather a lot )

 

[User482]

I take a more charitable view: given that WVM routinely drive at 90mph down the motorway, any effort companies make to slow them down is surely worthwhile.