Speed Awarness Course

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winjim

Smash the cistern
Yup. Deliberately so, so the manufacturers don't get sued to smithereens by convicted speeders.
But when I was clocked doing 40 in a 30 limit, my speedo read bang on 40mph. I know this because at the time I believed I was in a 40 zone and that I was not speeding. Fortunately S Yorks had just raised the threshold for the speed awareness course to 40mph so I attended and got a lot out of it. Anybody complaining that they were sent on the course for only going a couple of mph over the limit obviously wasn't paying attention. The course covers that.
 

TheJDog

dingo's kidneys
I took some advance driving lessons on my motorbike from the boys in blue, it crossed over well to both driving and cycling.

I did the Bikesafe thing with a couple of motorbike cops, and they said (about motorcycles) that because it's so much more dangerous they would always try to be moving faster than everything else around them so that they didn't have to be worried about things behind them so much. They were perfectly happy with 5-10 over the limit on a dual carriageway.

Helped me with my observation no end, that course, I think.

The other thing they said specifically that at the end of the ride they'd ride at their own speed, on a new CBR600, don't try to keep up beyond your skill. I scared myself silly on my V-Strom 650. The other thing I remember about that ride was that one of the other guys was on a brand new 1000cc Ducati and he couldn't ride for toffee.
 

KnackeredBike

I do my own stunts
I did the Bikesafe thing with a couple of motorbike cops, and they said (about motorcycles) that because it's so much more dangerous they would always try to be moving faster than everything else around them so that they didn't have to be worried about things behind them so much. They were perfectly happy with 5-10 over the limit on a dual carriageway.

Helped me with my observation no end, that course, I think.

The other thing they said specifically that at the end of the ride they'd ride at their own speed, on a new CBR600, don't try to keep up beyond your skill. I scared myself silly on my V-Strom 650. The other thing I remember about that ride was that one of the other guys was on a brand new 1000cc Ducati and he couldn't ride for toffee.
It probably goes both ways, if you ride quicker than everything else on the road you also have a greater speed differential to scrub off when an HGV decides to change lane without indicating.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Thats right he was , but there was some discusion re the 10% allowance for inaccuracy , seemingly some Police Forces are a little more tolerant ,
I think the 10% allowance is on speedometers in the MOT test - so it can read anywhere between the true speed and 10% below, but never over else that's a fail, just like showing too far below is an MOT fail.

Some constabularies sometimes don't pursue speeders below some as-good-as-random number so that they concentrate on the worst offenders but it varies over time (it's rumoured the M5 Avonmouth cameras generate hundreds of tickets each time their trigger speed is reduced) but it's very foolish to rely on that. I don't think 10%+2mph was ever used by all areas.
 

Andy_R

Hard of hearing..I said Herd of Herring..oh FFS..
Location
County Durham
I think the 10% allowance is on speedometers in the MOT test - so it can read anywhere between the true speed and 10% below, but never over else that's a fail, just like showing too far below is an MOT fail.

Some constabularies sometimes don't pursue speeders below some as-good-as-random number so that they concentrate on the worst offenders but it varies over time (it's rumoured the M5 Avonmouth cameras generate hundreds of tickets each time their trigger speed is reduced) but it's very foolish to rely on that. I don't think 10%+2mph was ever used by all areas.
The MOT tester will only check that the speedo works, not that it is properly calibrated.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next

Andy_R

Hard of hearing..I said Herd of Herring..oh FFS..
Location
County Durham
Thanks for that. When a recent set of updates were introduced (2013?), speedometer calibration was among the things announced as "coming soon" but it looks like it still hasn't actually happened yet! So it remains only a matter for the construction and use regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/3013/schedule/2/made#text=speed lower
Quite simply put, they don't have the calibrated kit to ensure that a speedo is registering the right speed. That has to be tested on the open road with appropriate kit.
 

keithmac

Guru
It probably goes both ways, if you ride quicker than everything else on the road you also have a greater speed differential to scrub off when an HGV decides to change lane without indicating.

I had this years ago, timber lorry pulled out on front of me (was riding a CBR600 at the time).

I saw his front wheel start to turn and started to brake at that point, if I hadn't it would have been a right mess.. No indication at all, I always ride with the headlights on so he can't have looked very hard.

Takes the fun out of riding for me as you have to be on the alert all the time for the next numpty..
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
I reckon he was telling porkies...
To defeat that, all speed awareness course participants should have to wear a badge detailing what they were caught for and how (for example, 33 in a school 20 limit caught by permanent camera) - and they should have to wear it all week so that society can see the scale of this epidemic.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
I had this years ago, timber lorry pulled out on front of me (was riding a CBR600 at the time).

I saw his front wheel start to turn and started to brake at that point, if I hadn't it would have been a right mess.. No indication at all, I always ride with the headlights on so he can't have looked very hard.
He thought you were a bicycle.
 
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