Speed LImit while overtaking

GG66

I was with someone today who got a speeding ticket for being clocked at 130kph (80mph) while overtaking a motorcycle and a car.

It was long stretch of road with no visible oncoming traffic. Both vehicles which were overtaken were travelling under the speed limit.

Made me think, seems a bit harsh, surely you have to speed to overtake and then is it not in your interest to overtake quickly. Garda says they usually all 10% over speed limit for overtaking..........

colm_mcm

he probably maintained a speed of 80mph for a while after overtaking.

astraboy

Seems a bit harsh all right if your friend was just over taking, I have no problem with people going over the limit while overtaking as it is a way of reducing your risk, ie your time on the other side of the road. 130KPH is fairly fast on a national secondary road though(assuming this is where it hapened) so I suppose the cop had to do him for it.

GG66

No, he dropped down to speed limit fairly quickly afterwards....it was a primary route, sligo-dublin, good road, long stretch etc.

He had overtaken another car just before that in what I would have judged to be a safe manner. Garda said he was driving dangerously overtaking a car and a bike at once, they were too close together to do it any other way.

Idleater

GG66 wrote:

No, he dropped down to speed limit fairly quickly afterwards....it was a primary route, sligo-dublin, good road, long stretch etc.

So he was doing 130 in a 100 zone?

embraer170

A bit harsh but not that unusual.

Then plenty will argue that if you had to go over the limit while overtaking, you shouldn't overtake at all.... but then what if you're struck behind someone who does a solid 100 on straight streches but drops to 70 in bends.. and back to 100 etc.

he probably maintained a speed of 80mph for a while after overtaking.

How would you define a while?

GG66

So he was doing 130 in a 100 zone?

yeah granted....but how long would it take to overtake a bike and a car doing 95kph. its quite easy to find yourself accelerating to 130 to clear both vehicles with a safe distance to spare...

GG66

How would you define a while?

long enough to do so safely without applying the brakes in a dangerous manner

MarkR

You know that the speed limit is a maximum limit, right? Anything over this, for whatever period, is exceeding the speed limit.

astraboy

PC brigade are going to have a field day.:rolleyes:

is_that_so

embraer170 wrote:

A bit harsh but not that unusual.

Then plenty will argue that if you had to go over the limit while overtaking, you shouldn't overtake at all.... but then what if you're struck behind someone who does a solid 100 on straight streches but drops to 70 in bends.. and back to 100 etc.



How would you define a while?

Well if the speed limit is 100 kph it is very hard to make any kind of case. I would say hitting 130 kph in a 100kph zone was the clincher - that's 30% over the speed limit. TBH it shows some serious impatience on his part. 110 kph is 10%.

colm_mcm

the Garda uses his/her discression, most wouldn't prosecute for going slightly over the speed limit when overtaking provided they resumed to the correct speed afterwards and didn't do so dangerously. chances are the Garda had been hehind the OP's friend for a while and observed his/her behaviour.

GG66

You know that the speed limit is a maximum limit, right?

Yes, but it would be difficult to pass 2 vehicles doing 95kph while remaining under 100kph. Both of them were varying speed up and down, on bends and straights with unnecessary breaking.

timmywex

the limit is the maximum, you cant go over the limit(in therory), do you mean to say that just becasue he was overtaking, its less risk to break the limit?

colm_mcm

I think the problem the OP has is that the Garda could have been more lenient.
Of course the law is that you cannot exceed the speed limit.

unkel

colm_mcm wrote:

I think the problem the OP has is that the Garda could have been more lenient.
Of course the law is that you cannot exceed the speed limit.

Exactly. I overtake at full throttle. Pretty much always. This means that I often exceed the speed limit during overtaking. I've no points yet, but that is the most likely way I'll get them...

DonJose

astraboy wrote:

PC brigade are going to have a field day.:rolleyes:

Don't forget the boyracers, they'll be defending the defenceless

GG66

do you mean to say that just becasue he was overtaking, its less risk to break the limit?

Yes in this case, I think so.

He broke the limit while overtaking and ensured that he was back on his own side of the road more quickly while leaving plenty of space in front of the other car rather than cutting in.

I've been in a position where I've been overtaken and the other car pulls directly in front of me and slows down causing me to brake. It's possible that this car remained within the speed limit but came closer to causing an accident..

I know the speed limit. All I'm saying is that the Garda could have been more lenient, it wasn't wreckless overtaking

Idleater

unkel wrote:

Exactly. I overtake at full throttle. Pretty much always. This means that I often exceed the speed limit during overtaking. I've no points yet, but that is the most likely way I'll get them...

but will you complain if you do get caught, as you admit, knowingly breaking the speedlimit?

To be fair, when you are driving in a car, overtaking is pretty pointless 99% of the time, because you are only going to catch up with the next car a minute further down the road.

Buy a bike if you really want to make progress.

:cool:

tinkerbell

I think going up to 130 kph in a 100 zone will definitely get you a speeding ticket. I've heard that they give or take 10% which would give you up to 110 kph to overtake. It shouldn't take you more than that to overtake someone who is going just under the 100 speed limit.

How fast were the car and motorbike going anyway? Seems a bit dodgy that your friend had to go so fast to overtake them .. plus, it's the May bank holiday weekend - the gardai are gonna be clamping down because of so many deaths on this particular weekend.

maidhc

I would think getting done at 80mph in a 62mph zone, is, all things considered a fair cop. In all likelihood the speedo in the car was reading in excess of 80mph, so, overtaking or not, I don't think there is a case for the garda to answer.

I'm not trying to be holier-than-thou here, I have often hit those speeds trying to get past a truck, and will do again, but when you are breaking the limit by over 20mph you must be aware that there is a possibility of getting done.

drdre

that seems abit harsh, but you cant really fight with the guards

Idleater

GG66 wrote:

I know the speed limit. All I'm saying is that the Garda could have been more lenient, it wasn't wreckless overtaking

Hang on a sec,

in the first post you are asking for a 10% "grace" from the gardai - in a 100 zone, that equates to 110kmph.

He was caught knowingly doing 130.

I am not a member of the "PC brigade" but at least have the decency to admit to being over the limit, and knowing the concequences of these risks. Just because 95% of the time you don't get caught, doesn't mean that if you do get caught you should be let away with it.

GG66

How fast were the car and motorbike going anyway?

They were travelling around the speed limit but were braking and accelerating a it erratic. overtaking seemed like a good idea to me.

Granted, the Garda was doing his job and 130 seems a lot when taken out of context. It seemed very normal at the time though. Really, this must be the longest straightest stretch of road in the county with v good visibility

GG66

I am not a member of the "PC brigade" but at least have the decency to admit to being over the limit, and knowing the concequences of these risks.

Erm.. he did admit it and accepted the consequences AND quite gracefully too

Case closed!!

drdre

GG66 wrote:

They were travelling around the speed limit but were braking and accelerating a it erratic. overtaking seemed like a good idea to me.

Granted, the Garda was doing his job and 130 seems a lot when taken out of context. It seemed very normal at the time though. Really, this must be the longest straightest stretch of road in the county with v good visibility

how many points do you already have?

Idleater

GG66 wrote:

It seemed very normal at the time though.

Speeding should never seem normal.

GG66 wrote:

Really, this must be the longest straightest stretch of road in the county with v good visibility

For such a good straight bit of road, surely the driver would have seen the Gardai so.

I would chalk this up to experience, learn from the lack of observation, and be thankful that what you didn't see was a garda with a speed gun rather than a tractor, other vehicle, child, football, etc etc.

L.

Idleater

GG66 wrote:

Erm.. he did admit it and accepted the consequences AND quite gracefully too

Case closed!!

Why post this thread so?

if everything was hunky dory, you could have posted a thread topic along the lines of

"A mate of mine was caught doing 130 in a 100 zone after overtaking 2 vehicles and not seeing the gardai up ahead. He was lucky to get away with a talking to and 2 points, but he has learned his lesson and won't speed again"

GG66

For such a good straight bit of road, surely the driver would have seen the Gardai so.

They were travelling 200 metres behind in an unmarked black 4x4

There were no tractors, children, oncoming cars, adjoining roads, or cute little puppies

GG66

Why post this thread so?

because I'm not you!!

what are you so upset about? I'm just passing some time having a chat to see if other people have had similar experiences. I've got no penaly points, they were my friends first.

colm_mcm

Jaysus, Didn't spot the PC brigade either.