Do you believe in the speed limit?

euser1984 · 07-07-2018 07:28PM #1

That's an odd title but i wrote this quick and it's a complex thing I want to bring up here. it's fair to say that the limit is not the target.

one thing i want to ask is are many drivers aware of the difference between "limit" and "target" these days. Many exceptions here with people that don't care if the're hogging the road. I only learnt of the difference between target and limit in the last few years.

when i was younger i used to drive faster, maybe it's just my age (mid 30's) but driving along at 60 can seem fast - drive at 70+ of course and 60 will seem phenomenally slow - just seems to be relevant; even though i was aware of that at the time.

if you like motoring on you are only going to get frustrated when you meet the next sensible driver. perhaps busy roads can have benefits too; you can argue that on some roads the speed limit is far too low though; at 100km/h; or are they really too low without a motorway structure splitting the sides of the road

are many drivers on the road still speeding these days? it's nice to have fun on country roads but they can be slow anyway even though you might feel like you're going fast....and i mean roads that are very safe to enjoy driving on, and where many times you won't even need to go over the limit.

so, do you enjoy driving your car at more or less the limit (most likely you "are" capable if your hanging around in this forum)

as well as that, on a daily basis, be it a commute or whatever, how common do you find people pulling out without checking their blind spot?

finally, how many times have you seen in your life time on the road, somebody overtaking on a blind corner?

thanks and i will appreciate anybodies thoughts to clarify things up for me.

ba_barabus · 07-07-2018 07:31PM

The speed limit is merely concept of man. It's not mentioned in the bible.

Auguste Comte · 07-07-2018 07:38PM

ba_barabus wrote: »

The speed limit is merely concept of man. It's not mentioned in the bible.

No speed limits then. Sure wasn't jesus a biker. I'm sure it says somewhere in the bible that "All of Israel heard the roar of his Triumph"

ba_barabus · 07-07-2018 07:56PM

Auguste Comte wrote: »

No speed limits then. Sure wasn't jesus a biker. I'm sure it says somewhere in the bible that "All of Israel heard the roar of his Triumph"

I think it was "roar at his Triumph" which would indicate he was a motorist.

RacoonQueen · 07-07-2018 09:12PM

euser1984 wrote: »

finally, how many times have you seen in your life time on the road, somebody overtaking on a blind corner?

I cycle a lot and I get overtaken on blind corners all the time...also often nearly get hit head on from motorists overtaking cyclists on other side of the road on blind corners.

People don't know how to overtake anyway, you're not meant to overtake until the car in front of you has completed theirs (or at least until they've cleared enough for you to see clearly that the way is clear for you to overtake) but most people just follow through and hold up the traffic on other side. Not what you asked but have had to hold up while driving for cars doing this a few times lately and it is really irritating..

mikeecho · 07-07-2018 09:20PM

I'm a non practising believer.

Pauliedragon · 07-07-2018 09:20PM

One thing I never understood is why are people allowed buy cars that can exceed the speed limit? If the maximum speed limit on any road in a country is say 110kph surely the maximum speed a car is capable of travelling should be 110kph. There is no need for a car to travel faster as it's illegal. It's like telling someone it's legal buy heroin but you cant take it or a fifteen year old can go into a pub legally buy a beer but he cant drink it. How many people die every year driving over the speed limit that might not have if the car they were driving couldn't physically go that fast?

EPAndlee · 07-07-2018 09:24PM

Pauliedragon wrote: »

One thing I never understood is why are people allowed buy cars that can exceed the speed limit? If the maximum speed limit on any road in a country is say 110kph surely the maximum speed a car is capable of travelling should be 110kph. There is no need for a car to travel faster as it's illegal. It's like telling someone it's legal buy heroin but you cant take it or a fifteen year old can go into a pub legally buy a beer but he cant drink it. How many people die every year driving over the speed limit that might not have if the car they were driving couldn't physically go that fast?

Like how cars in Japans are limited to 180kph but just delimit the car and off you go

doolox · 07-07-2018 09:38PM

People may complain of strictures and limits placed on their freedoms of action but they will readily admit that some sensible limits have to be placed on the freedom of actions of humans.

If there were no parking restrictions regarding spaces and times, people would not be able to get around and the roads would all be blocked and chaos would ensue. Individual people may find parking rule a pain in the proverbial but are willing to accept them because of the benefit of certainty that they infer.

Same with speed limits.Most people find them a pain at times but they realise that some drivers and road users are not of full capability or full health and move through life slower than the average. The Fast movers must accommodate the slow of mind and body. These are usually the inexperienced or the aged and infirm who must be accommodated in any society. There are also the foolish and arrogant, mobile phone users, rubber neckers, drugged and drunk, the angry, the mentally and physically impaired or people who do not keep their cars in reasonable repair.

This is why we have speed limits.

I drive just about at the speed limit when I can but I do realise I may have to stop fairly fast if someone else makes a mistake. Some people will take the piss and drive like test pilots if let, exploding like missiles into a fellow hapless road users when things go wrong.

The concept is all about statistics and distribution curves, if you drive too slow people are held up and forced to make rash and unexpected overtaking moves and traffic is held up and disturbed by an untypically slow vehicle. On the other side of the curve, an unexpectedly fast driver can cause alarm and anger in motorists and can cause collisions by his actions. He may hit someone from behind, turning them into an aimless missile and damaging other cars and people on the road. Both, in my opinion, are equally dangerous on the road especially overly slow drivers in the outermost lane of multi-lane roads.

The current law only prosecutes overly fast drivers while completely ignoring overly slow drivers on our roads. Both should be equally held to account for their departure from the normal driving patterns on our roads. Overly slow drivers are equally to blame for increasing danger on our roads, just like bad parking, blocking roads and other traffic offenses but they get away with it.

badtoro · 07-07-2018 10:10PM

Honestly, it depends on the road and the conditions at the time. We all know of 50kmph zones on near to motorway type roads and places that the 80kmph sign should come with "We dare ya" below it.

All I'll say is I'm not perfect.

euser1984 · 07-07-2018 10:20PM

what do ye think about the idea that i rolled down the window to a woman on a friday afternoon, who did a three point turn in the middle of main street, in a shackles of a car....i told her you cannot do that in the middle of the town.

granted i've had to do it before myself - I believe at the time she was just lazy...but should I have assumed she was in a rush in this case? perhaps to the hospital?

euser1984 · 07-07-2018 10:21PM

has anyone ever seen/heard a speeding car overtake someone just before a blind corner - where the person that did it was chancing his own life as it was

i saw it once but is it common?

mgbgt1978 · 07-07-2018 10:27PM

Decent Dash-Cam footage or just stop rambling :rolleyes:

Gregor Samsa · 07-07-2018 10:28PM

Pauliedragon wrote: »

One thing I never understood is why are people allowed buy cars that can exceed the speed limit?

Let’s say all cars were limited to 120km/h (the current max limit in Ireland). It would only prevent speeding on Motorways, which are the safest roads in the country. It wouldn’t stop people speeding in 50, 80 and 100 zones, where the vast majority of speed related accidents occur.

Also, it wold prevent you from bringing your car to Spain or Germany (etc) and driving at the legal limits there, which are higher than Ireland. There’s quite a lot of EU legalisation around the movement of goods and confirming standards.

There’s also a safety aspect in having the ability to go faster than the speed limit in certain situations. We all know the situation where a slow car that you’re overtaking suddenly speed up when you’re alongside. While it’s not legal, and not all cars are capable of it, it can be safer in some situations to floor it and get past the car, rather than sit alongside it, or have to slow down and merge back in behind it (which may not be possible depending on the traffic behind it).

I’ve had cars tailgating me so close on motorways (at 120km/h) that I couldn’t see the bonnet of their car at all in the rear view mirror. The safest thing to do in that situation is to boot it fit a few seconds and put a couple of cars between you and them, then go back to legally cruising. I come across plenty of drivers on our motorways that I don’t feel safe being either directly behind or in front of. Sometimes the only way to give them a wide berth is tactictlly break the speed limit until you’re out of danger. Again, it’s not legal, but it is sensible.

Finally, you may remember a time when the max speed limit In Ireland was 60 mph, which is 96.56 km/h. This got raised to 70 mph (113km/h) when motorways first appeared In 1992. Then up again to 120 km/h in 2005 when we went metric. Who’s to say that the limit won’t rise again in the future as various technologies and engineering practices make roads safer for higher speeds? Or even a case where the government decides to lower the limit. Would it be feasible to re-limit all cars every time it happens?

Edit: my own car is electronically limited to 190 km/h (it is posssible to remove that limit). I’ve never had the need to go near that, so it doesn’t bother me. But I wouldn’t be at all happy to be limited to 120km/h.

euser1984 · 07-07-2018 10:29PM

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Decent Dash-Cam footage or just stop rambling :rolleyes:

can't believe that roll eyes thing is still on this site - this site has made a very bad name for itself

mgbgt1978 · 07-07-2018 10:32PM

I know. It's mad , isn't it :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

euser1984 · 07-07-2018 11:07PM

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

I know. It's mad , isn't it :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

it would be if you were being sarcastic, but you should read a diy guide on humour....

that rolleyes thing is just a way of writing someone off cos ya haven't any words left in your mouth, are you a moderator here then, is it? :rolleyes:

pablo128 · 07-07-2018 11:15PM

I see the speed limit as a general guide.
A suggestion, like.

Do people really take those little roundy signs seriously?:pac:

Del2005 · 07-07-2018 11:45PM

euser1984 wrote: »

has anyone ever seen/heard a speeding car overtake someone just before a blind corner - where the person that did it was chancing his own life as it was

i saw it once but is it common?

If you only saw it once you haven't driven much. It happens all too often along with the moron blasting up the overtaking lane on multi lane road and cutting across several vehicles onto the hatching.

CiniO · 07-07-2018 11:49PM

Pauliedragon wrote: »

One thing I never understood is why are people allowed buy cars that can exceed the speed limit? If the maximum speed limit on any road in a country is say 110kph surely the maximum speed a car is capable of travelling should be 110kph. There is no need for a car to travel faster as it's illegal. It's like telling someone it's legal buy heroin but you cant take it or a fifteen year old can go into a pub legally buy a beer but he cant drink it. How many people die every year driving over the speed limit that might not have if the car they were driving couldn't physically go that fast?

You're saying to have all cars limited to maximum speed limit - so you have it.
It's just cars are not type approved for Ireland, but for EU as a whole.

And considering the highest speed limit in EU is UNLIMITED, then cars have no speed limiters.

Consider that within EU higherst speed limits for trucks is 90km/h and all trucks have speed limiters fitted to 90km/h.
Same thing for buses with 100km/h.

JC01 · 07-07-2018 11:49PM

Nope, I believe in driving to the conditions and ability of myself and the car/bike I'm driving.

CiniO · 07-07-2018 11:53PM

euser1984 wrote: »

are many drivers on the road still speeding these days? it's nice to have fun on country roads but they can be slow anyway even though you might feel like you're going fast....and i mean roads that are very safe to enjoy driving on, and where many times you won't even need to go over the limit.

so, do you enjoy driving your car at more or less the limit (most likely you "are" capable if your hanging around in this forum)

OP, i genuinely think that all speed limits could be scrapped.
IMO allowing people to drive at any speed they wish, wouldn't have much (if any) effect on road safety.
Vast majority of people are currently driving nearly always considerably below speed limit, so by getting rid of speed limits it wouldn't change anything for them.

as well as that, on a daily basis, be it a commute or whatever, how common do you find people pulling out without checking their blind spot?

Without checking blind spots is nothing.
People even pull out without checking visible spots...

finally, how many times have you seen in your life time on the road, somebody overtaking on a blind corner?

Plenty, but most I see is driver cutting blind bends on narrow road.

bladespin · 08-07-2018 12:18AM

More likely indicate he had one of the older trumpets, reduced many to tourrettes.

Blazer · 08-07-2018 09:07AM

Within towns etc I follow the speed limit.
On main national roads I tend to drive around 120km to 140kph on motorways.
It all depends on traffic flow and conditions etc.
Heavy traffic I just take my time as normal and might even be below the limit.
Same goes for bad conditions.
With a clear road and ideal conditions I don't see any danger in putting a bit of pedal to the metal as they say and I don't take stupid risks overtaking.
And people that overtake on bends? Personally I think they should be stopped, taken out of the car and whipped on the ass to remind them not to be so stupid again. Its incredibly dangerous.
Even yesterday I had a guy in a bog standard fiesta overtake about 4-5 cars including me.
I drive a 3litre bmw and even with the power of my car I deemed it too dangerous to overtake as about 600-800 yards ahead there was a bend.
But the fiesta behind me? He just overtook and finally got in about 50 yards from the bend. What a ****in twat... If any car had come around that bend he was goosed. He was taking a chance as it was 6.30am and that there wouldn't be traffic on the other side.

euser1984 · 08-07-2018 09:51AM

Blazer wrote: »

Within towns etc I follow the speed limit.
On main national roads I tend to drive around 120km to 140kph on motorways.
It all depends on traffic flow and conditions etc.
Heavy traffic I just take my time as normal and might even be below the limit.
Same goes for bad conditions.
With a clear road and ideal conditions I don't see any danger in putting a bit of pedal to the metal as they say and I don't take stupid risks overtaking.
And people that overtake on bends? Personally I think they should be stopped, taken out of the car and whipped on the ass to remind them not to be so stupid again. Its incredibly dangerous.
Even yesterday I had a guy in a bog standard fiesta overtake about 4-5 cars including me.
I drive a 3litre bmw and even with the power of my car I deemed it too dangerous to overtake as about 600-800 yards ahead there was a bend.
But the fiesta behind me? He just overtook and finally got in about 50 yards from the bend. What a ****in twat... If any car had come around that bend he was goosed. He was taking a chance as it was 6.30am and that there wouldn't be traffic on the other side.

regarding you feeling safe? you may be safe a lot of the time but not always. you can't judge yourself like that on a public road...it's fair enough putting the foot down but you can't consider yourself a better driver on the road than anyone until your behind them or close to them...even that person that might be carrying glass in the back seat...

no disrespect or anything because I do like bmws

just makes me think about how doctors cannot diagnose themselves...we have a completely biased opinion of ourselves and often times it's pretty well wrong.

there are many ways you can lose control, losing concentration, oil on road etc. etc.

even if you drive at the limit you are always taking on a good bit of risk - considering how much a person drives in their lifetime, but this is all my opinion - i offer nothing here except my opinion.

euser1984 · 08-07-2018 10:10AM

CiniO wrote: »

OP, i genuinely think that all speed limits could be scrapped.
IMO allowing people to drive at any speed they wish, wouldn't have much (if any) effect on road safety.
Vast majority of people are currently driving nearly always considerably below speed limit, so by getting rid of speed limits it wouldn't change anything for them.

Without checking blind spots is nothing.
People even pull out without checking visible spots...

Plenty, but most I see is driver cutting blind bends on narrow road.

did they not have to implement a speed limit on many parts of the autobahn?

question - if you meet someone overtaking someone on a blind corner, it just makes me think - pile up - but has that every happened?

Blazer · 08-07-2018 10:24AM

euser1984 wrote: »

regarding you feeling safe? you may be safe a lot of the time but not always. you can't judge yourself like that on a public road...it's fair enough putting the foot down but you can't consider yourself a better driver on the road than anyone until your behind them or close to them...even that person that might be carrying glass in the back seat...

no disrespect or anything because I do like bmws

just makes me think about how doctors cannot diagnose themselves...we have a completely biased opinion of ourselves and often times it's pretty well wrong.

there are many ways you can lose control, losing concentration, oil on road etc. etc.

even if you drive at the limit you are always taking on a good bit of risk - considering how much a person drives in their lifetime, but this is all my opinion - i offer nothing here except my opinion.

actually I feel pretty safe when I'm driving. I look after my car, make sure its service regularly and only put premium tires on it.
A lot of it is about awareness now. I can tell how bad or good most drivers are by watching how they drive and if its someone bad I tend to pull back a bit.
But it doesn't matter how safe you are as a driver. You can obey all the speed limits, keep safe distances etc and still be killed by some guy coming around the bend on the opposite side of a road, a truck jackknifing into you or someone not stopping at an intersection and crashing into you.
I had an old woman put out in front of me as she couldn't judge speeds , luckily we only hit at about 10mph as I slammed on my brakes so apart from car damage no one was hurt. However when she drove into the next village she again pulled across another car who had to swerve to avoid her. I made sure to inform her insurance company when they were settling my bill as she was a danger to herself and others.
I think once you hit 60 we should be retested every 5 years, every 3 years over 70 and 2 years over 80.
There's way too many old people dying on the roads and they're absolutely clueless and lack situational awareness.
As for women drivers..its amazing how some of them got their license.

EdgeCase · 08-07-2018 10:25AM

The one that annoys me is people driving at way more than 50km/h on city / town streets. I was sitting at a cafe on Manor Street in Dublin and I would estimate about 70% of the cars that passed were doing over 60. I've been flashed at for doing 50 on Griffith Avenue by some moron and I was recently overtaken in a 30km/h zone in abbeyleix by a guy who drove on my bumper along that bouncy, narrow road that comes in to the town off the M8 south of the town. It's an 80 limit and I was exceeding it. No way I was going to drive at an uncomfortable and dangerous speed though. It hasoads of dangerous bends, undulates all over the place, high stone walls, narrow bits and I'm unfamiliar with, yet whoever was behind me was determined he was going to treat it like a motorway.

Also it's incredibly intimidating to drive on someone's bumper on a rural road - they could be a tourist who'll go home with tales of Irish driving being unpleasant.

I'd actually advocate more speed cameras in areas with high risk to pedestrians and where high speed can actually cause junction priority issues by making it harder to get out of side streets and also on dangerous rural roads.

Fish in barrel type speed traps on relatively safe roads is not very socially useful. They're improving a bit but they really need to be more focused on roads with actual dangers and there are plenty of them.

frozenfrozen · 08-07-2018 10:35AM

You should have to wave at the man in the speed van or it's a 30 euro fine and 1 point if you don't. Imagine all the old / texting / taking care of kids while driving / snapchatting idiots who would rack up many points in no time.

08-07-2018 10:37AM

phutyle wrote: »

I’ve had cars tailgating me so close on motorways (at 120km/h) that I couldn’t see the bonnet of their car at all in the rear view mirror. The safest thing to do in that situation is to boot it fit a few seconds and put a couple of cars between you and them, then go back to legally cruising.

Easiest way to avoid this is not to be cruising in the overtaking lane anyhow.

I'd like to see a 140 speed limit on the motorways, think most of the other limits are right-ish (cars tend to go way too fast through urban areas ime)

Zascar · 08-07-2018 10:42AM

Speed limits are created for the worst possible driver in the worst possible car. Some 95 year old granny in an '88 starlet. Unfortunately the rest of us are laden to the same ones. A trained advanced driver doing 140kph on a motorway is far more safe than Dorris doing 35kph around the area, yes anyone who speeds is branded like a serial killer. Imo the problem on Irish roads is too many bad drivers doing stupid stuff, if everyone was a more competent driver we'd have less accidents - but its easier for them to shout about speeding..

Do you believe in the speed limit?

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