Road safety: UK set to adopt vehicle speed limiters

[steeplejack]

been a while since I've seen a full-blown kombat-trouser explosion

 

[8ball]

And here's the size of the environmental problem caused by traffic:

Residents told to stay on polluted street

I'm surprised by the location of the "most polluted street in the UK aside from London".

 

[steeplejack]

1. make it much harder to pass the driving test
2. make it much easier to lose a licence for ignoring the rules of the road
3. keep motorway limits as they are and reduce speeds within towns to 20mph (already the case in Scotland)
4. massive investment over decades in rebuilding and developing integrated public transport across the UK; end all private involvement in provision of this public service
5. ultimate goal, to ban cars in city centres and reduce dependence as much as possible for those living outside cities and towns;

all of which are eminently achievable without technology, autonomous driving, speed limiters, etc.

I love cars and driving but private car ownership is going to become much rarer in the next couple of decades. My current car will be my last ICE car I suspect. Next will be electric or if my current car last long enough, hydrogen.

 

[editor]

been a while since I've seen a full-blown kombat-trouser explosion

Who the fuck wears kombat-trousers and what has this to do with the discussion on hand, pray tell?

 

[editor]

I'm surprised by the location of the "most polluted street in the UK aside from London".

I live close to one of the most polluted in London but yes, it is a strange place for there to be so much shit in the air. I feel sorry for the house owers.

 

[steeplejack]

it was a joke based on urban history, but the red mist appears to have descended a little too much for you to have noticed..

 

[8ball]

Who the fuck wears kombat-trousers and what has this to do with the discussion on hand, pray tell?

I was a little confused by that one too - didn't want to ask whether it was meant to be in another thread...

 

[editor]

it was a joke based on urban history, but the red mist appears to have descended a little too much for you to have noticed..

You appear to be reading a different thread. It seems a fairly mild mannered debate, bereft of 'red mist' or trouser-based explosions.

But what's your thoughts on the actual topic here?

 

[8ball]

I live close to one of the most polluted in London but yes, it is a strange place for there to be so much shit in the air. I feel sorry for the house owers.

Yeah, it's very shitty. As is the number of people dying due to issues related to air pollution.

 

[steeplejack]

You appear to be reading a different thread. It seems a fairly mild mannered debate, bereft of 'red mist' or trouser-based explosions.

But what's your thoughts on the actual topic here?

My thoughts are as set out in my longer post above.

 

[editor]

My thoughts are as set out in my longer post above.

Come on. You can do better than posting up crappy GIFS and personal pointless comments.

 

[steeplejack]

LOL

I have answered above, editor. No idea why you're pretending otherwise.

 

[editor]

LOL

I have answered above, editor. No idea why you're pretending otherwise.

Thanks for your contribution. The personal digs and animated GIF have been truly enlightening.

 

[cheesethief]

1. make it much harder to pass the driving test
2. make it much easier to lose a licence for ignoring the rules of the road
3. keep motorway limits as they are and reduce speeds within towns to 20mph (already the case in Scotland)
4. massive investment over decades in rebuilding and developing integrated public transport across the UK; end all private involvement in provision of this public service
5. ultimate goal, to ban cars in city centres and reduce dependence as much as possible for those living outside cities and towns;

all of which are eminently achievable without technology, autonomous driving, speed limiters, etc.

I love cars and driving but private car ownership is going to become much rarer in the next couple of decades. My current car will be my last ICE car I suspect. Next will be electric or if my current car last long enough, hydrogen.

Maybe think about your 2nd point. How does that work? Drive badly -> Get caught -> Lose licence ?

Need sufficient coverage to reliably catch bad drivers...
Bad drivers know that coverage is never sufficient...
Bad drivers focus on avoiding the surveillance...
Injury & death rates unaffected...

When, in the whole history of humanity, did the threat of capture & punishment ever actually make any real difference? Name me just one time. Just one...

You could threaten to fry the bollocks of offenders and many would still blithely assume they'll never get caught. And in many cases, they'd be right.

I don't believe the technology is really there just yet, but eventually it will be. Only when technology makes it impossible for people to drive like twats, will people stop driving like twats.

 

[8ball]

When, in the whole history of humanity, did the threat of capture & punishment ever actually make any real difference? Name me just one time. Just one...

Can't say I've seen Julian Assange out and about much recently.

 

[steeplejack]

Thanks for your contribution. The personal digs and animated GIF have been truly enlightening.

away and take your face for a shite

 

[steeplejack]

Maybe think about your 2nd point. How does that work? Drive badly -> Get caught -> Lose licence ?

Need sufficient coverage to reliably catch bad drivers...
Bad drivers know that coverage is never sufficient...
Bad drivers focus on avoiding the surveillance...
Injury & death rates unaffected...

When, in the whole history of humanity, did the threat of capture & punishment ever actually make any real difference? Name me just one time. Just one...

You could threaten to fry the bollocks of offenders and many would still blithely assume they'll never get caught. And in many cases, they'd be right.

I don't believe the technology is really there just yet, but eventually it will be. Only when technology makes it impossible for people to drive like twats, will people stop driving like twats.

Thanks for responding to the points I made. I agree we need to focus on pushing technology to stop people driving like twats. The question that's occupied nine pages is what sort of technology. Don't think the speed limiters suggested will be effective

 

[Rosemary Jest]

I say get rid of windscreens on all vehicles. Seriously. No more speeding.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I say get rid of windscreens on all vehicles. Seriously. No more speeding.

Cracking idea, Atoms for everyone



No one ever speeds in them...

 

[SpookyFrank]

A lot of car drivers don't like being told to slow the fuck down.

Well they should have thought of that before tough shit.

 

[8ball]

Cracking idea, Atoms for everyone

View attachment 165889

No one ever speeds in them...

I had a go in one of them. Passed an Aston Martin on the track as if it was parked.

Except they kept wanting me to brake at these points they had marked with cones, which were set appropriately for the heaviest cars on the track.
Bit weird when you start to feel the intake trying to suck your head into the engine.

 

[Rosemary Jest]

Cracking idea, Atoms for everyone

View attachment 165889

No one ever speeds in them...

Not without a helmet (also banned) they don't.

 

[editor]

So we can agree that the overwhelming evidence suggests that:

• a blanket increase to 80mph would be a disaster
• some reckless drivers will continue to be total cunts
• the likelihood of the advanced speed-controlling technology cited by some is unlikely to arrive any time soon although variable lane speeds might help reduce accidents
• new technology to catch wrong 'uns is unlikely to be implemented nation-wide any time soon
• there seems to be a general consensus from professional bodies that speed-limiters will reduce accidents

So 70mph is is then.

 

[Saul Goodman]

So we can agree that the overwhelming evidence suggests that:

• a blanket increase to 80mph would be a disaster
• some reckless drivers will continue to be total cunts
• the likelihood of the advanced speed-controlling technology cited by some is unlikely to arrive any time soon although variable lane speeds might help reduce accidents
• new technology to catch wrong 'uns is unlikely to be implemented nation-wide any time soon
• there seems to be a general consensus from professional bodies that speed-limiters will reduce accidents

So 70mph is is then.

No.

 

[mauvais]

I like how you've just invented a conversation that without any interaction somehow ends with you declaring, 'ANOTHER CASE CLOSED!'.

 

[keybored]

And, again, here's why raising the limit is a shit idea:

In spite of any benefits to the economy, raising the speed limit would come with a fairly significant upfront cost as well. For a start, the entire motorway network would need repainted and to have its road signs changed, while infrastructure improvements would be necessary to facilitate faster speeds.

Anyone know why that would need doing?

 

[mauvais]

You'd have to change the signs in Scotland, where (70) is a regular thing.

 

[keybored]

while infrastructure improvements would be necessary to facilitate faster speeds

Because no one is presently exceeding 70mph on these motorways. Who pays someone to write this stuff?

 

[Saul Goodman]

I like how you've just invented a conversation that without any interaction somehow ends with you declaring, 'ANOTHER CASE CLOSED!'.

It's him MO. And if you dare to question or ridicule it, you get a warning. He doesn't know how to debate, he just knows how to issue warnings when someone calls him out on his nonsense.

 

[Wookey]

Anyone know why that would need doing?

If you go really fast, the white lines down the middle appear to join up. Which is freaky like Trevor on mad mode! So to separate the white lines at higher speeds, they'd have to be repainted slightly further apart. That's more than a million miles of motorway (I've no idea) that would need to be repainted, overnight, in the dark. It's a right faff.