I've seen this loads of times - had it tried on me too, without success

he last time was when I went north under the Gatwick turn off on the M23

saw the unmarked, two-up, silver Merc come haring down the slip road road, go from slip lane to overtaking in one move advanced drivers eh?

and then take up station 4" off my back bumper

unfortunately, as I had backed off when I first saw them, I was at an indicated 75mph by the time they arrived at my bumper

anyway, for anyone that doubts it happens, this is what happened today:

I was following another car - it was being driven quickly, it was clear the other driver was someone who would probably be less than straightforward to pass, so I did what I always do in those situations, tag along

we're on dc - light traffic, perfect weather, dry roads, perfect visibility, speeds are sub three figs

the lead driver arrives at a mobile road block - unmarked bib behind someone else, overtaking a truck at about 60mph

when the first car passes the truck - which takes an age, bib repeat the dose, creeping past the truck and the first lead car at a differential of about 2mph

this frustrates the car I've been following, he has a peek up the inside but doesn't undertake

bib maintain this creep along the outside lane for absolutely no good reason then pull over (without indication - more advanced driving I presume)

the car I've been following then passes, opens up and pulls over as he should

do bib maintain the snail's pace? of course not, they tailgate the car that has just overtaken them, having held him up unnecessarily for a couple of minutes

he speeds up, half a mile later, blue lights

 

All the while about 5 uninsured/untaxed drivers have driven in the opposite direction most likely.

I fail to see how you its sensible that you are breaking the law driving sensibly at 71mph in perfect conditions in a well maintained car but you are not breaking the law driving at 65mph in the fog/in standing water/snow like some of the plebs do, generally in heaps of shite.

To be fair you have to be fairly blind to miss the traffic police - not exactly inconspicious - although I'm sure they 'think' they are.

 

Which is an argument to be used for pulling someone. Not paying enough attention.

The speed limit is there for a reason.

 

[QUOTE=Moggy,Nov 21 2010, 08:15 PM] Which is an argument to be used for pulling someone.

 

I never said what the reason was

It's needed to protect the rest of us from the large number of people who cannot drive safetly at speed.

 

As they used to say in The Sweeney, there really IS nothing more disgusting than a bent copper.

BTW - The speed limit's not there for any SCIENTIFIC reason, that's for sure.

Clearly, it's about gratifying licensed bullies & like the POCA, merely to collect £££££££££s for the licensed greedy to waste upon themselves.

 

How can the speed limit remain unchanged for so many years when stopping distances have been massively improved. 70mph on an empty motorway in good conditions is frankly a joke.

Whats the accident rate like on deristricted sections of autobahn??

 

A tactic they employ on the 50mph section of the A66 on Teesside.......06 Black Focus ST Chavmobile.

By the way not always spotable as unmarked......two Skoda VRs and the latest a Ford 2.5 litre SMAX

 

I think the intention is to get the KSI down to zero, or at least become immaterial (which arguably it is now).

So improved stopping distances simply reduce the frequence and zeverity of accidents at 70 or less.

I seem to recall the accident rate on de-restricted autobhans is relatively low. The issue is the high severity which I think has been politically highlighted of late.

 

But people's driving hasn't improved, in fact it has deteriorated (as we all complain about on here) plus the population is getting older and therefore the average reflex times over the driving population has/will increase and therefore stopping distances won't have improved by that much.

There was a programme on the tv a few years back whereby it was proved that due to 'safer cars' with the advent of airbags, seatbelts, abs etc and the fact that cars are quiter and smoother people felt very safe driving which meant their driving style had become a lot more 'casual' which in turn caused people to become flippant about driving, and the fact that cars now had an array of ICE, mobile phones and sat nav to break a drivers concerntration from the road leads to increasing the chances of driving with undue care like speeding, poor observation etc.

It was suggested by one professor that take away seat belts and airbags and stick a 10" spike out of the centre of the steering wheel would actually improve a drivers concerntration and driving habit which in turn would improve road safety.