Who puts these people in charge?

[greenlake]

No need to worry. In a few years cars will read the speed limits and automatically limit the max speed.

Until then, some cars already allow you to set a speed limit, or to sound a warning at a certain speed....

[xoggoth]

The latest speed cameras are that accurate

Got any links for that? They are supposed to have a calibration certificate but can't seem to find any statement re minimum required accuracy in the UK. Some links from other countries, specific cases and this rather old link do suggest inaccuracies can occur and that they can be affected by weather.

Another factor, although not a legal one, is what risk speeding presents. The whole point of a law is to serve a purpose, in this case to balance safety against needs of the economy. If somebody is exceeding the speed limit on a busy high street or outside a school during or near school hours, enforcement should be strict. If somebody is speeding at 3am in the morning I don't see a need for such strict enforcement. Police should use discretion.

[Lance]

and by the way most road deaths are caused by poor road design,

Citation needed.

[NotAllThere]

Another factor, although not a legal one, is what risk speeding presents.

Sensible drivers drive to the conditions. For them, speed limits are not required. Stupid drivers don't drive to the conditions, for them speed limits (and the enforcement of them) are necessary. Guess which you get more of on the roads?

So no - you, being a sensible driver, do not increase road risk by driving above the limit.

Are speed cameras used for revenue. Probably, but that's still no reason to complain. Don't pay the fine, stick to the limit. You know the limit, you know if you're caught exceeding it you'll get fined and points, and it is not difficult to stick to the limit. So stop whining!

Mind you, it's easier for me. I live in a civilised country where you can have as many 40 and 120 CHF fines as you like - no points! So far (after 15 years here) I've had two at 40 and one at 120 CHF.

[darmstadt]

Mind you, it's easier for me. I live in a civilised country where you can have as many 40 and 120 CHF fines as you like - no points! So far (after 15 years here) I've had two at 40 and one at 120 CHF.

Wasn't you then: BBC News - Switzerland millionaire hit by record speed fine

[vetran]

If he said we will reduce the leeway and this will lead to a reduction in accidents by X% or I will resign then I would appreciate it.

now if he were already on top of these then he wouldn't look so feckin stupid.

Number of motorists caught driving while banned rises - BBC News

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/mot...use-behind-th/

[shaunbhoy]

Mind you, it's easier for me. I live in a civilised country where you can have as many 40 and 120 CHF fines as you like - no points! So far (after 15 years here) I've had two at 40 and one at 120 CHF.

So you are a serial offender then.

Tsk tsk!!

[northernladyuk]

Britain's Road policing chief has called for motorists to be penalised for going 1mph over the speed limit.

Motorists should be penalised for going just 1mph over the speed limit, Britain’s road policing chief says

1 mph over 70 mph is 1.4%. Does it not occur to him that speedometers, and probably speed cameras, may not be that accurate? This could result in huge numbers of motorists who intended to keep to the speed limit being penalised and, possibly, huge numbers who actually did being penalised as well! Another problem is that most speed indicators are dial types and a quick glance might not be enough to ensure you are observing the limit. Drivers nervously checking their speedometers constantly are likely to have more accidents, not less.

Maybe he thinks we should spend umpteen billions upgrading all cars and speed cameras to the required visibility and accuracy and millions more every year doing checks on them! He's probably a Corybn supporter. Magic money tree.

There is going to be a cut off, whether it's 70 mph, 77 mph, or 80 mph, and if you go 1 mph over the cut off, you'll be nicked. So you either rely exactly on your speedometer or leave a bit of a margin. What's the issue?

[CoolCat]

There is going to be a cut off, whether it's 70 mph, 77 mph, or 80 mph, and if you go 1 mph over the cut off, you'll be nicked. So you either rely exactly on your speedometer or leave a bit of a margin. What's the issue?

the issue is the roads should be policed according to real scientific evidence, and not lefty social manipulation prejudices, unsafe driving needs more attention and aderance to an arbitary speed limit assigned by politicians (and not advanced drivers who would have a proper clue of what is optimum) is a waste, the issue is policing resources could be better used for better net benefit to society including road death reduction.

the issue is far too much persecution of drivers, and far too little peer review of the road designers, and speed limit setters, etc

the issue is the simplistic speed kills nonsense, and the obvious fashions in the public sector driven by virtue signalling

as I say abd.org.uk are mostly correct on all of this, have a read of their web site

driving at a speed below the posted limit can be dangerous in very bad weather, and thats when most accidents happen, but nobody ever gets done for speeding during such times as the traffic police are rushing from one accident to another and the automatic cameras will not trigger as what is dangerous is below the posted limit

as I said before we live in a country prosecuting people for pulling through a red light to allow an ambulance on blue lights behind them through, when it is perfectly safe to do so, we have allowed mad men to set the rules

[NotAllThere]

Wasn't you then: BBC News - Switzerland millionaire hit by record speed fine

No. Nice you think I'm a millionaire.

So you are a serial offender then.

Tsk tsk!!

The lower fines were me being a little too heavy on the accelerator. The higher one was missing a speed limit. In both cases - my fault. It's my responsibility as a driver to abide by the rules of the road, no matter how "unfair" or how much the authorities are out to persecute road users.

After the level you get 120CHF fines, the next is 250CHF for first offence, and it goes in "the book". After that it gets quite serious.

...an arbitary speed limit assigned by politicians (and not advanced drivers who would have a proper clue of what is optimum)

What makes you think the speed limits are arbitary or assigned by politicians? Hint: in the vast majority of cases, they're not. But you're obviously a more qualified expert, so you know better.