Sounds like you have a heavy car with electronic control. Mind if I have pole position at the lights so I can be away and gone and leave you with your ESP, ABS, ETC and EDC to contend with?;-)
Bahahaha! I've got a Subaru Forester 2.5 turbo, with a 270bhp prodrive upgrade. No traction control, limited slip diffs, 1250kg wet weight.
Rarely? I have never gone to the max on leaving traffic lights, or ever put my foot to the floor at any time, in fact, in either of our cars. For much the same reasons as you, plus of course, in a fast car, it's highly dangerous and usually illegal. My wife's is limited to 150mph, in the interests of road safety:D
The only time on a public road I'll really given my car some beans from standstill to get to speed is pulling off from a parking area on a fast dual carriageway like the A34.
My subjective impression is that a lot more people now drive on or below speed limits than in the past.
I think you're right, around here there are plenty of mobile speed cameras around as well as fixed speed cameras and I would say over 50% of our office has had some sort of speeding conviction and it does alter your mindset.
Tell you what, I'll be a gentleman and let you go first. Don't let me down now!
It's no bother, as I say, I rarely let it loose, and never to the max. The only time I think I've come close to the foot on the floor was heavily loaded driving up the Col D'isere, and about 8500ft. You're losing a bit of power at that height, and I had a coach to overtake before the next hairpin.
Thanks for the many supportive posts, guys. I really appreciate it.
"Supportive posts"? Blimey.
Anyway, I have a satnav in my car and use its GPS speedo instead of the dash one. There's < 10% in it, though so it doesn't make much difference. I'm also comfortable with creeping over the limit slightly if I need to make progress (32 in a 30, ~43 in a 40 etc.).
In a lot of places, it's unofficial policy to set limits low because they know people will exceed them anyway. That's why there's now such a clamour for 20mph zones, because people will still go at 25 or thereabouts anyway.
Anyway, I have a satnav in my car and use its GPS speedo instead of the dash one. There's < 10% in it, though so it doesn't make much difference. I'm also comfortable with creeping over the limit slightly if I need to make progress (32 in a 30, ~43 in a 40 etc.).
In a lot of places, it's unofficial policy to set limits low because they know people will exceed them anyway. That's why there's now such a clamour for 20mph zones, because people will still go at 25 or thereabouts anyway.
That all being very true, I daresay you're OK with people who want to drive at 30 in a 30 limit... but like me, you might be slightly less tolerant of those that drive at 25 with no good reason. There's just no excuse for holding up traffic, you wouldn't pass a driving test if you don't drive at a reasonable pace. 'Failure to make sufficient progress' they say on the form. Once again, I'll say that it's good to slow down where you've got cars parked on both sides and it's narrow, school entrances at times when they are being used, and similar. I'm certainly not someone who sits at the exact speed limit of the road regardless of driving conditions, hooting at all and sundry who don't do that. I just have a life to lead, things to do, and driving too slowly doesn't get them done.
A car speedo' is supposed to be accurate to within 10%.
It's possible that BB's speedo' is within spec' throughout it's range but if it IS reading more than 3mph high at a true 30mph it is outside the legal requirements and, what's more, if it's reading 5mph high at 30mph, I'd be very worried about how inaccurate it might be at 70mph.
After all, for a speedo' to have borderline accuracy at 30mph but then not get any worse at higher speeds would require for there to be a non-linear error, which seems rather unlikely.
It's possible but it IS unlikely.
Personally, I've always found that there's very little discrepancy between a GPS and a speedo' at 30mph and it's only once you get up to around 50mph that any difference becomes truly noticeable.
I don't have a problem with people sticking to the limit. I have a problem with those who consistently drive about 10-20mph below it everywhere and end up causing tailbacks and congestion.
Or the 'one speed' drivers who'll drive at say 40mph everywhere regardless of the limit.
I strongly suggest Soundbox is on the wind-up, or has a poor understanding of physics and car electronics. A 44Bhp 80's Skoda ain't going nowhere compared to a modern car.
If he's beating people away from the lights, its because they're too busy texting.
I strongly suggest Soundbox is on the wind-up, or has a poor understanding of physics and car electronics. A 44Bhp 80's Skoda ain't going nowhere compared to a modern car.
If he's beating people away from the lights, its because they're too busy texting.
Or perhaps they're parked, and walking round the town.
A car speedo' is supposed to be accurate to within 10%.
It's possible that BB's speedo' is within spec' throughout it's range but if it IS reading more than 3mph high at a true 30mph it is outside the legal requirements and, what's more, if it's reading 5mph high at 30mph, I'd be very worried about how inaccurate it might be at 70mph.
After all, for a speedo' to have borderline accuracy at 30mph but then not get any worse at higher speeds would require for there to be a non-linear error, which seems rather unlikely.
It's possible but it IS unlikely.
Personally, I've always found that there's very little discrepancy between a GPS and a speedo' at 30mph and it's only once you get up to around 50mph that any difference becomes truly noticeable.
But of course, you shouldn't drive to what you think is your true speed unless you have checked your speedo for accuracy at (at least) 30mph and say 70mph, occasionally re-check it, and maintain tyre pressures at whatever they were when you checked your true speed.
My digital speedo whenever I have checked it comes out very close to an over-read of 5%, which logically is about what the manufacturer would calibrate it at, to maximise the chance of staying within the legal range of 0% to +10% of true.
In practice this means only a 1-2mph over-read at 30, and 3-4 mph at 70, for most cars most of the time. So when conditions are suitable, and knowing my car, I drive at an indicated 32 to 35 mph or 73 to 77 on motorways (my enthusiasm does sometimes run away, not to mention my ever-present desire not to annoy my fellow motorists... !). The benefits of driving faster than those speeds are small and the risk of getting caught rapidly increases beyond those speed ranges I mentioned, so I don't do it even when conditions allow.
I strongly suggest Soundbox is on the wind-up, or has a poor understanding of physics and car electronics. A 44Bhp 80's Skoda ain't going nowhere compared to a modern car.
If he's beating people away from the lights, its because they're too busy texting.
Thanks for the laugh - I needed it!
Well if modern cars truly are quicker than my old car why do I leave them all behind at the lights and junctions without even trying? I took a young Skoda rep out last year when I called at the dealers to try out the Fabia VRS - he was amazed at the way it went. My Mum who is in her 70's and also drives a Skoda from the mid 80's also comments how slow other traffic seems and how she leaves it behind at the lights.
There's nothing wrong with sticking to the speed limit.
The problem arises when theres a stretch of road for say, 10 miles. The first 5 is 30mph, and the last 5 is 60. You get these awful drivers who dont dare touch down on their pedal and stick at 30 because they are too nervous to go above that. If you're that type of driver - get off the road. You shouldn't be allowed to drive.
Going under the speed limit by so much is just as dangerous and going over it.
Well if modern cars truly are quicker than my old car why do I leave them all behind at the lights and junctions without even trying? I took a young Skoda rep out last year when I called at the dealers to try out the Fabia VRS - he was amazed at the way it went. My Mum who is in her 70's and also drives a Skoda from the mid 80's also comments how slow other traffic seems and how she leaves it behind at the lights.
As it's so under-powered it will have very high gear ratios which means you'll get to high revs very quickly in first and second but run out of steam over 30. Ideal for around town.
There's nothing wrong with sticking to the speed limit.
The problem arises when theres a stretch of road for say, 10 miles. The first 5 is 30mph, and the last 5 is 60. You get these awful drivers who dont dare touch down on their pedal and stick at 30 because they are too nervous to go above that. If you're that type of driver - get off the road. You shouldn't be allowed to drive.
Going under the speed limit by so much is just as dangerous and going over it.
Not when conditions dictate a lower speed. For example, poor weather or road surfaces, unfamiliar territory with junctions, many housing estate roads with a 30 mph limit that's patently unsafe, or even a sudden mechanical problem that other drivers won't be aware of (I once got stuck in 2nd gear and chose to drive home like that - carefully and pulling over from time to time!)
But I agree about those who wilfully ignore speed limits altogether without good reason.
Not when conditions dictate a lower speed. For example, poor weather or road surfaces, unfamiliar territory with junctions, many housing estate roads with a 30 mph limit that's patently unsafe. But I agree about those who ignore speed limits altogether without good reason.
Oh of course. I completely understand that. If it's icy I'll absolutely slow down too!
I was referring to the people who just don't feel comfortable driving over a certain speed no matter what the weather - they just won't speed up at all. That's ridiculous. It's dangerous!
As it's so under-powered it will have very high gear ratios which means you'll get to high revs very quickly in first and second but run out of steam over 30. Ideal for around town.
Yes, low gears until a 'normal' third then that is good for 65, fourth goes up to 85/90 and the tall 5th means I can sit at 70 with under 3000 RPM showing. Not bad for a 1 litre car from the 80's. It certainly won't be seen holding any driver up unnecessarily anyway.
Yes, low gears until a 'normal' third then that is good for 65, fourth goes up to 85/90 and the tall 5th means I can sit at 70 with under 3000 RPM showing. Not bad for a 1 litre car from the 80's. It certainly won't be seen holding any driver up unnecessarily anyway.
Yes they got the ratios right for that motor, modern cars will be geared more for economy, their first being more like your second (can't find the figures but you get the drift).
Not sure why people question what you're saying about getting away quicker.
Yes they got the ratios right for that motor, modern cars will be geared more for economy, their first being more like your second (can't find the figures but you get the drift).
Not sure why people question what you're saying about getting away quicker.
When I drive my Dads 1.4 VW Polo both he and I struggle to get away and up to speed half as well as my old Estelle. Despite having 100 BHP it is sluggish until the revs are way up and that sort of driving is not suitable for around town. I just take swift and effortless getaways as standard - but not many cars offer that sadly. On roads with lots of lights and roundabouts I really start to notice the inherent slowness of the cars around me.
When I drive my Dads 1.4 VW Polo both he and I struggle to get away and up to speed half as well as my old Estelle. Despite having 100 BHP it is sluggish until the revs are way up and that sort of driving is not suitable for around town. I just take swift and effortless getaways as standard - but not many cars offer that sadly. On roads with lots of lights and roundabouts I really start to notice the inherent slowness of the cars around me.
Many cars with power around that level, achieved with a turbocharger, will suffer from 'turbo lag' when pulling away. Next generation will have ERS of some kind to fill that (can be quite dangerous) lag in the power curve, hopefully.
Well if modern cars truly are quicker than my old car why do I leave them all behind at the lights and junctionswithout even trying? I took a young Skoda rep out last year when I called at the dealers to try out the Fabia VRS - he was amazed at the way it went. My Mum who is in her 70's and also drives a Skoda from the mid 80's also comments how slow other traffic seems and how she leaves it behind at the lights.
BiB
Because you drive like a prat and floor it (without even knowing that's what you're doing)?
Because other drivers have no desire to race off the lights as they're not teenagers driving their first car anymore?
Because you're lying, or more likely, exaggerating, because it's highly unlikely that you leave EVERY car for dust, so only remember the few that are left 'standing' as you race away with a gleeful smile on your face?
Oh, and your mum is obviously also a petrol head too. Bloomin' hoons!!
ETA: or it could be your gear ratios having summat to do with it.
BiB
Because you drive like a prat and floor it (without even knowing that's what you're doing)?
Because other drivers have no desire to race off the lights as they're not teenagers driving their first car anymore?
Because you're lying, or more likely, exaggerating, because it's highly unlikely that you leave EVERY car for dust, so only remember the few that are left 'standing' as you race away with a gleeful smile on your face?
Oh, and your mum is obviously also a petrol head too. Bloomin' hoons!!
ETA: or it could be your gear ratios having summat to do with it.
I'm not saying any more on the matter because it is not my thread however my car only goes as well as it does because I take care of it and not thrash it. I just press the accelerator and 'go' at a normal speed. Come on, my 0-60 is 23 seconds so what does that say for the other cars when I still drop them easily with no effort?:p As I said I don't really mind what other cars do, just that I notice that they are all quite a bit slower than the roads can take (and the speed limit). Sure, I get overtaken, but only by the overtakers exceeding the speed limit. Keep a look out for me and see - I'm in the 1 litre hearing aid beige Skoda on the '88 E plate.
I always stick strictly to the legal speed limit, and a stretch of road I traverse, has a 30mph limit. It's semi rural, and they reduced the limit to 30 because there are houses on one side.
Anyway, I'm getting a lot of abuse from other road users when there is traffic coming in the opposite direction and they can't overtake. Often they will be closely tailgating me, and equally often pip their horn to try and get me to speed up. Tonight was especially bad, because of the stream of traffic coming the other way, and when a break in the traffic occurred, several motorists went past making obscene gestures (like the d*** head one) or turning round obviously mouthing obscenities.
What's everybody else's take on this? Am I wrong to stick strictly to the limit, or should I bomb down that road at a much higher speed the way I've seen many others do?
Stuff those behind you. If they're too impatient then that is their problem, not yours. If they tailgate then gradually reduce your speed by a small amount to increase your own safety, make it easier for them to pass, and make it clear to them that you will not be speeding up.
Yeah I've done this before now. I always stick to the speed limits and if that annoys people tough. Although I drive an electric so I often confuse them by being very quick at going from a standing stop to 30mph
Saying that, there is a stretch of road locally that is NSL and has 40mph zone before and after it, it has the odd expensive house with a long driveway and farm along it. So it's very annoying when drivers who don't know the area get confused and cover the whole stretch at 40mph...!
Comments
Bahahaha! I've got a Subaru Forester 2.5 turbo, with a 270bhp prodrive upgrade. No traction control, limited slip diffs, 1250kg wet weight.
The only time on a public road I'll really given my car some beans from standstill to get to speed is pulling off from a parking area on a fast dual carriageway like the A34.
I think you're right, around here there are plenty of mobile speed cameras around as well as fixed speed cameras and I would say over 50% of our office has had some sort of speeding conviction and it does alter your mindset.
Tell you what, I'll be a gentleman and let you go first. Don't let me down now!
It's no bother, as I say, I rarely let it loose, and never to the max. The only time I think I've come close to the foot on the floor was heavily loaded driving up the Col D'isere, and about 8500ft. You're losing a bit of power at that height, and I had a coach to overtake before the next hairpin.
Anyway, I have a satnav in my car and use its GPS speedo instead of the dash one. There's < 10% in it, though so it doesn't make much difference. I'm also comfortable with creeping over the limit slightly if I need to make progress (32 in a 30, ~43 in a 40 etc.).
In a lot of places, it's unofficial policy to set limits low because they know people will exceed them anyway. That's why there's now such a clamour for 20mph zones, because people will still go at 25 or thereabouts anyway.
That all being very true, I daresay you're OK with people who want to drive at 30 in a 30 limit... but like me, you might be slightly less tolerant of those that drive at 25 with no good reason. There's just no excuse for holding up traffic, you wouldn't pass a driving test if you don't drive at a reasonable pace. 'Failure to make sufficient progress' they say on the form. Once again, I'll say that it's good to slow down where you've got cars parked on both sides and it's narrow, school entrances at times when they are being used, and similar. I'm certainly not someone who sits at the exact speed limit of the road regardless of driving conditions, hooting at all and sundry who don't do that. I just have a life to lead, things to do, and driving too slowly doesn't get them done.
A car speedo' is supposed to be accurate to within 10%.
It's possible that BB's speedo' is within spec' throughout it's range but if it IS reading more than 3mph high at a true 30mph it is outside the legal requirements and, what's more, if it's reading 5mph high at 30mph, I'd be very worried about how inaccurate it might be at 70mph.
After all, for a speedo' to have borderline accuracy at 30mph but then not get any worse at higher speeds would require for there to be a non-linear error, which seems rather unlikely.
It's possible but it IS unlikely.
Personally, I've always found that there's very little discrepancy between a GPS and a speedo' at 30mph and it's only once you get up to around 50mph that any difference becomes truly noticeable.
Or the 'one speed' drivers who'll drive at say 40mph everywhere regardless of the limit.
And yes, I realise it's a limit not a goal....
If he's beating people away from the lights, its because they're too busy texting.
Or perhaps they're parked, and walking round the town.
But of course, you shouldn't drive to what you think is your true speed unless you have checked your speedo for accuracy at (at least) 30mph and say 70mph, occasionally re-check it, and maintain tyre pressures at whatever they were when you checked your true speed.
My digital speedo whenever I have checked it comes out very close to an over-read of 5%, which logically is about what the manufacturer would calibrate it at, to maximise the chance of staying within the legal range of 0% to +10% of true.
In practice this means only a 1-2mph over-read at 30, and 3-4 mph at 70, for most cars most of the time. So when conditions are suitable, and knowing my car, I drive at an indicated 32 to 35 mph or 73 to 77 on motorways (my enthusiasm does sometimes run away, not to mention my ever-present desire not to annoy my fellow motorists... !). The benefits of driving faster than those speeds are small and the risk of getting caught rapidly increases beyond those speed ranges I mentioned, so I don't do it even when conditions allow.
Thanks for the laugh - I needed it!
Well if modern cars truly are quicker than my old car why do I leave them all behind at the lights and junctions without even trying? I took a young Skoda rep out last year when I called at the dealers to try out the Fabia VRS - he was amazed at the way it went. My Mum who is in her 70's and also drives a Skoda from the mid 80's also comments how slow other traffic seems and how she leaves it behind at the lights.
The problem arises when theres a stretch of road for say, 10 miles. The first 5 is 30mph, and the last 5 is 60. You get these awful drivers who dont dare touch down on their pedal and stick at 30 because they are too nervous to go above that. If you're that type of driver - get off the road. You shouldn't be allowed to drive.
Going under the speed limit by so much is just as dangerous and going over it.
As it's so under-powered it will have very high gear ratios which means you'll get to high revs very quickly in first and second but run out of steam over 30. Ideal for around town.
Not when conditions dictate a lower speed. For example, poor weather or road surfaces, unfamiliar territory with junctions, many housing estate roads with a 30 mph limit that's patently unsafe, or even a sudden mechanical problem that other drivers won't be aware of (I once got stuck in 2nd gear and chose to drive home like that - carefully and pulling over from time to time!)
But I agree about those who wilfully ignore speed limits altogether without good reason.
Oh of course. I completely understand that. If it's icy I'll absolutely slow down too!
I was referring to the people who just don't feel comfortable driving over a certain speed no matter what the weather - they just won't speed up at all. That's ridiculous. It's dangerous!
Yes, low gears until a 'normal' third then that is good for 65, fourth goes up to 85/90 and the tall 5th means I can sit at 70 with under 3000 RPM showing. Not bad for a 1 litre car from the 80's. It certainly won't be seen holding any driver up unnecessarily anyway.
Yes they got the ratios right for that motor, modern cars will be geared more for economy, their first being more like your second (can't find the figures but you get the drift).
Not sure why people question what you're saying about getting away quicker.
When I drive my Dads 1.4 VW Polo both he and I struggle to get away and up to speed half as well as my old Estelle. Despite having 100 BHP it is sluggish until the revs are way up and that sort of driving is not suitable for around town. I just take swift and effortless getaways as standard - but not many cars offer that sadly. On roads with lots of lights and roundabouts I really start to notice the inherent slowness of the cars around me.
Because you drive like a prat and floor it (without even knowing that's what you're doing)?
Because other drivers have no desire to race off the lights as they're not teenagers driving their first car anymore?
Because you're lying, or more likely, exaggerating, because it's highly unlikely that you leave EVERY car for dust, so only remember the few that are left 'standing' as you race away with a gleeful smile on your face?
Oh, and your mum is obviously also a petrol head too. Bloomin' hoons!!
ETA: or it could be your gear ratios having summat to do with it.
I'm not saying any more on the matter because it is not my thread however my car only goes as well as it does because I take care of it and not thrash it. I just press the accelerator and 'go' at a normal speed. Come on, my 0-60 is 23 seconds so what does that say for the other cars when I still drop them easily with no effort?:p As I said I don't really mind what other cars do, just that I notice that they are all quite a bit slower than the roads can take (and the speed limit). Sure, I get overtaken, but only by the overtakers exceeding the speed limit. Keep a look out for me and see - I'm in the 1 litre hearing aid beige Skoda on the '88 E plate.
Yeah I've done this before now. I always stick to the speed limits and if that annoys people tough. Although I drive an electric so I often confuse them by being very quick at going from a standing stop to 30mph
Saying that, there is a stretch of road locally that is NSL and has 40mph zone before and after it, it has the odd expensive house with a long driveway and farm along it. So it's very annoying when drivers who don't know the area get confused and cover the whole stretch at 40mph...!