http//tinyurl.com/2tz78h
Further comment superfluous, other than perhaps that they should practice what they preach!
{Indeed. But don't link to the "other place" as that annoys HJ !. Also a Subject correction.}
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 13/10/2007 at 21:59
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YEEhaw haw haw!
Evidently the North Wales plod drivers are practising what their leader preaches, and driving at such hypnotically slow and rigid speeds that they are losing concentration and driving up trees and into other vehicles.
HJ often warns of the danger of boredom and fidgety loss of concentration at the wheel, and so do I.
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I drive all over northern Europe and have to say I find it more dangerous driving in the UK at the NSL than driving at 120mph+ in other areas. At 120mph+ I am aware of how my car is handling, what is happening around me and what the conditions are -obviously I don't drive like this in a 6ft snow drift.
However, in the UK I find driving at 70mph quite dangerous due to HGV's driving not much slower and some vehicles driving much faster and also the fact speed cameras do not take into account the fact 70mph in a snow drift is not driving without due care and attention.
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However in the UK I find driving at 70mph quite dangerous due to HGV's driving not much slower and some vehicles driving much faster and also the fact speed cameras
do not take into account the fact 70mph in a snow drift is not driving without due care and attention.then factor in boredom, familiarity, dropping your guard because you've got too comfortable with what you're doing......which means you're not concentrating properly and you're not constantly updating what you see and adjusting your driving accordingly
which is why lane control in this country is now appalling......and why people drive at the same speed regardless of the conditions......and why no one can seemingly adjust their speed to the circumstances (inc putting their hoof down to pull out to overtake or join a slip road... or throttle off/brake to let someone else out)
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gmac refers to Autobahns and the like, where speed is unrestricted, in places. IIRC, N Wales has a shortage of Autobahns, but a surfeit of narrow, winding, hilly, wall bounded minor roads with many intersections. Over 50% of KSI in the UK occur on minor roads, whereas M-ways are considerably less risky (per mile) for obvious reasons. The hypothesis that driving within speed limits in N Wales causes more accidents is simply an affectation, and not founded in logic or fact, because the circumstances are entirely different.
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the point i'm making is that regardless of the road if you drive to the conditions (over or under a limit) then you'll make a much better job of it than driving to set limits
to adjust my post to a winding N.Wales road, that would mean taking account of wet leaves , farm muck, poor lighting, fog etc and if necessary slowing right down ... on the open bits with good vision then open up a bit
same principles apply, the interested aware driver will be constantly re-assessing the hazards and will be a better driver for it......the unaware 'stick rigidly to the limit' merchant will not.
which is why when you're in a rural area you come out of a 30mph limit, then a 40mph limit into a national and the car in front continues to do 40mph.......oblivious of the opened out road and better view, limited pedestrians etc,etc
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Becaaue the car in front isn't sure what the speed limit is (obscured signage etc), doesn't know where the cameras are and already has 6 points and other factors too!
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And then there is always the equation of Performance targets (time to respond to calls) probably set by some Metropolitan based chinless wonder putting pressure on Officers. Police can be a soft touch by Ambulance chasers as well, my local Force will pay out a settlement rather than go to Court shelling out on legal fees etc. Possibly in North Wales there is a Best Value approach to claims. They were graded by the HO as "excellent" in financial management in the recent HO assessments.
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Police can be a soft touch by Ambulance chasers as well my local Force will pay out a
settlement rather than go to Court shelling out on legal fees etc.... is a Best Value approach to claims. >>
the Met Police used to pay out a lot on the basis of Best Value.......they've changed their tune nowadays and there's been some high profile cases where they've successfully defended civil court actions....and it's beginning to pay dividends, as less people are now 'trying it on'
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I agree with the points you make Westpig. But our rural roads (Ribble Valley, and North Preston) with very few cameras or police presence, see an awful lot of undisciplined driving and riding (motorbikes) and consequent deaths. An answer might be to reassess driving tests and the idea that you only have to pass a formal test once. What I was getting at was the apparent linking of Brunstroms crash record with the speed limit issue: it might suit the agenda of some, to see a causative link, but I doubt there is!
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What I was getting at was the apparent linking of Brunstroms crash record with the speed limit issue: it might suit the agenda of some to see a causative link but I doubt there is!
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can't see that there is a link.....any police officer driving for 'police purposes' and who can justify it on each occasion, is exempt from the speed limit....
unless all the other drivers are hopelsssly unaware of their surroundings because of their constant search for the next speed camera...:-)
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I was impressed with the way my local Force dealt with a bump involving a client. Their parked car was hit by a Police car. The car was taken away and fixed within the week. On return the paint job was carp and without any hesitation it was taken to a different paint shop to be re-done. No argument, little paperwork all within two weeks.
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I wonder if the police's own accident rate is rising because they're spending too much time squinting at their speedometers..?
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Probably if NWP is like my local one they have data boxes in the cars that record a load of data including GPS position speed and suchlike, Bobbies tell me that they get challenged by Supervisors on "exceptions" (aka going like the clappers) so that may well be a problem.
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Probably if NWP is like my local one they have data boxes in the cars that record a load of data including GPS position speed and ..may well be a problem.
IDR = Incident data recorder......records the previous 30 seconds (from memory)
......any lights being used, sirens, speed etc
MDT = Mobile data terminal....used for doing computer checks and passing computer aided messages....but can also be used to track the vehicle....up to 24 hrs previously, shows it on a map and can give average speed etc
same principle as CCTV in the custody area.......if you've done nothing wrong it can help you out....however....if you're daft enough to do anything wrong, you're well in the mire, as it's all recorded.
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Work-related driver controls have used monitoring to detect good as well as deviant driving for some time: one device is the tachograph, and there are more sophisticated tools. Common thread is that with education, and regular attention, driver accident rate, fuel consumption etc can be improved markedly. This may not be welcome to the speed lobby, but being observed is a powerful sanction.
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I have misjudged Brunstrom. He is very sound on drugs having come out in favour of careful across-the-board decriminalisation, which as any fule kno is about a million times more intelligent than prohibition and the half-witted 'war on drugs' (I imagine the Mafia and its many friends in the US administration are doing all they can to keep it going). Alas, our new PM has bought this twaddle, or finds it expedient to pretend he has.
Tomorrow's papers will be full of alarmist carp about Brunstrom favouring machine-gun battles in the street and skunk weed turning your nice teenage son into a vegetable or the Incredible Hulk. Many here will take this as a further sign of Brunstrom's insanity, but I have just been listening to him being grilled on the wireless and he didn't put a foot wrong.
I guess the speed limit thing is just a bee in his bonnet. We all have them I suppose. I forgive him.
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Agree fully, Lud. Getting most this stuff off the street trade, will reduce support for terrorism, home-grown and international. Back to prescription supply, as it was before "moral outrage" fuelled the underworld growth.
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I heard him on PM tonight and he spoke well.
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PU without his Mod Hard Hat on !
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Agreed Lud. The current situation = US Prohibition making billions for the Taliban (aided by the British army), The Columbians, drug barons and jobs for the boys in Drug Squads etc..
Means driving under drugs easier to proove if under prescription -- to keep post motoring related)
madf
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nicely brought back on topic madf !
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"is about a million times more intelligent than prohibition"
Funny how that is bleeding obvious in relation to alcohol, but not to (other) drugs...
If I mention Bonnie & Clyde, will that qualify as motoring..?
Edited by J Bonington Jagworth on 15/10/2007 at 19:28
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He said exactly that ! (The interview's on Listen Again on R4) Let's get back on topic though.
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I would make Heroin freely available on the NHS - to registered users, of course. This would give a legitimate economic outlet for the Taliban's poppy harvest and provide the cash they so desperately need to bring economic prosperity and therefore peace. There is a worldwide shortage of diamorphine (polite for heroin) which the poppies could also solve. UK crime would drop. The abolition of prohibition of drugs would therefore reduce addicts' requirements for cash, and so reduce car crime - particularly really expensive irritating theft of stereos, briefcases and satnavs which also generate broken windows.
Given my views on prohibition, why then am I so anti the abolition of the prohibition of speeding.
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Given my views on prohibition why then am I so anti the abolition of the prohibition of speeding. lack of knowledge of the big picture?..........:-)
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