Speed Limiting Cars

[Canary_Yellow]

I am totally against mandatory limiting of vehicle speeds, just as I am against the blanket application of the 20 limit. I also think the NSL should be raised to 80 instead of 70.
The case you are talking about, is very upsetting for the family and those involved, but we are talking about a drunk driver and whilst the speed is very excessive, I doubt the horrible outcome would be any different if the car had been doing 50.
Also, how many normal cars can do 140.?
I have owned quite a few “normal” cars, and none could even get close to 140 even on a 10 mile straight downhill and downwind.

Unless I'm reading it incorrectly, the car he crashed into wasn't stationary. If that's right, had he been doing 50, its very unlikely any serious injuries would have occurred.

Volvo, which are often the first to adopt safety measures, have limited all their new cars to 112 mph since 2020.

 

[Robster59]

Looking at the reporting on this case, the holiday had been cut short after his wife had already left earlier. It sounds like this guy has a serious drinking problem. An empty bottle of vodka was found in the car.
You can't stop people behaving like that, but limiting the speed that they can do in a car, and particularly hire cars, could reduce the potential of incidents such as this.
And here's a thought. All hire companies carry out a mandatory alcohol breath test at airports to prevent people taking out a hire car when they are over the limit.

 

[Hobbit]

Looking at the reporting on this case, the holiday had been cut short after his wife had already left earlier. It sounds like this guy has a serious drinking problem. An empty bottle of vodka was found in the car.
You can't stop people behaving like that, but limiting the speed that they can do in a car, and particularly hire cars, could reduce the potential of incidents such as this.
And here's a thought. All hire companies carry out a mandatory alcohol breath test at airports to prevent people taking out a hire car when they are over the limit.

Company vehicles in Germany are fitted with interlocks. As you get into the car you breathe into a tube/breathalyser. If it detects too much alcohol it locks out the car from starting for a period of time. Why can’t every car have an interlock?

 

[srixon 1]

I have a 2024 plate Mazda on loan whilst my car is awaiting a part. If you go over the indicated speed limit by as much as 1 mph you get a binging noise for about 5 seconds or until the speed becomes lower than the limit. This can’t be disabled. To say it’s annoying is an understatement.

 

[SocketRocket]

My car has a limiter but I have to set it. A camera picks up speed signs and displays them on the dash, I then can toggle the max speed to match it. I find this very useful, especially in built up areas so that I can keep within speed limits and hopefully avoid speeding fines.

I would prefer an option that automatically controlled the max speed to the limit displayed as it can be easy to miss changes.

Simply limiting the maximum speed doesn't sound good to me as it would allow someone to drive at 70 in a 30 limit.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My car has a limiter but I have to set it. A camera picks up speed signs and displays them on the dash, I then can toggle the max speed to match it. I find this very useful, especially in built up areas so that I can keep within speed limits and hopefully avoid speeding fines.

I would prefer an option that automatically controlled the max speed to the limit displayed as it can be easy to miss changes.

Simply limiting the maximum speed doesn't sound good to me as it would allow someone to drive at 70 in a 30 limit.

Cinch had pre-set it prior to delivery so HID kept it on. She is finding it very useful and the speed limit comes on the dashboard and it has already been pre-set to 20, 30, 50 and national speed limit so it is defaulting to those speeds based on the information it is picking up

 

[Imurg]

Sad fact is that the majority don't really care about speed limits.....
They drive at the speed they want to drive at regardless of circumstances.
We nearly got taken out crossing the road between 9s at the club on Monday
An Aston, doing roughly 50 in a 30, came out of nowhere....I heard it before I saw it and stopped us crossing.
2 older guys had just crossed from the other side which has worse visibility - they wouldn't have seen it.
People don't care anymore.....
I'd have no problem with cars being limited to the speed limit....safer, more economical....if you need to get somewhere quicker - leave earlier.

 

[PJ87]

Sad fact is that the majority don't really care about speed limits.....
They drive at the speed they want to drive at regardless of circumstances.
We nearly got taken out crossing the road between 9s at the club on Monday
An Aston, doing roughly 50 in a 30, came out of nowhere....I heard it before I saw it and stopped us crossing.
2 older guys had just crossed from the other side which has worse visibility - they wouldn't have seen it.
People don't care anymore.....
I'd have no problem with cars being limited to the speed limit....safer, more economical....if you need to get somewhere quicker - leave earlier.

Was about to post something similar but not as well put so fully agree

It's almost like these 20 limits have been put in to just keep people nearer 30 than In a 30.

 

[Robster59]

I have a 2024 plate Mazda on loan whilst my car is awaiting a part. If you go over the indicated speed limit by as much as 1 mph you get a binging noise for about 5 seconds or until the speed becomes lower than the limit. This can’t be disabled. To say it’s annoying is an understatement.

Keep to the speed limit then.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Looking at the reporting on this case, the holiday had been cut short after his wife had already left earlier. It sounds like this guy has a serious drinking problem. An empty bottle of vodka was found in the car.
You can't stop people behaving like that, but limiting the speed that they can do in a car, and particularly hire cars, could reduce the potential of incidents such as this.
And here's a thought. All hire companies carry out a mandatory alcohol breath test at airports to prevent people taking out a hire car when they are over the limit.

That won’t though stop them drinking after when it’s hired etc

Interlocks when over the limit would be perfect and I can’t see why they can’t be installed in every car -

 

[Robster59]

The problem with modern cars is that you don't realise the speed you are doing. When I started driving, if you were doing 70 you knew it (Triumph Herald - at 70 you were pushing it). Now you can drift above the speed limit without even realising it. The cars are quieter, smoother and easier to drive. They are also a lot safer which gives people a feeling of invulnerability.

 

[srixon 1]

Keep to the speed limit then.

I do generally. It’s just annoying if you inadvertently go 1 mph over the limit and the alarm starts sounding.

 

[Alan Clifford]

Just reading the heartbreaking story of Karlene Warner (30) and Zackary Blades (8 months) who were killed by a drunk driver travelling 140mph whilst taking photos of himself, his speedo and anything else he thought interesting. I know we'll get calls of 'nanny state' etc with the introduction of speed limiters on cars however there is absolutely no reason that a car should have the ability to travel at that speed. I get the argument that sometimes needing additional speed (over taking for example) is needed however surely limiting a car to 85mph (for example) would be plenty above the existing motorway limit.

In the EU their Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) comes into force this week and whilst we are outside of these new laws I assume that the car manufacturers aren't going to make a model without this just for our market? That said from what I've read the ISA might not be the golden bullet as some of the options that the ISA can work could be overridden by the driver. Would appear that the only system that would work is one whereby the car loses power once the speed hits an agreed limit.

I would add that I am not against fast cars, I've had many powerful cars over the years with my previous having been a 500bhp Audi S4 however I don't see a reason why the speed that these things can reach should be available to members of the general public who have little/no training in driving at speed. Plus, even if they do, the limit is 70mph so a car that can go 140mph+ just isn't required.

When I hear a phrase such as "intelligent speed assist" rather than just "speed assist", I assume there is some dodgy alorithm in there that will cause problems just like the one in the Boing 737 max.

 

[Neilds]

I have a dial on my dashboard which shows how fast I am going. If I see a speed limit sign and it is lower than the speed on my dashboard I slow down until the speeds match. This is taking responsibility for my own actions and more people should do this sort of thing instead of trying to pass the buck and blame other people/lack of technology/etc

 

[Alan Clifford]

if you try to accelerate it won't allow it.

Boing 737 max pilots tried to pull the nose up but it wouldn't allow it.

 

[Robster59]

I do generally. It’s just annoying if you inadvertently go 1 mph over the limit and the alarm starts sounding.

Ah but then you have an alarm that tells you!
But I know what you mean. If I said I didn't drift over the limit occassionally, I would be lying.

 

[SocketRocket]

I have a dial on my dashboard which shows how fast I am going. If I see a speed limit sign and it is lower than the speed on my dashboard I slow down until the speeds match. This is taking responsibility for my own actions and more people should do this sort of thing instead of trying to pass the buck and blame other people/lack of technology/etc

Have you never been in a situation where you cannot see any speed limit signs so you have to uses what they are?

 

[PJ87]

I have a dial on my dashboard which shows how fast I am going. If I see a speed limit sign and it is lower than the speed on my dashboard I slow down until the speeds match. This is taking responsibility for my own actions and more people should do this sort of thing instead of trying to pass the buck and blame other people/lack of technology/etc

Problem is it doesn't work. Your attitude is perfect others isn't.

Unfortunately you have to factor for idiots.

 

[SocketRocket]

It's not just the speed
When I learned to drive, my dad drummed into me the 2 sec rule. These cars were all doing around 60

View attachment 54144

I guess you weren't driving when taking this picture?

 

[PJ87]

Have you never been in a situation where you cannot see any speed limit signs so you have to uses what they are?

Isn't this just use the highway code? If there is street lights with no repeater speed limits on them its 30 (apart from motorway)