Tomorrow, I am driving down from Lanarkshire to Stafford, and back up on Sunday. Approx 250 miles each way.
Although I got my new Scenic in July, I have yet to take it on a lengthy journey like this so was looking forward to a good "drive", seeing how the 6 gear box was on long journey etc etc. Will be going down A/M74 and then M6.
However, over the course of this week, I have spoken to 3 separate people who have all been done for speeding on these 2 motorways. All were doing less than 80 mph!
Now having, ahem, far exceeded that speed on previous journeys, especially where the M74 is 3 empty lanes wide and you can see about 2 miles ahead of you, I am now faced with probably not going in excess of 75mph!
Ok I know the speed limit is 70 but I always thought that a blind eye was turned to anything up to 80? Perhaps the traffic police (who?) do, but the vans on the bridges don't?
Bah Humbug!!!
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AFAIK your last para sums up the situation quite well...
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I've been told by an ex-traffic officer that they were told by their super, to only book those who exceed 10% of whatever the speed limit is for a given roadway.
But also if on a motorway depending on traffic flows they turn a blind eye to speeds in excess upto 85mph.
But if you were in a Robin three wheeler then they would down on you at 75mph but not if you had a new BMW, reasons are obivous.
But as you say its always been the assumption that for anilogue speedo's that a 10% error was allowed, but those white vans and those that hide behind bushes on the side of the motorway bridges out of view don't.
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Yeah, one of the guys got done for doing 76mph in a 70 zone.
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Went up the M1 to Harrogate from Watford last night, and back again in the early hours of the morning. I must have seen at least seven or eight people pulled over on the hard shoulder with police car behind. Usually I'd be lucky to see one. Maybe it's the time of year?
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There are speed cameras on some of the bridges - you only see them when you have gone under each one...:-)
In any case, doing a genuine 70mph isn't going to make that much difference timewise than if you were clocking 80mph.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Why belt it in a new car? The difference between 250 miles at 80 or 70 and a bit is negligible. Ease back a tad, save fuel, stress and wear, and watch the nutters in the fast lane trying to kill their kids by driving yards off the bumper in front.
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Well back now, stress free, although did see a major accident on the other carriageway on M74 coming home tonight.
Managed the whole trip on one tank. Overall fuel consumption was 44.9mpg at an average speed of 64 mph, door to door, inc some town driving today.
RF, how does that compare to the same engine in your Laguna?
Regarding police and vans on bridges, other than the accident, I saw one (yes ONE) police car the whole journey. It was pulling over a driver, presumably, for driving in thick fog with no lights on. This was 2 miles into my journey!
Re the roadworks at the Viaduct on M6, there are camera on the gantrys with orange sheets behind them. Presumably these are speed cameras and the orange sheets are to compy with rules on the cameras having to have reflectors similar to Gatsos? But these Oranage sheets are not reflective?
Another query, and I don't want to turn this into another speed thread, but would the guns that the vans normally use from the bridges work in the dark? Any time I have seen them on these police documentary progs, they seem to actually take a photo of the car with the speed imprinted. Don't thnk they could do this in the darkness with headlights facing them?
Oh, and I saw a CityRover!
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Can't answer too much but the Viaduct cameras are SPECS (which get your average speed Over a distance - 3 or 4 cameras).
They are testing mobile speed guns with night vision - not sure if they are in proper use yet.
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BobbyG - thats a tad disapointing. On a tank used in the Laguna, almost wholly on motorway miles, I have been getting Mid 50's.
Thats a high average speed ;)
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BobbyG,
Just had a chat with workmate who has a Scenic2 1.9dci and he says he can easily crank out low 50's on a motorway tankful. He gets low to mid 40's in suburban driving.
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mmm, quite disappointing. Wonder if its the fuel, low mileage, or what?
Family of 4 with luggage make that much difference?
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His has 18k miles up maybe its not run in?
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