Safe Speed Forums

Does anyone else find, that instead of the usual quick glance at the speedo to check approximate speed, (the reason analogue gauges survive the digital age, instant clear readings), the find themselves carefully refocussing and staring at the thing like a s**t chucking ape everytime they pass a scamera (at a supposed accident blackspot too)? I've caught myself doing this a couple of times recently.

I know this may have been discussed before... but searching "speedo" in this place would return a fair few threads...

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Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

In all honesty HB? No I can't say I have. I have made what I believe to be confirmatory glances down at the speedo, just to verify my speed, but I've not found myself transfixed to it.
Yet

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Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

Swiss ask around - especially if they know someone who has been "pinged", As they've said - it's a bit diffucult to get a "control group" when they find far too many say that

1. They make the odd glance to confirm and check on speed

2. They get a frequent admission that "they blipped over and eased off on these glances

3. They get an admission from 90% that they look at the speedo when approaching or passing a speed cam.

4. Of the ones thy know to have been pinged - they find 100% of these will speedo gawp to "make sure" when passing a scamera.

But short of a black box and constant monitoring of a couple of control groups under proper research scrutiny mode - we can only go off how people say they behave.


I think there is a page and Paul did start a discussion forum down in the Safespeed pages section. when he got a PR on this in "Autocar"

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

prof. breads thread in the members forum has just enlightened me- I've been doing this recently, since thinking I got pinged by a talivan!

So has it made me a better driver?

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Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

I'm trying to avoid looking at the speedo at all since with the Yaris's central "dashboard" you can just about make the speedo in the corner of your eye when driving. It's a strain to read it but I can just about make out the speed.

Good Morning, All!

I too found myself spending too much time obsessed with my speed and felt I was looking too much at my speedo. My livelihood depends on my ability to drive and I cannot afford to risk jeopardising this.

As a result I bought a cruise control indicator stalk (easy to fit to a modern car - though may need a parameter switching on the ECU) as I need only to reach my intended speed, click the button and I hold the speed - though care needs to be taken on long downhill sections that are too steep for the engine braking to prevent me accelerating. Quick and easy to release with a gentle tap on the clutch pedal if you need to 'ease up' as well.

I takes all the worry out of driving in these days of daft limits and OTT enforcement. Whilst I feel that my observation and hazard perception was adequate before, I do feel a net improvement due to keeping eyes on the road for a lot more of the time.

Things you have to do, eh?

I'm kind of ashamed to admit this here, but about 6 months ago I nearly went up the back end of someone who had broken down in the outside lane of the M42. Unfortunately they had managed to break down right at the end of a set of one of the gatso lines, and one that actually has a camera attached too. I wasn't purely concentrating on the speedo, but I wasn't looking far enough ahead to see beyond the lines, so by the time I saw them it was getting pretty hairy.

For bonus points, when I eventually spotted them and braked, I nearly got rear ended too, since the guy behind me had a similar lack of attention going on, fortunately there was space to my left so I eased off the brakes and we both went around the broken down car.

Earlier on I'd been doing a higher speed than the 65mph through the camera, and would have spotted them with plenty of time to spare, but in the run-up to the gatso, and through the gatso itself it was speedo and short range vision only.


Dont even get me started on SPECS zones. It's easily 10 times worse in those bloody things.

I'd love to fit cruise control to mine, but I'd need to get at least 4 separate parts shipped over from Japan, and I haven't managed to find the connector in the engine bay for the cruise control actuator

I personally don't agree with using cruise control as a means of sticking to the speed limit. My brother does this. But I don't think that ANY constant speed is correct in, for example, a built up area, where situations are changing constantly, and we must be ready to adjust accordingly.

Some cars (eg. Merc) have an optional speed limiter - set it, and the car cannot go above the preset speed. However, this violates DM's Rule 0 - taking control away from the driver.

A better system is what my Audi has - an audible warning which you can set as you drive. You simply arrive at the set speed and then a couple of button presses sets it up. I think it allows you to exceed the preset limit by up to 10% for short periods before beeping/flashing a warning. However, I don't use it.

I've seen that sort of system in a friend's Fiat Stilo.

I tend to use the cruise to maintain a maximum speed within the limit, but disable it and engine brake a lot of the time instead of easing up off the gas before. It took some practice, but I feel the result just as good as normal driving with the benefit of an additional safeguard of not blipping above the limit. I can see how this method wouldn't agree with some people who would keep the thing engaged and whip round bends too quickly, but legally, of course.

I think it's a case of do what suits you best in the war against the scammers!

Got caught out by that one once too, in a rental Honda Civic. I was coming back from Plymouth on the A38, and you know that bit where towards Plymouth it's a steep downhill, but on the way back it whips around the hill in question.

Yeah, heading into that at 75mph whilst piloting a large box made out of metal and understeer, not good.


Clearly the solution is to use cruise control on a Scooby, not a Civic

I've found that my periphal vision can switch between mirrors and speedo - but unless I spot a £££ hazard (van/cam/markings) I don't usually look directly at the speedo - and then I find I'm not far off(mind you I do flash brakes - to warn those behind of hazard ) - real hazards don't get a speedo check (only a lift off)- why waste time looking for speed -instead of legs /feet behind /underneath parked cars .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

i never use cruise control in a truck ever. in the car i only use it on open roads but i have to say that the galant has the most efficient cruise control i have ever come across. uphill, downhill, whatever its doing it never goes over or below the set speed. highly impressive. im hoping the new one is the same.

whether or not i watch the speedo depends on the circumstances. the scamera on the M9 at newbridge is at the bottom of a slope and if im pulling a heavy trailer the exhaust brake cant always prevent gravity doing what it does best so i have to watch to make sure i dont edge over the magic number of 50MPH. on normal flat roads a quick glance is normally sufficient to confirm i am not over the limit

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Richie

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unfortunately legs and feet under parked cars don't issue fines and points.

Most on here could manage without speedometers easily, but when we are going past scams, particularly those poxy specs I have to stare at my speedo to make sure I won't hurt anyone . I would prefer to look out of the window however.

It would be interesting to put those googles that look at where eyes are looking on a selection of drivers to acually see where they are looking instead of relying on anecdotes.

DieselMoment - which Audi do you have? Mine does that as well...

Have driven a few Mercs, the speed limiter isn't quite as facist as you might think. If you accelerate hard enough to activate the kickdown then it temporarily deactivates.

Going back to the original topic...

GATSO, Truvelo, Monitron/RedSpeed cameras - I find myself concentrating more on the speedo than the road ahead while I'm going through the camera, eyes keep flicking down to the speedo just to make sure. (Got 3 points still valid which expire in October.)

SPECS - easy for me, I just hit the cruise control. But in my last car (which didn't have it) they were a bloody nightmare.

unfortunately legs and feet under parked cars don't issue fines and points.

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And that's where today's road safety policy is failing. Some time ago , I started to see just how close to my speed /speedo indications I could get - and the results amazed me.But faced with a scam I tend to err on the low side .SPECS -an accident causing tool if ever one was invented -drivers staring at speedos instead of road -JUST HOW CAN THAT AID ROAD SAFETY ??

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on