A word of caution about speed...

[Edward]

It was bound to happen; got pulled over for speeding and am awaiting a court decision on the length of my driving ban. My 27kmh speeding over (18mph) on a 80kmh road in the mountains (50mph) will probably net me 1 to 2 months off the road. Switzerland is very strict.

As an American, I see beautiful videos like this of driving through the Susten Pass, and I assume sports car owners aren't driving at 80 km/h!

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[RingoDingo]

Funny you say that ... after having driven a 911, Boxster, and Taycan for years at "extra-legal" speeds around Austin, I finally got caught speeding on the SH-45 tollway. 101 MPH (162 km/h) in a 75 MPH (120 km/h) zone. Too fast to do defensive driving / traffic school to dismiss the ticket, so the case is with a traffic lawyer now.

You need to take that kind of speed to SH130, which I believe is still the highest posted rate in the US at 85MPH. I haven’t driven it in a while now, but when it first opened 10 years ago you could go 130 no problem without a cop in sight. Of course it takes you way out of your way most likely…

 

[Edward]

Of course it takes you way out of your way most likely…

130 MPH (209 km/h) on SH-130 is a good way to warm up the tires on the way to a track day at Circuit of the Americas.

 

[tutis]

As an American, I see beautiful videos like this of driving through the Susten Pass, and I assume sports car owners aren't driving at 80 km/h!

nearly every weekend there are supercar clubs going out in the mountains and having a blast.
Some resort to having an absolute max speed of 100kmh so as to only have a fine if they get caught, while others have a scout in regular car go ahead check for speed trap and police, send a message to the WhatsApp group with the all clear and then the sport cars come in but still with some restraint on speed. Then they stop for coffee/photos, for 10 minutes and the scout goes ahead again.
It works fine like this but doesn’t do anything if you’re casually driving home through the mountains

 

[Fish Fingers]

Yeah, I got a camera ticket in central London last year. 4 mph over. Bloody annoying!

My last speed camera ticket was in Chester for 32mph in a 30 zone!

I had to do a 1 day speed awareness course for that.

 

[BigBob]

My last speed camera ticket was in Chester for 32mph in a 30 zone!

I had to do a 1 day speed awareness course for that.

That is harsh. I thought the cameras were generally set to 110% of speed limit i.e. 33 mph. I know they reckon car and camera speedos are super accurate now so no need for some flexibility in law, but even so.

A policeman wouldn't even look at you for doing that, let alone stop you and tell you off, let alone give you a ticket. I guess it's a tax and a pain in the arse.

I'd echo earlier comment. Have waze on the whole time, even on familiar routes.

 

[SteveGTS]

My last speed camera ticket was in Chester for 32mph in a 30 zone!

I had to do a 1 day speed awareness course for that.

In London it's about to get a lot stricter, our local council are trailing their own speed cameras to make more money, I mean improve road safety. No penalty points just a fine. The trial will be declared a success and rolled out across London.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-63322848

 

[TAYC4S]

Harsh, I’m not even sure we have police in Austin TX anymore. Not policing traffic speeds anyway.

Definitely time to move and to there then!

 

[mcr21]

In London it's about to get a lot stricter, our local council are trailing their own speed cameras to make more money, I mean improve road safety. No penalty points just a fine. The trial will be declared a success and rolled out across London.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-63322848

Yes, even more enforcement is what we need in London. Perhaps next up is supermarkets setting up speed cameras on their parking lots?

 

[Fish Fingers]

That is harsh. I thought the cameras were generally set to 110% of speed limit i.e. 33 mph. I know they reckon car and camera speedos are super accurate now so no need for some flexibility in law, but even so.

A policeman wouldn't even look at you for doing that, let alone stop you and tell you off, let alone give you a ticket. I guess it's a tax and a pain in the arse.

I'd echo earlier comment. Have waze on the whole time, even on familiar routes.

Tolerances are at the discretion of the Police Force.

The recommended level is 10%+2mph. So 35 in a 30.
But it's voluntary and they vary them.

The camera I got caught on is the most profitable in Cheshire and about 10th in the UK.
When I did the speed awareness course (which was ok tbh) about half the people had been pinged by that one camera.

 

[philbur]

it sounds like the speed limit is being enforced as the max speed - very little wiggle room.. but drivers look at it as the driving speed. If someone is not driving at the posted speed people get frustrated\angry. So we really have a social dilemma. In the Seattle area you can always drive 5-10mph over with no major risks - every single road too! There are areas at one of our bridges where there is ongoing construction and its posted 40.. people do 60-70 as the brige is a 60 zone. No laws out here!! :/ but driving is a god given right in amerika!

 

[mystermykee]

I feel safer going 95mph, staying in my lane, on a wide open freeway than someone driving 60mph while looking at their phone. I always think about that talking point if I get pulled over, but I'm sure it's a no win..."the law is the law."

 

[Hirschaj]

Funny you say that ... after having driven a 911, Boxster, and Taycan for years at "extra-legal" speeds around Austin, I finally got caught speeding on the SH-45 tollway. 101 MPH (162 km/h) in a 75 MPH (120 km/h) zone. Too fast to do defensive driving / traffic school to dismiss the ticket, so the case is with a traffic lawyer now.

Man, sorry to hear that. I come across a cop maybe once a month now. Thinking about it, it tends to be on the north side of town.

 

[BigBob]

Funny you say that ... after having driven a 911, Boxster, and Taycan for years at "extra-legal" speeds around Austin, I finally got caught speeding on the SH-45 tollway. 101 MPH (162 km/h) in a 75 MPH (120 km/h) zone. Too fast to do defensive driving / traffic school to dismiss the ticket, so the case is with a traffic lawyer now.

Good luck... But why do you need a lawyer for a speeding ticket? Doesn't sound like you're not guilty!

 

[O2TheL]

I feel safer going 95mph, staying in my lane, on a wide open freeway than someone driving 60mph while looking at their phone.

100% agree! As a motorcyclist I encounter way more issues with drivers on phones, than drivers speeding.

Trouble is that speed is easier to enforce than cellphone usage.
I will say that on a recent trip to Israel I was very impressed by motorcycle cops lane splitting and specifically looking for drivers using cellphones.

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