Fastest you have ever driven on a UK public road

[Fran]

I once did 90 in a Metro on a hot day and melted the points!

[expat]

I would like to see how they classify a "road death". There was a clip on Top Gear where they were trying to justify why a speed camera had been placed in a particular spot. Apparently there had been 3 deaths (or accidents) at that spot. If I recall, one was someone walking into the road, one was a crash and one was someone jumping off a bridge!! I just find it hard to justify a speed camera in those circumstances...

Then if there weren't 3 deaths at that spot next year, it would prove that the speed camera worked.....

[daviejones]

Then if there weren't 3 deaths at that spot next year, it would prove that the speed camera worked.....

Not quite sure how a speed camera stops someone jumping off a bridge...but am happy to be convinced if you can give it a go...

[daviejones]

Easy.

They land on the speed camera & it breaks their fall.

And the speed camera too hopefully.

Crazy Lizard Logic...but I like the approach.

[PAH]

The last copper to pull me over (unmarked car) timed my average speed at 95 and told me 'there is nothing wrong with your driving, but you can't go that fast'. I got 3 points and a fine.

The last time I was stopped on a speed related matter it was by two cop bikers on the M62 from Leeds. Their first words to me were "well we know it'll do over a ton then". I thought I was shafted. Turned out they only wanted to have a gander at my car, which was one of the first Lotus Exiges a week after I got it. After asking me all sorts of questions about it they said seeing as I wasn't being a danger to other traffic they'd let me off.

So if the fuzz can tell when sometimes excessive speed isn't a danger, the speed limits on motorways should be for guidance, and the conditions at the time of the potential offence should have more bearing than outright speed.

For example, I sometimes feel nervous flying past much slower traffic hogging the first two lanes (such as when you've got two lorries overtaking each other) even though I may only be doing around 70, as it only takes one muppet to pull out without looking and it's game over. In those situations even 70 is too fast.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Habitually take my car to 100 (indicated on the speedo) when on A roads or motorway as part of my daily commute. Only do it on the way in when its light and when traffic and conditions permit, which is most days. I choose 100 because it's where the ban kicks in. It's no big deal, the car is comfortable at that speed and the roads on my route are suitable. I do it to get to work sooner so I can leave sooner. A copper stopping me from doing that is just collecting tax. They can have it if they catch me - face, bovered.

If a copper catches someone stealing your stereo, is that also "a tax" on theft?

They are both criminal offences.

[Bagpuss]

Then if there weren't 3 deaths at that spot next year, it would prove that the speed camera worked.....

That's the kind of logic the scammera people use. This brings us into the realm of false positives or false negatives. What if one year (after speed cameras) accidents fell but the next year they rose?

We could claim both, speed cameras had a positive effect year on year, and also claim they had a negative effect year on year.

The more likely truth is the weather was bad for one of the years, and therefore the years are not directly comparable. Yet environmental conditions are never factored into these schoolboy safety 'facts'. The effect of safety cameras has never been objectively and validly studied further than excel type summary stats, and then only the results that back up their argument are revealed i.e. shockingly biased propaganda

[slackbloke]

145 mph in a Vectra GSi on the M3 early one morning trying to get to the Channel Tunnel (not realising we could just get the next train :-)
Caught doing 101 on a dual carriageway driving home from Norwich, got 5 points and a big fine, stopped going fast after that.............

[Bumfluff]

I need a faster car seeing as how many have managed to go over 140mph, I've hit an indicated 136mph in mine on a runway, car has 150bhp its an A3

[Churchill]

I need a faster car seeing as how many have managed to go over 140mph, I've hit an indicated 136mph in mine on a runway, car has 150bhp its an A3

You poor bastard.

Ah well, at least you've got tits like Liz Hurley.