When is a limit not a limit?
I am no angel or model citizen (or subject - ma'am) so I may occasionally, when distracted or otherwise, stray above the odd speed limit momentarily when I am occasionally let out. Hence I am not a good driver. I have commented before on this site about this issue but feel the need to clarify one or two things.
Question 1 - what does 'limit' mean in a speeds-on-roads context?
Answer to Question 1 - a maximum that has been determined to be safe according to type of vehicle, type of road and location, and which sometimes varies according to prevailing conditions, and in which no way should be considered a target speed.
Question 2 - what does 'maximum' mean in a speed-limit-on-roads context?
Answer to Question 2 - a speed not to be exceeded in ideal driving conditions; the following not being ideal -
- poor light or darkness
- wet road and/or rainfall, snowfall, hail etc
- fog or mist
- ice
- bright sunlight (especially reflecting on a damp or wet road)
- very busy road
- junctions and turnings of any type
Question 3 - given the above when is it safe to drive at the speed limit?
Answer to Question 3 - very rarely!
Question 4 - what do you gain by driving faster than the speed limit or at an unsafe speed under the speed limit?
Answer to Question 4 - in town nothing is gained because there the journey time is determined entirely by the number of roundabouts, junctions, traffic lights, traffic volumes etc. Out of town time may be gained but only an significant amount over very long distances.
Question 5 - what do you lose by exceeding the speed limit or safe speed under the limit?
Answer to Question 5 - your licence, your dignity, your life, the life of another, damage to your property or the property of others, your job, your freedom, your home, your marriage, your mental health, limbs etc
I suggest we all just learn to chill and try to enjoy our journeys a bit more.
In the meantime, it seems most of you don't give a shit anyway, so what's the point of me? I should just point out though, that as a former motorcyclist, these figures look extremely dubious to me. I would wager that the vast majority of untaxed bikes are actually scooters driven by 'yoofs' acting as drug mules. Also, even the proportion who are genuine tax dodgers will only amount to a tiny fraction of the untaxed vehicles on the road. Most, by a very long way, are cars. This could be another attempt by the itchy classes to rid our roads of the environmentally negligible and traffic jam busting motorcycle.
