The double standards and wildly varying punishments handed out for speeding stink. The Blair government have set out to “make speeding socially unacceptable” and are using all means possible to brainwash the public into compliance.
The simple fact is motorcycles are dangerous, a 50cc bike driven badly at 20mph can get you into a lot of trouble just as a 1000cc bike can at 150mph, the point is that the rider has his or her safety in their own hands.
"An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: “It was one of the highest speeds ever recorded by officers and he posed a real danger to other road users.”
Did he really ? NO, he was a danger to himself, very unlikely to be hurting anybody else, the simple face is when you ride a bike, the speed you ride at is a matter between you and your maker…there is no worse punishment than getting it wrong, so why should we face double jeopardy and face stupid bans, fines and jail for a non crime
aaah, that’s the friday rant over . . . feeling better now . . . .
As much as I agree that speeding laws are a little unfair I’d not want open speeds everywhere. I’d hate to see some old bit of rubbish with a loads of kids in it trying to race with me on my bike because it was an open speed area and the law could do nothing about it. I do agree with a ban for people that speed around schools, estates, city streets, etc as there is no reason for it. Get on some of the A roads and I think pull back and go fot it.
I thing I’d like to see more of is police trained in understading road conditions and taking all things into account when pulling you over. It’s the luck of the draw on who pulls you over and if they are a person wanting to give you a ticket or someone who wants to educate you and help.
Saw that one in the paper today. The driver was being done for dangerous driving but that has been thrown out. It does state that he will ‘probably’ be back in court on lesser charges at a later date.
Also, a motorcyclist once clocked at 155mph (was the fastest recorded speed on British Roads at the time), has died after crashing into the back of a car. Lee Beddis, 37, was probably doing more than 100mph along a country lane on his Suzuki GSXR-1000 when he lost control while riding towards USK in the Brecon Beacons back in September. He died after the accident of multiple injuries and a verdict of death my misadventure has been recored. His 155 incident was back in 2002 when he got clocked on a road near Abertillery in South Wales. He received a years ban for the offence.
If no one else is about and you go fast what is the deal, we are all grown ups and have to live with the results of our actions. In the same vein, we know that if we do something that is illegal and get caught we will be punished.
I regullarly break the speed limits they are anachronistic and hail from a time when a morris minor was the state of the art in British Motoring. They need to be revamped, I would be in favour for situational speed limits.
The point is it’s a legal precedent - a judge has stated that speed in excess of 150mph is not in itself enough to constitute dangerous driving as he was under control on a straight road. Which we all knew anyway. They’ll still do him for speeding, cos as we also know, ‘Speed Kills’.
For those of you who do drive at such high speeds and reckon it’s only you taking the risks of both injury and punishment, IT ISN’T.
How many times have we been on here bitching about people who do stupid things in front of us and nearly cause accidents? This is exactly the same. It is irresponsible to go so fast anywhere, there will always be other people around who cannot react as quickly or as safely as you, or as you think you can anyway. Most blokes aren’t exactly known for being sensible and responsbile, especially when on their bikes.
It is not just ourselves we put in danger we always run the risk of killing or injuring others, from foxes and deers to little children.
And would like to follow that Telegraph story to see if poshlad got a ‘Careless’ charge or a ban of some sort. And the biker article didn’t mention what the rider was actually charged with. So they may actually have very similar penalties.
I agree also with the judge in the poshlad case. It doesn’t sound like dangerous driving, perhaps even good driving skills were used. But 150 on a country road - surely not a good idea and how many 21 year olds are experienced enough to know the potential hazards and risks as Hamster rightly points out?
Basicaly if you are going to get in a car with some one who doesn’t look where they are going, can’t drive are known by you to be under the influence or similar then you gotta accept the consequences of that.
I do agree that if some one gets hurt its tragic, but any one emerging from a junction should look, lapses in concentration kill. As for wildife getting injured, we should know where we are likely to encounter wild life and moderate our speed accordingly, I have had to many close calls with Deer up at Ashridge to say otherwise.
I for one have vowed to ride a lot more carefully, but at 2:00 in the morning, during summer on a stretch of open motorway, with nothng else around, what ya gonna do 70 or something faster.
150 mph is verging on ridiculous… i mean… who other than the motogp riders can really keep tabs on everything that is going on at that speed? plus bikes are much more vulnerable at any speed… one small slip at anything more than 50 and its a lost cause!
eg. travelling back from badminton the other night… cold, slippery… doing about 35 when over a small bump… and as i was going round a corner lost a little bit of traction and was doing a night power slide round the corner… NOT INTENDED… but imagine travelling at 150 - hit a small rock - make the bike unstable and then end of story… this leads onto point 2
cars and bikes are VERY DIFFERENT… most people are happy to run down the motorway at 95/100 in their car and be comfortable etc and be at the top of their game… even 120
in a bike if ur heading at 120… u have to be very careful… more alert etc…
to me… i’ve only ever travelled at speeds in excess of 150 upwards once and tahts was enough… i realised then that u dont have enogh time to calculate for anything if something doesnt go ur way…
now i restrict myself to speeding in the 120’s + on track… its just safer and speaking for all of us… we have too much to lose for the 5 second thrill of going crazy on a bike… do it on track… ur chances are much better…
Dan there is a big difference between 70 and 150 mph.
I’ve got to the point now where I won’t do things other riders do (like filtering along country lanes and overtaking) even when I’m with experienced riders, because I will not put my life in some bloke’s hands no matter how well I know them. I am responsible for my safety and will only get into a car with people I don’t trust when I have no choice.
How many of you out there, especially those who are parents, would be happy to say ‘oh yeah, it was just an accident, that biker had every right to be doing 150mph, he was obviously capable of controlling his bike. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t see that bump in the road at that speed. It doesn’t matter he killed my children/partner/spouse/sibling’?
As for it being ok to do 150mph at 2am on a summers morning on the motorway, does it not occur to you that everyone else is thinking the same thing, so these are the time’s you have to be extra vigilant? Two bikers approaching each other with a combined speed of 300mph, they wouldn’t find enough of you to bury.
One of the FEW “fringe benefits” that comes with living in Kansas is mile after mile of EMPTY…and I mean EMPTY roads. It is not unusual to ride the Flint Hills Scenic Byway (I’ve posted many pictures in the Picture forum of rides up and down this AMAZING road) from Cassoday all the way to Strong City (some 25-30 miles) and not see another vehicle.
I often pick and choose spots along the way to open it up a bit. I’ll often run it up to 150+, but to be honest, it doesn’t hold the same thrill for me as 85+ through a 45 mph corner. :shrug
I think it really comes down to being responsible enough to pick and choose appropriate times and places to take on added risks…and being mature enough to say “this is NOT the right time OR the right place” to take an added risk. (My personal definition of “risk” includes my own safety, the safety of those around me and the potential for being caught out doing something very illegal.)
The thing that I get cross about is the inconsistencies in the punishments depending on which court/judge you appear infront of. I believe that there are guidelines set down for them to follow, however there always seems to be a reason for you to be penalised more or less (in the case of Beckham who can do anything and get away with it). Who said money doesnt talk!!!
it’s only dangerous if you hit something/someone. the speed itself is not the danger. F1 drivers do more than this and they don’t come to any harm. on an private road, with no obstructions and no need to ever stop, doing 150mph (or more) is not dangerous and will not kill you in itself. a different story if you hit someone or something though. then again, I can fall off my bike at 10mph and die.
it is however, innappropriate to do 150mph on public highways, so I agree with the article for what it’s trying to get at.
I tend to agree with our American friend. Going fast in a staright line is much less of a buzz than screaming around a corner at a lower speed. I have seen in excess of 170 on my speedo (was abroad, honest). I rate my ZX7 as more stable at over 120 than it is at lower speeds, you can feel downforce kicking in at that speed. There is a time and a place for speed, unfortunately the public highways of the UK do not appear to be it. So its either hit the track as I do, or go abroad for your kicks, I do that as well.
It may come as a surprise to some, but I really don’t want to die just yet. So everything I do is a calculated risk based on personal experience and knowing what I can do with my bike. I agree that 150 is not in itself dangerous, but I do agree that there is a time and a place. I have ridden hundreds of miles in France, its strange how you tend to go nuts between towns (side roads) and then slow right down when you get to the town/village. Seems to work over there quite happily, not saying its legal, but thats what the French tend to do as well. As for Germany, the roads i have travelled on are awesome. Their autobahns are very good, and, in some places you can go just as fast as you like, Knowing matey in his BMW is restricted to 155 is very satisfying when you know he can’t catch you.
As for the penalties for getting caught for riding/driving at silly speeds in the UK, we all know that 30mph over the limit virtually = ban unless you are very lucky or can come out with some excuse as to why you should not lose your licence. The problem we get with this one is the ban, you can get banned for different periods of time for the same offence. We have seen in the press a few bikers getting slammed up for very excessive speed, the car drivers seem to get away without getting banged up, again its inconsistent. And that is the real crux of this, INCONSISTENCY. This does not just apply to speeding though, the courts in the UK see plenty of similar criminal cases, burglary, drug dealing etc. The sentences dished out are also not the same dependant on the judge. So what we need is STANDARDISATION. The same sentence for the same crime, only then will justice seem to be seen.
Does travelling at 150 mph actually deserve a prison sentence? Personally I think not. Maybe a lengthy ban, say 18 months if you get caught.
Its wrong, but we all (mostly) do it. If you do accept the consequences. Killing or endangering someone else is ‘Dangerous Driving’. Doing it at 2am without a single car in sight, difficult one to call but who are you going to harm? -You.
Which annoys me. Why has everyone decided they can tell me what I can and can’t do? Why is it against the law to potentially hurt or kill myself? So if I rode at 150 like a dick and lost control, died, had a fcukin good laugh doing it, so what??
OK so there’s the ‘family’ thing to think about. But that isn’t their problem, thats mine isn’t?
Standardisation is what we need. The problem isn’t the police, or the law itself. Its the stupid old farts that sit on their throne with their wig and their fat wallet completely out of touch with the outside world. Its one mans decision, a decision that doesn’t seem to be regulated or questioned time and time again.
when i did the bike safe course we came back down the a40 and i was attempting to stick to the 50mph (three lane carriage way, moderate spaced out traffic)
my god i was bored - was trying to find things to keep my mind on the job/focused/give a toss. the police rider said he could tell too as my body language was utterly different from when he was following me on the a-roads and national speed limit sections where the speed limit was appropriate.
my reaction time would have in the toilet had anything untoward happened. not saying that i should have been doing 150, but i was so far off being at a speed that required being alert i was actually concerned.
I believe speed limits need readjusting. It seems that much higher or even no limits do work in other countries. And there are not more accidents then in countries with restrictions.
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