Speed limits

[alittlebitfrench]

Cathy......you scare me to death.

Are sure you should have a license ?

[nomoss]

[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]Cathy......you scare me to death.

Are sure you should have a license ?[/quote]

+1

[NickP]

" Don't rely on tech in cars. MY OH has a brand new 45 K BMW with all the tech. We switch it all off."

I find that statement a bit sweeping because I have a car that is packed with technology, and while I agree that I don't use it all, the safety factor, is for me very important, as apart from me the car carries my lovely wife and sometimes my wonderful Grandchildren. One aspect of the tech stuff I do appreciate is the cars ability to "read" the roadside speed signs and flash them onto the dashboard, also, the collision warning, although I do wish it could respond to French tailgaters.

[Cathar Tours]

I think Nomoss defiantly should not be driving, far to old. As for LBF, well I just hope you don't kill anyone with your cavalier and somewhat luddite attitude. I would mind betting you both drive Saab's.

NickP. The reason these system will become compulsory in the next few years is because of those tailgaters, it will stop them. Either because when their current car goes bank they won't be able to afford a new car or if they can it will have these systems built in.

[woolybanana]

CT, so age would be a determining factor in being allowed to drive as well as wealth. Thus ensuring that about half the population would not be allowed on the roads. And thus put Ford out of business.

Why not keep pregnant women or menstruating women off the roads or men in a hurry. Why not introduce a a psychological test for all drivers...

Better have a chat to the gilets jaunes, lad.

You have been too long in Germany!?

[Cathar Tours]

Actually Wooly funny you should mention women from the point of view that there is now nearly as as many women driving than men and statistically they are much better drivers.

For a start they do not ignore the law. Thing is women used to get cheaper car insurance because they were better, safer drivers but as that was deemed sexist by the EU their insurance costs were raised in line with males.

Pregnant women who are well into their pregnancies should not really drive. Whilst driving when pregnant is not illegal it is not advised at 8 months and above. Whilst their chest is protected by airbags their womb area isn't and if they sit close to the steering wheel could damage their baby in an accident.

I don't know about menstruating women but there are certainly some men who seem to have similar symptoms, some men even worse so.

Being in a hurry does not mean you can ignore the speed limit. If you keep having to go to places in a hurry I suggest you start leaving earlier.

As to age, well it is clear that older people do need health checks, perhaps annually when they reach the age of 70 although over 75's seem less likely to speed. That said as we move to a time of self drive cars providing it is 100% self drive does anyone in the car require a licence.

As to the gilets jaunes what do they stand for? I mean I know they are a bunch of unemployed old people who typically gather a couple of times a week on a roundabout and drink a bottle or two of cheap booze but what have they actually achieved apart from being a nuisance. Well that's how we see them on our TV programs although we have not seen them for quite a while so perhaps they no longer exist.

Anyway lets rewind a minute and let me ask this. Is it right to ignore speed limits? We have one person here who believes it is by up to 30kph and at times up to 50kph. My point is this is not only illegal but it is irresponsible and dangerous. Speed limits are put there for a reason, sometimes for those that do not live in the area they may seem not required whilst those that do live there may have excellent reasons for wanting them.

Personally I think that if we have to live with dirty old fossil fuel cars for the next 20 to 30 years they should be banned from cities completely and limited to 30kph in towns. This will reduce pollution because the cars will actually move quicker because of lack of congestion. Indeed in large towns and even cities where the limit has been reduced congestion has decreased by an average of 15% and the time from a to b has decreased by around 30%. This yet again proves that speeding is not the way forward.

[woolybanana]

Put speed limiters in vans and many cars, smaller engines less turboed, remove power assisted steering which causes accidents. Limit the speed of new drivers (all sexes), plus what they can drive and what passengers they can take, as well as a night curfew for the first couple of years.

I am in the 70s and still drive quite well. Much better than the idiots who tailgate me.

Yellow vest people are certainly not idiots. They are the people of France who have been left out. In terms of cars they drive what they can afford which might well be big, old and diesel. They often live in areas where there are no trains, buses or other means of transport aNd are not likely to be for a long time. And the SNCF are still closing rural railways.

All your fancy gadgets are very good, but very expensive And not likely to be democratically available for many years, if ever.

By all means ban cars from city centres, provided you have cheap or free parking on the periphery and cheap or free buses to the centre which run when people want them.

And ban Late night drinking.

One could go,on.

By the way, ALBF has a young daughter whom he adores so I suspect that his comments on speeding might just have been a teensy weeny windup as he would not do anything to endanger her.

[Cathar Tours]

How does power assisted steering cause accidents?

You may well be a good driver, I can't possibly say. Have you had a recent exam of some sort that proves this or is this just your opinion. I would not be so arrogant as to say I am a good driver but I wouldn't say I am a bad one. I have never committed a driving offence nor have I ever been involved in (or caused) an accident. I would be very happy to see either a compulsory scheme or one that offers rewards (cheaper insurance) perhaps) if we were all checked every 5 years from the date you get your licence.

As far as the rest of the world is concerned unless they were misinformed were not these yellow vest people originally complaining about the fact Macron wanted to put 5 cents on a litre of diesel? The reason we were told was to pay for electric charging points and better rural transport.

He also wants rid of diesel cars by 2040 (hence better rural transport) but of course if these yellow jackets are comfortable killing their own children and grandchildren who don't get a voice slowly with pollution that's down to them. By the way the fuel prices in France are some the lowest in the EU, cheaper than Spain and Germany that's for sure.

Did you know (it's easy to check by the way) that by 2025 all buses in Paris will be electric either battery of fuel cell. The last fossil fuel bus in Cologne will be scrapped next year. In both countries other cities are following. All the buses in Toulouse are electric as of Oct 2019 and trams have been introduced. They are also replacing or modifying the council lorries etc. with electric versions.

The train station where my dad lived in France was closed but the service was replaced by a bus. It then had two buses, the normal bus and the train replacement bus. I have no idea if that is the same in all cases.

Forgive me but I don't understand what you mean by "not likely to be democratically available". I don't mean that in any other way than I don't understand.

Many of the things I mentions have been around for years (speed limiters, speed limit notification etc.). They are being upgraded, allowed to talk to each other and new systems integrated to make cars safer and reduce accidents. Some cars already have these systems and now we are making them cheaper so that ordinary people can have them as a matter of course. For example the new Ford Focus available next year will have all this and yet be cheaper than the current model and outwardly look very much the same.

In an ideal world you would not need cheap or free parking outside of cities because people would not drive, they would use public transport door to door. I would agree that it should be affordable to the point where there would not need a ban because using public transport would be so cheap you would be a fool to use a car.

I would not only agree with you about banning late night drinking but initially have a zero drink drive tolerance and eventually ban all booze. Booze is as dangerous to society as drugs and has damaged more families than anything else.

If you last comment is correct then the guy really is stupid and sick, I actually hope you are right because if not his stupidity will one day possibly kill the one person who he adores and if he does I would quite happily tell him to his face "I told you so".

[alittlebitfrench]

Cathar...you need help.

[Cathar Tours]

Try looking in the mirror.

Your problem and it is a problem is you think to much of yourself. You need what is called humbling and by quite a bit. Your turn will come but as far as help try looking in the mirror. In the meantime I hope your terrible driving and disregard for the law does not end the life on any innocent party. If I were your daughters mother I would ban her from being in the car with you driving but I suspect your wife would do as you say.

[idun]

Ah the dear old subject of driving and how good we are, or not, at it, bit like the subject that is never mentioned on here.... s e x...... I suppose most people have their own 'views' on their personal 'skill', or not[Www]

Me, well, my son has recently visited and was out with his Dad and a friend of ours, who is now retired, but used to have an international haulage company and drove if needed, now retired, and he told my son that I was a good driver and he was very comfortable in the car with me. I try to be a good driver, and hope I am, and it was very nice to hear.

And yet, I make mistakes from time to time, I would hazard a guess that we all do.

And that brings us to those who believe that they are rather perfect, and that ranges between them being rather ridiculous and funny and sadly it can also be dead boring.  In this case I am talking about those 'I' know in real life here, because the absurd always amuses me, tickles me no end. The bores, well, what can one do hein!

[alittlebitfrench]

Cathar...chill babe.

Just enjoy your talking car. It will tell you what to do.

I am guessing also it is the only one that likes you. LOL.

This thread had 280 views this morning.

Now it is up 600....that must be a record !

The new dumb forum can only dream of those figures.

[Cathar Tours]

Your actions and words are quite normal for somebody who hates to loose a debate or argument especially when presented with undeniable facts that prove them wrong. The best for when caught out is to go on the attack to deflect your stupidity away onto others. I just pity those that are stupid enough to take you seriously.

One thing is for sure you will now be know as what you really are, a criminal who drives at excessive speed putting other peoples lives at risk. Quite frankly you should be banned from driving and made to take the driving test again.

I shall leave it at that yet I suspect you will as normal want to have the last word.

[idun]

What is going on here, CT, people have debates, we do in our household, and are completely not in agreement about a lot of subjects either, but heyho, how awful would it be if we all thought the same.

Your posts rather remind me of a previous poster who was so sharp in accusing folk of this and that and saying that folk always want the last word.

Now there is a thing...... who doesn't usually want the last word? Isn't that just what folk do? In real life that is what usually  happens.

[BritinBretagne]

Thank you CT for (many pages back) for proving that you were making up figures. If your numbers that were so different to the published figures were true you would have simply provided a link. Your pathetic attempt to cover your tracks says it all.

[woolybanana]

CT, power steering on small cars causes oversteer because it is so light. Many people who have these cars have accidents precisely because they cannot manage it. Better it were heavier so needed effort and was easier to control.

[Cathar Tours]

IDUN I don't like people who break the law then brag about it. A car is an ideal weapon for killing people especially when the driver breaks the law on what appears to be a regular basis. I am sure you do not approve of people breaking the law?

Wooly Small cars do not have hydraulic power assistance these days. It is electric and computer controlled. One of the classic examples of how good these systems are is the Ford Focus ST.

LBF Like I said at the time you can get the data under the Freedom of Information act direct from the DVLA because it is not available on any website. The copy I have access to belongs to Ford and is in a file and not on a website. The data is free from the DVLA and you can for it over the internet. Just to help you this is what you should ask them.

Dear Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency,

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information; the amount of speeding offences per age group, also split by offence code (e.g. SP10):

Age Groups:

17-24 years old

25-34 years old

35-44 years old

45-54 years old

55-64 years old

65-74 years old

75 years or older

I would like the most recent annual data available please (please also specify the date range for the data you provide)

Thank you in advance for your help.

Send this with your name to the following email address.

[email protected].

You normally get a file number issued within 48 hours and you will get the data between 14 and 20 days later.

The ball is now in your court to prove me wrong.

[nomoss]

[quote user="Cathar Tours"]I think Nomoss defiantly should not be driving, far to old. As for LBF, well I just hope you don't kill anyone with your cavalier and somewhat luddite attitude. I would mind betting you both drive Saab's.

NickP. The reason these system will become compulsory in the next few years is because of those tailgaters, it will stop them. Either because when their current car goes bank they won't be able to afford a new car or if they can it will have these systems built in.[/quote]

What an arrogant little p - , person you are.

I used to own an engineering company, and you put me in mind of several bright-but-not-so-clever young lads we hired - and fired, over the years.

Mainly because they couldn't see beyond their own, rather limited horizons.

[nomoss]

[quote user="idun"]

What is going on here, CT, people have debates, we do in our household, and are completely not in agreement about a lot of subjects either, but heyho, how awful would it be if we all thought the same.

Your posts rather remind me of a previous poster who was so sharp in accusing folk of this and that and saying that folk always want the last word.

Now there is a thing...... who doesn't usually want the last word? Isn't that just what folk do? In real life that is what usually  happens.

[/quote]

You are not too far off there, Idun.

[nomoss]

[quote user="Cathar Tours"]I think Nomoss defiantly should not be driving, far to old. As for LBF, well I just hope you don't kill anyone with your cavalier and somewhat luddite attitude. I would mind betting you both drive Saab's. ................ [/quote]

Actually, I drive a fairly recent Audi.

I haven't bought a Ford since about 1960.

[BritinBretagne]

[quote user="woolybanana"]CT, power steering on small cars causes oversteer because it is so light. Many people who have these cars have accidents precisely because they cannot manage it. Better it were heavier so needed effort and was easier to control.[/quote]

I think you are using a strange definition of oversteer. The term has very little to do with the steering itself.

[Cathar Tours]

Wooly's description is correct.

"oversteer

[oversteer]

VERB

(of a motor vehicle) have a tendency to turn more sharply than intended. "it was very difficult to drive when the car was oversteering"

NOUN

the tendency of a vehicle to turn more sharply than intended. "straightforward handling which gives just a hint of oversteer"

However more modern power assisted systems have got over this by feeding in "difficulty" thus reducing chance of oversteer. The biggest change was the move to electric power steering because the anti lock breaking sensors and ESP (or ESC if you prefer) not only stop skidding (which it won't stop in a tight turn anyway) but combined with other wheel sensors can almost remove the possibility of this problem. It can actually cut engine speed till control is regained automatically. By that I mean it won't happen by accident but if you really want to make the car under or oversteer you can. Oversteer is normally but not always confined to front wheel drive cars where as understeer is normally although again not always confined to rear wheel drive cars.

[NickP]

OK as this is now getting technical and getting away from legal. If I have my car in cruise control, when I go downhill I can feel the car holding back to maintain the selected speed, I imagine the computer controls the slowdown, but does it use the engine or the brakes? Not important, just a matter of interest.

[Cathar Tours]

The term we use is passive breaking. It uses just the engine to slow down by reducing the throttle. If you have cruise control on an older car that has a cable connection to the throttle you can actually feel it moving depending if it is going up or down hill. If however the hill is to steep for passive breaking the car will speed up and you will have to use the breaks. Slight problem is when you get to the bottom by touching the break you have disconnected the cruise control so you need to remember to reactivate it.

[BritinBretagne]

[quote user="Cathar Tours"]Wooly's description is correct.

"oversteer

[oversteer]

VERB

(of a motor vehicle) have a tendency to turn more sharply than intended. "it was very difficult to drive when the car was oversteering"

NOUN

the tendency of a vehicle to turn more sharply than intended. "straightforward handling which gives just a hint of oversteer"

However more modern power assisted systems have got over this by feeding in "difficulty" thus reducing chance of oversteer. The biggest change was the move to electric power steering because the anti lock breaking sensors and ESP (or ESC if you prefer) not only stop skidding (which it won't stop in a tight turn anyway) but combined with other wheel sensors can almost remove the possibility of this problem. It can actually cut engine speed till control is regained automatically. By that I mean it won't happen by accident but if you really want to make the car under or oversteer you can. Oversteer is normally but not always confined to front wheel drive cars where as understeer is normally although again not always confined to rear wheel drive cars.[/quote]

Absolute crap. Oversteer is to do with the chassis setup and the power train, steering input is a secondary consideration. Where did you get your definition from? A child’s guide to motoring terms?

I have two cars that have a tendency to under steer and if I was freewheeling around a corner I would have to use the steering more than appeared to be necessary. However if I was driving the car around around the corner both can be encouraged to oversteer and their attitude can be altered without extra initial steering input. They however react very differently to one another; in one the line can be tightened by accelerating briskly, in the second the power has to be removed abruptly. In the first the chassis is tuned to turn in whereas the second relies on what is known as lift off oversteer. One is a mid engined rear wheels drive car, the other a FWD ‘hot hatch’ In reality these are manoeuvres more suited to the track than the public road. In most situations both cars are agile enough to be driven around corners smoothly without fuss.

Badly designed power steering systems might prove too light for some drivers causing them to steer into a corner too sharply but that is not oversteer, it’s bad driving.m