driver awareness course online

[pedrobedro]

while observing the speed limits

Flashing past in the mirror I read someone in Scotland opted to do one and was only offered one in England so he opted to travel. When the course was over the chap asked him where he was from and he told him the chap said that's a good 3 hour drive to which he replied "I'll do it in two and a quarter"

 

[rtcosic]

mine has that plus it will control your speed to the limit, whatever it is..........but you have to switch it on.....at the end of the course he asked everyone what are their future plans to stick to speed limits........mine was to switch the bloody thing on....i havent of course...

I switch it on as soon as I leave the drive, cancel when I assess it is safe to do so, then resume for 50/40/30 areas, known camera locations and in unfamiliar areas. It really does have better eyes than I do in unknown areas.
I actually find it relaxing in unfamiliar areas as I can concentrate on the hazards of the road.

 

[Justme]

the one thing I learned........single carriageway with street lights is 30......no lights its 60....

or 40 or 50

plus you can get with lights at same limits too.

 

[MattF]

the one thing I learned........single carriageway with street lights is 30......no lights its 60....

Not 60 if you're in a van.

 

[brightspark]

Not 60 if you're in a van.

tis if its a fiesta car derived van or a vauxhall combo anything else on the logbook is now limited like you say a bit stupid in this day and age with vans having disk brakes all round

 

[Domdom]

or 40 or 50

plus you can get with lights at same limits too.

Nope. This goes back to the road traffic act.
Street lights with no signs is 30
No street lights and no signs was no limit back when first made law.
That was it at the time, back in the 1930’s iirc when there were only roads. No motorways, no dual carriageways, just roads and cars that could barely get to the modern NSL.

Later on, the NSL moved from being “as fast as you like” to 70mph. This was after the M1 opened when testing of the big cats of Coventry became a time trial to get to London and back. I believe the AC Cobra was also a culprit in causing the 70 mph limit to be introduced, but its been a while since I read the original article.

So then it became lights, no signs, 30
No lights, no signs, 70

Then came the re classification of roads to M, A and B class roads. Motorways stayed at 70, The rest moved to the NSL being 60.

Hence what we have today.
Lights, no signs, 30.
No lights, no signs, 60.
Every other scenario requires a set of signs which include correct limit entry signs, repeaters when road junctions or other layouts could cause confusion etc. Signs as per spec, so that paint on the road is only that, paint. Not enforceable on their own without correct supporting signage.

All the above applies to passenger cars not towing anything. Vans, buses etc have other rules.

 

[brightspark]

i got a new peugeot partner van its restricted to 70 on motorways 60 on carriageways and 50 on a roads

 

[TechnicAl]

or 40 or 50

plus you can get with lights at same limits too.

but then there would be a sign

 

[TechnicAl]

Not 60 if you're in a van.

i wasnt in a van....

 

[Justme]

Nope. This goes back to the road traffic act.
Street lights with no signs is 30
No street lights and no signs was no limit back when first made law.
That was it at the time, back in the 1930’s iirc when there were only roads. No motorways, no dual carriageways, just roads and cars that could barely get to the modern NSL.

Later on, the NSL moved from being “as fast as you like” to 70mph. This was after the M1 opened when testing of the big cats of Coventry became a time trial to get to London and back. I believe the AC Cobra was also a culprit in causing the 70 mph limit to be introduced, but its been a while since I read the original article.

So then it became lights, no signs, 30
No lights, no signs, 70

Then came the re classification of roads to M, A and B class roads. Motorways stayed at 70, The rest moved to the NSL being 60.

Hence what we have today.
Lights, no signs, 30.
No lights, no signs, 60.
Every other scenario requires a set of signs which include correct limit entry signs, repeaters when road junctions or other layouts could cause confusion etc. Signs as per spec, so that paint on the road is only that, paint. Not enforceable on their own without correct supporting signage.

All the above applies to passenger cars not towing anything. Vans, buses etc have other rules.

You need to keep up.

Repeater signs are now no longer mandatory.

So you can have lights with no repeaters & its not 30.

Basically you cant enter a 30 without passing a set of signs. Just putting lights in an area that would have been 60 does not make it 30.

 

[Justme]

but then there would be a sign

Only on entry & leaving as repeaters are no longer mandatory.

Some councils will still fit them but they dont have to.

 

[Justme]

Repeater sign regulations changed in 2016.

https://roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/road-sign-changes-come-into-effect-5013/

 

[mdr]

I think the below (2019) government document says you should have repeaters. If they don't get your tape measure out and check the spacing. If it's not recommended have your day in court and argue the point. I would.

Traffic Signs Manual, chapter 3
Regulatory Signs
2019

Department for Transport
Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland)
Scottish Government
Welsh Government

8.3.1.  Whilst there is no specific requirement to provide repeater signs, it is for the traffic
authority to determine how many are required and where they are placed. However, to ensure
that drivers are fully aware of the speed limit in force it is recommended that repeater signs
are provided at the intervals shown in Table 8-4 (see 8.3.4). Schedule 10 General Direction 2
prohibits the use of 30 mph repeater signs where a road has a system of carriageway lighting.
Section 82 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 defines a lit road as being a “restricted
road” (see 8.1.2). Section 81 specifies that the speed limit along such a road is 30 mph unless
an order has been made to impose another limit and remove the restricted road status. The
presence of carriageway lighting therefore means that a road automatically has a speed limit of
30 mph with the lamps taking the place of repeater signs. It is therefore important that, when lit
roads have a speed limit other than 30 mph, repeater signs are provided at adequate intervals
along the road as recommended in Table 8-4. Failure to do so could undermine confidence in
the signing of all speed limits, as drivers have only the repeaters to tell them that the limit is not
30 mph. Where a speed limit, other than 30 mph, applies before and after the point where the
carriageway lighting begins, a repeater sign should be placed in line with the first lamp; in most
cases the sign would be mounted on the lighting column.

 

[skotl]

You're all very lucky that this is an option: no speed awareness courses in Scotland so if you get done it's always a fine and points

 

[Wallace]

Later on, the NSL moved from being “as fast as you like” to 70mph. This was after the M1 opened when testing of the big cats of Coventry became a time trial to get to London and back. I believe the AC Cobra was also a culprit in causing the 70 mph limit to be introduced, but its been a while since I read the

This AC Cobra?

 

[James1979]

You're all very lucky that this is an option: no speed awareness courses in Scotland so if you get done it's always a fine and points

Read an article a while back based on an FOI request that Police Scotland is one of only a few courses that do not use the 10% + 2 rule which although discretionary is what most forces apply

 

[skotl]

Read an article a while back based on an FOI request that Police Scotland is one of only a few courses that do not use the 10% + 2 rule which although discretionary is what most forces apply

Yeah - there was something put out a while back that Police Scotland operate a zero tolerance approach to speeding, and I've certainly heard of people being done for 32 in a 30, 72 in a 70 etc.

Even the old "speedos can be 10% out so you're allowed 10%" doesn't seem to apply as it's a defense my friend who was done for the 72-in-a-70 attempted to use.

 

[Justme]

I think the below (2019) government document says you should have repeaters. If they don't get your tape measure out and check the spacing. If it's not recommended have your day in court and argue the point. I would.

Traffic Signs Manual, chapter 3
Regulatory Signs
2019

Department for Transport
Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland)
Scottish Government
Welsh Government

8.3.1.  Whilst there is no specific requirement to provide repeater signs, it is for the traffic
authority to determine how many are required and where they are placed. However, to ensure
that drivers are fully aware of the speed limit in force it is recommended that repeater signs
are provided at the intervals shown in Table 8-4 (see 8.3.4). Schedule 10 General Direction 2
prohibits the use of 30 mph repeater signs where a road has a system of carriageway lighting.
Section 82 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 defines a lit road as being a “restricted
road” (see 8.1.2). Section 81 specifies that the speed limit along such a road is 30 mph unless
an order has been made to impose another limit and remove the restricted road status. The
presence of carriageway lighting therefore means that a road automatically has a speed limit of
30 mph with the lamps taking the place of repeater signs. It is therefore important that, when lit
roads have a speed limit other than 30 mph, repeater signs are provided at adequate intervals
along the road as recommended in Table 8-4. Failure to do so could undermine confidence in
the signing of all speed limits, as drivers have only the repeaters to tell them that the limit is not
30 mph. Where a speed limit, other than 30 mph, applies before and after the point where the
carriageway lighting begins, a repeater sign should be placed in line with the first lamp; in most
cases the sign would be mounted on the lighting column.

Read the first line.

8.3.1.  Whilst there is no specific requirement to provide repeater signs



People getting out of speeding fines was one of the many reasons they became firstly not distance limited & secondly not mandatory.


This bit

The
presence of carriageway lighting therefore means that a road automatically has a speed limit of
30 mph with the lamps taking the place of repeater signs. It is therefore important that, when lit
roads have a speed limit other than 30 mph, repeater signs are provided

Does not mean that if you are in an unlit 60 & then the road has lights its not 30. You would also need speed signs.


Also note the liberal use of the words could & should , not will & must. ie not law.

 

[Justme]

Yeah - there was something put out a while back that Police Scotland operate a zero tolerance approach to speeding, and I've certainly heard of people being done for 32 in a 30, 72 in a 70 etc.

Even the old "speedos can be 10% out so you're allowed 10%" doesn't seem to apply as it's a defense my friend who was done for the 72-in-a-70 attempted to use.

His speedo is allowed to over read by that amount. It can never under read. So at a true 72 his speedo could read the true speed of 72 or as high as 79. But not 71.9999

 

[James1979]

Yeah - there was something put out a while back that Police Scotland operate a zero tolerance approach to speeding, and I've certainly heard of people being done for 32 in a 30, 72 in a 70 etc.

Even the old "speedos can be 10% out so you're allowed 10%" doesn't seem to apply as it's a defense my friend who was done for the 72-in-a-70 attempted to use.

Wife got away with 80 in a 60 on the mound on the A9 but that was a van and I think his reactions were slower than hers. Sneaky bugger was in a lay-by with his roof beacons on. From behind it looks like recovery.

RE dual carriageway comments above, a common misconception is that a dual carriageway is two lanes each way. It is not. It is two opposing traffic flows separated by a physical central divide (which doesn’t have to be Armco but can’t be paint). There’s a single lane bit in Cornwall from memory which catches a few out. The A17 at Sutton bridge has loads of 60 / NSL signs for this reason. In theory you can do 60 along that bit of road and then 70 through the junctions as there’s a central res. The signs were put up after a successful defence of someone who happened to be clocked through one of the junction parts