speed limit....

[wilkesneil]

is there a site on the net i can get the speed limit allowances for the counties of the u.k
reason being all counties allow 10% on top of speed limit, but some counties give you 2mph and some give you 3mph on top of the 10% and just want to know really so i can see how it varies throughout the u.k..

thanx in advance

[Hopkirk]

You are right, there are variations between counties, but I don't know any way to find out what they are.

However, it is common knowledge that North Wales is particularly strict. Their top cop is nicknamed the traffic taliban as a result.

[Dris]

That ^^ is why I suggested sticking to the national speed limit.
We all know there are differing 'leniancies' -let him take his chance................

[Toureman]

Your a bit out of date Hopkirk, the ayatollah of the taliban retired about a year ago, when he was in charge a couple of motorists got caught at 31 mph and had to pay the £60 fine and also got 6 points.

[ABerrant]

There is no such thing as a "10% law they have to give you..." - it is a suggested guideline.

10 years ago ACPO guidelines were produced that suggested the trigger for the issuance of a Fixed Penalty Notice to be when travelling at 10% + 2 mph for all limits except for 20mph, in which case 10% + 3 mph = 25 mph. Speeds significantly in excess of the limit should be dealt with by Court Summons.

http://www.acpo.polic...elines_web_v7_foi.doc

The Police Service now uses technology that enables it to prove that an offence has been committed as soon as a driver exceeds the relevant speed limit by a very small margin. Motorists will therefore be at risk of prosecution immediately they exceed any legal speed limit..

As to the speedometer reading, you have that the wrong way round - it must never under-read the speed you are travelling but is allowed a maximum 10% + 2.5 mph (4 kph) over-read. e.g. if your speedo reads 30 mph the law allows your road speed to be 25-30 mph; no more, no less.

[jno]

"why not just have a set limit nationwide"

erm.... they do. See your Highway Code for further details.

[wilkesneil]

the new highway code is called the theory test and i son't think its in the theory book or in the highway code.
why would they put such info in the 2 books???

[Hopkirk]

Sorry? You're not making any sense at all.

Since when was the Highway Code called the theory test?

[New Judge]

We need to put this to bed.

As Aberrant has said, the “10% + 2mph” guidance (it is not a rule) was introduced by the ACPO mainly to reduce the number of frivolous challenges to speeding charges which were occurring. Many drivers opted for a court hearing instead of accepting a fixed penalty and in court they challenged such things as the calibration of the recording equipment. So the allowances were introduced to help the fixed penalty offices and police officers determine whether or not to offer a fixed penalty offer or issue a summons.

However, the speed limits remain the same and although few people are prosecuted for exceeding the speed limit by less that 10% + 2mph they still can be if the officers believe they have strong enough irrefutable evidence to support the charge.

So to address your later points:

-The police do not have to give you leeway either by law or for any other reason.

-The guidance is 10% +2mph nationwide (except for the 20mph calculation which is 10% + 3mph).

-The speed limits are those shown in the Highway Code and you can be prosecuted if you exceed them even by a small margin.

-Safety cameras will not normally capture anybody driving under the allowance for the reasons the ACPO identified.

-Travelling for 50 miles at 70 mph will take you 42.8 minutes, travelling at 75mph will take you 40 minutes. Is your time really that tight?

-The reason that information regarding this guidance is in neither the Highway Code nor the Theory Test is because motorists should obey the speed limits and not the guidance figures. In fact they need not concern themselves at all with the guidance. If you are asked in your test what the speed limit on a motorway is you will fail if you say 79mph.

-Oh, and your odometer measures the distance your car has travelled, not its speed.

[boxtops]

I'm rather sad to see people crowing about being fined or exceeding the speed limits - they are there for a reason. Yes I have done 33 in a 30 zone, probably we all have, but the speeds I see on some of our local roads are a hazard. An 18-year-old mowed down 3 women on their way to church a couple of weeks ago, and that was in a 30 zone. It's not clever to speed.