I Was A Foo... But I Was Shocked Too!

[+Steve]

Just came back from an LOC committee meeting at Gaydon this evening and did not leave until 11.30 and had a 2 hour drive to do.

I was using a IS200 for the day and was stonking back home as the roads were clear. Off the A34 i joined up on the M3 and put my foot down... next minute i look in the mirror and notice these lights very close to my back end... I was doing about 108MPH so i pulled into the middle lane and 2 cop bikes flew past...

My stomach dropped! I thought my licence would have been thrown in the bin at this point... but nope... now these two cop bikes must have been racing each other because otherwise if they were really in an emergency they would have had the flashers on.

I am now here kissing my Licence and thanking god they did not pull me!

I was also a foo for doing that speed.. but that winchester bypass has a wicked hill that makes you speed! :(

[TheNissanMan]

I know that area all too well and agree there is a tendency to speed a long there, sounds as if your one lucky bunny....

Are you doing the A34 route for Gaydon ? There's some services just past Oxford on the A34 wondered if you fancied a convoy to the meet, or are you expecting to be late with overheating problems again :) :) :)

[Ken]

Definately one of the worst feelings in the world is doing a ton plus and all of a sudden a t-5's lite up like a christmas tree behind you and the best one is when he keeps going!!!! :D

[TheNissanMan]

Only had that once about 7 years ago. I had a little ole escort 1.4 thingy, finished work at midnight on New Years Eve in Cardiff and had to get to a party in Swindon, put my foot down and surprised i got it up to 113mph with noone but me on the M4, next thing I know 2x T5's zoomed past, didn't see them coming and they were gone in a flash. They weren't lit up and always believed they were seeing what those cars could do on an empty motorway as they were going very silly speeds.

Wouldlove to see one of them get in trouble fr speeding though :D

[Ken]

I like the sound of that! :D

The best bit of police work i ever saw was on the M1 one christmas eve day,i was stuck in a 14mile tailback and when i got to the front the crash was on the other side of the road .But everyone who stared at the other side got a ticket from 10 policemen on the hard shoulder and it serves everyone of them right :D so they do have their uses,but nicking someone at 2 in the morning,nothing on the road for doing 90 shouldn't be one of them.

I think motorways and A roads should have a dual speed limits anyway say from 6am to 10pm 70mph and between 10 and 6 90mph unless it is bad weather and in that case it go's back to 70mph.

[TheNissanMan]

Or similar to that on the continent where there are different speed limits for wet and dry conditions...

Mind you in general compared to driving in Europe drivers over here are awful, all thinking of themselves and not of others.

I drove to Belgium at Xmas and was amazed at how well the traffic moved and how everybody moveed out of your way (oops I mean out of the way of faster moving traffic).

There seemed to be a much better level of awareness on the roads out there which makes the biggest differencve.

It would be nice to have the staggered speed limits for different conditions but I hate to say I don't think British drivers are ready for that yet.....

[Ken]

True they do flow very well and they do seem very much better than over here.But is it through better traffic management or better driver training?

Do you know if you get pulled for speeding in europe if it is just a fine or a fine and they send your licence to dvla under some type of reciprocal agreement.I drive to my mates in holland a few times each year so it would be nice to know.

[TheNissanMan]

I think it must be to do with both traffic mgmt and training....

Not sure about the speeding ticket, I know over here if you use a foreign license you get a slap on the wrist at the side off the road. Twice got pulled doing considerably over the limit when I first moved back from Hong Kong and had Mr plod giving me some serious verbal about whata naughty boy had been but surprisingly both times when I presented a Hong Kong Driving License the attitude changed considerably to a well don't do that again....

Am sure it is down to the paperwork involved in prosecuting foreign drivers....

[Ken]

Sounds like typical UK plod,but they seem a bit more efficent over there.I heard the french time you between tollbooth's and fine you at the barrier for speeding as well as usual speed traps.Be interesting to find out if you can get points on your license for speeding in any EU countries on a UK license.

The bad traffic management in this country causes a lot of the bad driving so if they fix that it might help the other a bit but there will still be a lot of bad drivers out there due to our previous lax approach in driving tests and in some cases the older generation not taking a test at all.

[yaristpot]

i took the little tpot over to france this weekend and couldn't belive the change of driving habits, it all true, people are so much more aware of you, and the roads are in so much better condition. was very inpressed and cant wait to go again.

dan :D

[jerry phipps]

Sounds like you where really lucky steve. Sounds like they had bigger fish to fry on that night ah? :D

jerry!!

[gordypix]

Yes, lucky for you Steve. Cops are humans as well so maybe when bored then get lead footed also. So they are not perfect and they certainly do not always practice what they preach.

My own brush came after I had just bought my Celica in '97. I was going to Brighton with the music on at around 10 in evening. Going round the Romford area of the M25 the blues appeared in my rear view.

When I was asked what speed I thought I was doing I answered 80 - 90. I honestly thought that was what it felt like. The police officer (very polite may I add) showed me his in car footage that showed me at 131mph and the lowest speed while they were watching was 88.

<the spuds of lurrrrvve>s..... Only I didn't say that to them

All I can think is that as I was used to a 1.6 Fiesta before the Celica, my foot hadn't gotton used to the Celica's power.

I got off lightly though. Two week ban and £120 fine. Not a single point on my licence. No affect on my insurance whatsover.

Skin of my teeth.

Needless to say, thesedays I tend to keep an eye on the speedo.