Driving license points

I had six points on mine but all gone when I sent mine off to be upgraded. Quite funny really to go back to a clean license and to the amazement of my Friends as I drive with a very heavy foot particularly on the motorway.

With the amount speed cameras about and speed traps I think virtually the only people with clean licenses are the elderly or rural drivers who drive a regular route.

 

Speed cameras are popping up even on the rural roads round here too. Obviously they figured out they can make even more money!!

 

no. just people who do not speed.
There was roadworks on the M1 for almost 4 years, they installed SPECS cameras for at least 2 years. SPECS cameras take your average speed so you can not speed between cameras. I never once got a ticket, you just need not to speed. Simples

 

Speed cameras = cash cow. Unlike traffic police, they cannot differentiate between someone speeding for the sake of it and someone speeding for a reason - woman in back about to give birth is always a good example, or even a safe overtake.

Motorists will always be an easy target for the powers that be to make money out of.

 

Oh dear, I'm going to upset a few people now I think, for different reasons.

If you've read my recent posts you will know that it took 11 hours to get from Newcastle to Southampton but only 6 1/2 to come back! Yes I put my foot down on the way back. One of the reasons, which actually makes me angry (you don't want to see me green, lol) is that there are speed restrictions when there seems to be no reason!

If I've escaped a ticked I'll be lucky. But, the only reason I had my foot down - apart from wanting to get home - was cos there was no traffic to talk of.

Now, a few weeks ago I went on a Speed Awareness Course to save me getting 3 points for speeding. I wasn't going mad driving, just over the limit & I enjoyed the course:skp: Am I weird or what?:hehe: It made me much more aware of the dangers of speeding as well as the dangers just around the corners! I knew most of these cos I'm a wary driver. No, I don't drive a 10 mph round the roads:thmb:

The person giving the course was an Advanced Driving Instructor (I've always fancied doing one of those) Flipping heck, I mean the test not the intructor:o It was interesting and informative.

Saying all this, my son thought I was a terrible driver down south cos I wouldn't go over the limit etc. He said 'God mum you used to be a confident driver'. Of course, that made me feel better so I was even worse then:lollol: I even reversed into bushes at one time. AND, told hubby, who wasn't there, so I could have blamed someone else for the scratches

Oh my, driving is getting to be less a pleasure & I've always loved it. Will I turn out to be one of those little old ladies who you shout at:thumb::flag:

cheers

 

Driving sure aint no fun anymore, at times it impossible to speed anyway, so much congestion.

Most congestion seems to be created but traffic lights, how often on the way to work early, am I stopped by a set of lights that go red for the main road when nothing is waiting to come out of the side roads.
We all sit there looking at one another, going no where, wondering whos got the green light.

Fingers crossed, I havn't got any points, yet, but its more luck than judgement.

 

I've done advanced driving and advanced riding Borrowers and I agree, it's excellent, a real insight into how to drive properly. As a biker, I use my mirrors more than the average driver (it's a well documented fact that bikers do this!) and it transfers over to when I am in the car, even doing a lifesaver check.

 

Its a shame all motorbike drivers dont go on the advanced course Aaron - some of them are crazy on the road the way they weave in and out of traffic when you cant even see them coming !

Im not a good passenger at the best of times, but motorbikes ALWAYS make me nervous im afraid. Guess I have seen too many idiots on the road to feel safe !

 

WG, the argument regards not speeding is interesting.

Trouble is the current speed limits are from the days when motor cars were less advanced and slower. Traffic congestion at peak times in towns seems to prevent anything more than about 15mph locally so the 30 mph limit hardly even applies until early evening!!! I guarantee that it would be a struggle to get up to 25mph locally with the comute/ school run traffic!

Its the motorways and dual caridgeways that I personally put my foot down on. Time wise 85mph makes a real time saving in long distance motorway driving or in short distance dual carriageway/ motorway runs when you know you'll get caught up on the A roads.

Speeds over about 90 and I find I'm constantly decelerating for slower cars hogging the fast lane so no time advantage, however I believe there is credible reason to increase the motorway speed to 80mph. With ABS, tyre technology etc etc cars are capable of doing farr more than 70 safely.

 

Not interested what speed motorists do on motorways but the clowns tend to carry it over on to the minor roads,when I am out at the crack of dawn round the country lanes you get the odd one screaming down the road thinking there's no one on it I will put my foot down and the death toll on the wildlife is horrendous,last week i helped a lady move a cat off the road that someone had hit,badgers, hedgehogs,rabbits, foxes,birds all slaughtered by the idiots.

 

If you were to take a few driving lessons you might find that such nerves go away once you develop a sense of being in control. It is far worse once you've passed your test and then you end up being a passenger for a day, right foot creeping forward in the footwell all the time and no sign of a brake pedal

You could send your paper license to be replaced with the new style one. It is free in that situation I think. I wouldn't bother though, the points mean nothing once they've expired and if you get a photocard license you'll have to remember to renew it every 10 years, whereas the paper ones didn't have this issue as far as I know.

 

Hmm! Tend to agree with walnut on this one. Motorways were designed for speed. I also live in a semi-rural area. These roads are tarted up dirt tracks with all the problems that occur from that. If you don't stick to the speed limits, then, when you drive round a bend going too fast, you hit a tractor or maybe a child.(no pavements to walk on!) This does happen round here. If you exceed the speed limit on minor roads you should be treated as a drink-driver. If you ignore speed limits on a motorway, you might well ignore them on a country road. Get used to obeying speed limits. If you think I'm "gilding the lilly", I'll take you down to our local church on a Sunday so you can see the parents tending the graves of the kids that were killed by motorists driving too fast!!. A car/gun are both lethal weapons, look at the rules about guns!! I'm a driver as well as a cyclist. I keep to the speed limits when I'm driving!! They are there for a purpose.!!

 

I was caught out a couple of years ago after i dropped my hubby off at newcastle airport was only doing 4 over the limit got a letter 2 weeks later so as like borrowers i went on a speed awareness program in our local area.
must admit it has made me aware of the speed zones whether im on local roads or motorways, noticed at lot of people driving far to fast on country roads no wonder they end up having dreadful accidents

 

It's different when you're actually riding one. But I also get nervous when I'm sat in the car and see a biker doing something that I do when I ride!

I agree about motorways needing the speed limit increased, but the government policy of wanting to restrict all NSL roads to 50mph is also crazy.

Perhaps we need to introduce continual and compulsory assessment for all road users. It's crazy that you can pass you test at 17 and if you are careful (or lucky?) avoid having a run in with the law after that. There are older people out there that learnt to drive 50 years ago and have never been tested since, but the roads have changed so much in that time. Assessment for all road users every 5 years would remind us all how to drive properly, not to hog the outside lane (it's not the fast lane!) on motorways, to slow down when it's raining or foggy, to use your mirrors, to observe more and to be aware what to do on country roads.