ADUK Archive

waremark wrote:

TripleS wrote:I really don't think the level of enforcement is sufficient to deter people from driving fast if they want to. Another factor is that having become acclimatised to lowish speeds, most drivers would not feel comfortable to suddenly start driving much faster. I think they would find it hard work, taking too much concentration, and they'd soon get tired of it and drop the pace back to the levels they are more accustomed to. There might initially be a few more frights, and even a few more shunts for a brief period, but I reckon things would calm down again fairly soon, and the accident rate may not be greatly worsened beyond that initial period. It might even improve if it sharpened up people's attention to the driving processes, so that'd be a win-win situation.

Dave is incredibly optimistic - also unrealistic to suggest that 'the accident rate may not be greatly worsened' would be an acceptable proposition in the modern era.

When I was a male teenager I drove as fast as my car would let me. I am delighted that my sons are restrained from doing so in modern much faster cars (forget high performance cars, a 1.2 litre hatch is capable of over 100) by the threat of going back to being a learner if they get caught over the limit twice in their first two years, and thereafter the continuing threat that driving will become even more unaffordable if they get points on their licenses.

Personally, I would drive much faster in many situations if there was no NSL - though I would argue that I would do so without an unreasonable level of danger. Who here would not drive much faster if there was no NSL?