Spanish stealth tax

st3v3 said:
How about this one - ahead of going into a village the speed limit will change from NSL to 30, quite rightly.

If you were going in the opposite direction it would be perfectly safe to accelerate as soon as you clear the village. Agreed?

However, because we don't have different limits in different directions, you'd be breaking the law if you increase speed before the sign says so, even though it's actually safe.

So why the fcuk is the camera van parked up to catch this?

Was a regular camera site when we used to go from castle combe back to the motorway. He'd park just around a bend too, the swine.
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Got a ticket years ago for exactly that, less than 50yds from a NSL sign. Hand held camera, he knew exactly what he was doing.
 
Fazerloz said:
Cruise control does not take you over the limit going downhill, the hill does that. Cruise backs off as much as it can then gravity takes over, cruise doesn't apply the brakes, that's the drivers job.
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So in other words cruise control does not work going down steep hills. When applying the brakes you are taken out of cruise control.
And thanks for explaining gravity, and what brakes do, I would never have known any of this without your post.
My point was that in cruise control you could still be over the speed limit, whether it’s caused by gravity, or anything else is irrelevant, you are over the limit.
 
Fisherman said:
So in other words cruise control does not work going down steep hills. When applying the brakes you are taken out of cruise control.
And thanks for explaining gravity, and what brakes do, I would never have known any of this without your post.
My point was that in cruise control you could still be over the speed limit, whether it’s caused by gravity, or anything else is irrelevant, you are over the limit.
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I suspect Fazerloz was merely pointing out that its the driver that's responsible for speeding...
NOT the cruise control
Or the hill
Or anything else
 
mistericeman said:
I suspect Fazerloz was merely pointing out that its the driver that's responsible for speeding...
NOT the cruise control
Or the hill
Or anything else
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I reckon we all know who’s responsible.
I have never heard of cruise control, a hill, or anything else being fined for speeding.
The original point was whilst in cruise control you could exceed the set speed for a period and be speeding. That’s all I was attempting to say.
 
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Fisherman said:
I reckon we all know who’s responsible.
I have never heard of cruise control, a hill, or anything else being fined for speeding.
The original point was whilst in cruise control you could exceed the set speed for a period and be speeding. That’s all I was attempting to say.
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Indeed.... Though 'some' more modern cruise controls are active and will 'brake' to maintain speed control downhill....

Some are even more involved and are capable of maintaining a set distance from a moving vehicle in front....

It's STILL ultimately the drivers responsibility for abiding by the speed limit...
 
mistericeman said:
Indeed.... Though 'some' more modern cruise controls are active and will 'brake' to maintain speed control downhill....

Some are even more involved and are capable of maintaining a set distance from a moving vehicle in front....

It's STILL ultimately the drivers responsibility for abiding by the speed limit...
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No one on here has stated its not the drivers responsibility, well not that I am aware of, I certainly have not.
Thats stating the obvious.
And if some cruise controls are capable of doing all of this then thats great.
Many won't, including mine.
 
What do others think of the velocity control systems they have in many Portuguese villages/towns? There are cameras on the approach road to the town, and if your speed is higher than 50km and not slowing, the traffic light a bit further up the road turns to red and you have to actually halt. If you are going a sensible speed within the limit for the town, the light stays green. It does mean that people slow down before they get to the dangerous bit of road rather than just hit the brakes at a camera then speed up again?
Our local town has just removed the camera and traffic lights and replaced them with, quite high, speed bumps.
 
The French system of roundabouts, speed humps, multiple ‘zebra’ crossings (without orange beacons) and chicanes with narrow approaches certainly keep the speed down. I have seen a few of the traffic lights you describe and quite like the idea. It seems to imply ‘follow the speed limits and you will get the reward of continuous passage’. Speed humps remind me of the small minority of motorhomers who misuse parking. They penalise us all.
Just what the speed to accident and death ratio is in France, but they certainly seem to be jumping on the automated camera income stream.

Davy
 
REC said:
What do others think of the velocity control systems they have in many Portuguese villages/towns? There are cameras on the approach road to the town, and if your speed is higher than 50km and not slowing, the traffic light a bit further up the road turns to red and you have to actually halt. If you are going a sensible speed within the limit for the town, the light stays green. It does mean that people slow down before they get to the dangerous bit of road rather than just hit the brakes at a camera then speed up again?
Our local town has just removed the camera and traffic lights and replaced them with, quite high, speed bumps.
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I think it sounds like quite a neat idea, Ruth, and seems to be doing the job.

Speed bumps are horrible things! :mad:
 
TeamRienza said:
The French system of roundabouts, speed humps, multiple ‘zebra’ crossings (without orange beacons) and chicanes with narrow approaches certainly keep the speed down. I have seen a few of the traffic lights you describe and quite like the idea. It seems to imply ‘follow the speed limits and you will get the reward of continuous passage’. Speed humps remind me of the small minority of motorhomers who misuse parking. They penalise us all.
Just what the speed to accident and death ratio is in France, but they certainly seem to be jumping on the automated camera income stream.

Davy
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Think , in France , the pedestrian is given priority . As it should be
 
TeamRienza said:
The French system of roundabouts, speed humps, multiple ‘zebra’ crossings (without orange beacons) and chicanes with narrow approaches certainly keep the speed down. I have seen a few of the traffic lights you describe and quite like the idea. It seems to imply ‘follow the speed limits and you will get the reward of continuous passage’. Speed humps remind me of the small minority of motorhomers who misuse parking. They penalise us all.
Just what the speed to accident and death ratio is in France, but they certainly seem to be jumping on the automated camera income stream.

Davy
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Eek! You've just reminded me of an incident in the 1980s when I was towing a caravan through Lannion in Brittany. I spotted a sign warning of speed humps a few hundred metres before a roundabout and so slowed right down. However, there were no speed bumps before the roundabout. Heaving a sigh of relief at having successfully negotiated my first ever French roundabout, I accelerated away from the roundabout accordingly for the speed limit when it hit me -- or rather, I hit it; the speed hump, that is. The swines had put the speed hump after the roundabout and after the 'danger zone'. In my towing mirror, I noted that the trailer wheels left the road by several inches. When I got to our campsite a few miles down the road, I found the contents of the larder strewn all over the caravan floor! ... :(
 
I like the sound of the traffic light system, a good way to effectively stop speeding.
Years ago I had a little dashboard gizmo that bleeped if you went over the limit.It was about the time when speed cameras were being introduced.. Thinking about it, it was probably a speed camera alert gizmo. My point is, it made driving relaxing again, instead of constantly being on high alert for cameras......made it far easier to concentrate on what was happening on the road, instead of constantly checking my Speedo.
 
We use the speed alert on the satnav. Since Dave got a ticket for doing 34 in 30mph area and did a speed awareness course. It is irritating but useful, wish ours could be adjusted so it doesn't go off at 31mph but feel better that it alerts me!
 
Traffic light system is a good one, can't remember where I've come across it though.

Drivers have to be aware it is a traffic light, and not a target though.
 
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