Basically just a quick question...

I have been told that your allowed to get to the speed limit as quick as you like aslong as you dont wheelspin or go over the limit, is this true?

It's not something I'd chance with all the 'due care and attention' laws that basically give police maximum reign to decide what is and isn't proper driving...

It's not something I'd chance with all the 'due care and attention' laws that basically give police maximum reign to decide what is and isn't proper driving...

Ahh fair enough, I'm not going to do it I'm just simply asking :)

I personally don't see whats wrong with it.

I was told on my advanced driving its perfectly fine to accelerate hard up to the speed limit.

The way I see it if the road is clear, conditions are good, you have (in my case) 7,000rpm and 100bhp, I have no problem using it all to get to 60mph if I'm turning onto a national speed limit road.

I do however know someone who got stopped by the police for "excessive revving" as he accelerated out of a junction. Nothing ever came of it like but still.

So long as it's done in a safe manner for the conditions and surroundings then there isn't any offence that I'm aware of. Although there is an antisocial behaviour issue to consider, eg if you have a loud exhaust.

When I did some training in driving fast for good reasons, I was taught to us 90% of the revs to the redline, to in a car with a 7000rpm redline, go to 7000 - 700 = 6300.

At the same time though, why bother?

The way I see it, I bought the car, if I want to rev it right up to the red line or hit the rev limiter thats entirely my choice.

So long as I'm not in violation of any traffic regulations etc.

Police will just say you where being antisocial. if you give them cheek saying its legal they will probably hit you with a anti-social-driving-order.

Pretty much if u driving in a manner which is anti-social you are liable to be prosicuted.

Revving your vehical unnecessarily - (loud exhaust or not)

Its the upto the police descretion wise, but if u cane it up a country road and stop at 60mph dont assume you will get off scot free.

An interesting one.

It's like how do you define dangerous driving when going round a corner too fast. Even if your car is within the grip limit on all four tyres and technically your straight line speed isn't in excess of the speed limit, you can still get done on the coppers discretion.

Most people who have the common sense to pass a driving test will have the common sense to determine which situation allows for hard acceleration and which is just chancing your luck.

An interesting one.

It's like how do you define dangerous driving when going round a corner too fast. Even if your car is within the grip limit on all four tyres and technically your straight line speed isn't in excess of the speed limit, you can still get done on the coppers discretion.

I've actually been pulled over for something similar to this.

Driving down a deserted national speed limit road at midnight and come to a roundabout. I know the road, I've looked ahead and nothing is coming.

I block change down into second and take the first exit of the round about (90degree left) at about 40mph (Note 20mph below the speed limit).

As I start to accelerated hard out of the turn I see a car coming off the roundabout 200yards up the road.

Again I've looked ahead, that was the only other car on the road, it has now passed me so I take this next roundabout in second gear at 40mph (again 20mph below the speed limit).

I then continue at this speed as I'm about to enter the outskirts of a residential zone (actually an industrial estate but they have started building houses there).

I follow the road round and end up in a Tesco's car park where I'm dropping off a mate at his car.

We are out the car for about 5 minutes when I see a silver BMW 5 series roll up. Two coppers step out of it and ask who was driving the car at the roundabouts.

I put my hand up and they invite me to sit in the back of their car.

They then proceed to give me a 45 minute lecture on how even though I was 20mph below the limit I was still driving dangerously as my Polo (lowered to the floor with two mates in it) was apparently leaning heavily to one side. They go through their evidence and decide they don't have much to charge me for dangerous driving (they just filmed my headlight glare and then me shooting past them).

They then proceeded to give me an anti-social driving thing for driving within the speed limit, within my cars grip limits, within my driving limits and outwith a residential zone with two mates in the back.

I'm sorry but how the F*** is that antisocial?

haha sounds like my one, i was basically taking a right hand turn at some crossroads in my bug. was 3am and i could see the road ahead, instead of moving right into the right turn lane, i stayed left and took the more gradual curve right so i didn't have to lose any speed. i took the turn at about just under 30.

cop van who was in the road on the left (opposite the road i had just turned on to) chases me and tells me i took the corner waay too fast. i didn't want to question it as he said he would let me off with a verbal warning but i still felt a bit rattled by the 6 points he had threatened me with.

he said 'you took that corner on two wheels mate'.. it seems the only factor they use to back up their opinions is the amount of body roll a car is showing?!

i know it was stupid and i shouldn't have done it, but i wonder if a BMW saloon or the likes took the car and the same speed whether they would have pulled it or not..

An interesting one.

It's like how do you define dangerous driving when going round a corner too fast. Even if your car is within the grip limit on all four tyres and technically your straight line speed isn't in excess of the speed limit, you can still get done on the coppers discretion.

I've actually been pulled over for something similar to this.

Driving down a deserted national speed limit road at midnight and come to a roundabout. I know the road, I've looked ahead and nothing is coming.

I block change down into second and take the first exit of the round about (90degree left) at about 40mph (Note 20mph below the speed limit).

As I start to accelerated hard out of the turn I see a car coming off the roundabout 200yards up the road.

Again I've looked ahead, that was the only other car on the road, it has now passed me so I take this next roundabout in second gear at 40mph (again 20mph below the speed limit).

I then continue at this speed as I'm about to enter the outskirts of a residential zone (actually an industrial estate but they have started building houses there).

I follow the road round and end up in a Tesco's car park where I'm dropping off a mate at his car.

We are out the car for about 5 minutes when I see a silver BMW 5 series roll up. Two coppers step out of it and ask who was driving the car at the roundabouts.

I put my hand up and they invite me to sit in the back of their car.

They then proceed to give me a 45 minute lecture on how even though I was 20mph below the limit I was still driving dangerously as my Polo (lowered to the floor with two mates in it) was apparently leaning heavily to one side. They go through their evidence and decide they don't have much to charge me for dangerous driving (they just filmed my headlight glare and then me shooting past them).

They then proceeded to give me an anti-social driving thing for driving within the speed limit, within my cars grip limits, within my driving limits and outwith a residential zone with two mates in the back.

I'm sorry but how the F*** is that antisocial?

On that note, i asked my driving instructor and he says basically, if it's safe to go around a roundabout at 40 or whatever, then Fine, you can do.

E.G. if it's a 60 limit and you can safely go around the roundabout at 60, then why not!

Oh man, now comes the 'how do you define "safe"?' question..

Oh man, now comes the 'how do you define "safe"?' question..

Exactly, I mean with the vast variety of the cars on the road its impossible to know how everyone will handle.

In my case I was in a small light nimble Polo and the coppers were in a big heavy diesel BMW 5 series.

That particular roundabout I can happily take at 40mph in the Polo but maybe the BMW can't so because they can't in their car (which is completely different) does that mean I was driving in an unsafe maner?

probably they where refering to you going to fast to react to anything suddenly entering the round about, or some bullshit like that.

Oh man, now comes the 'how do you define "safe"?' question..

Personally, i define safe as:

Not screeching the tires (limit of grip)

time to stop if something unexpected happens (e.g Piss head stumbles into the road)

and room to complete your manouver without straddling other lanes

you don't have to be speeding to be done for dangerous driving, if the wrong copper see's you accelerating hard he could do you for some thing along the lines of dangerous driving, it would then be up to you to prove that what you were doing wasn't dangerous when you go to court. although that isn't going to be easy if you are a 17 year old youth arguing the point with a traffic cop with 15 years experience.

as we see on an almost weekly basis on here it's not so much if what you are doing is breaking the law, more if in the coopers opinion what you were doing was breaking the law. for example if you give it some shit out of a junction up to the limit (without spinning the wheels ect), he may perceive this as dangerous as you 'could' of lost control and crashed. the law is written but it doesn't go into exact detail about every single possible situation, it's just an outline and the rest is up to the interpretation of the powers that be and their expert advisers (or what ever they are called, the people that are experts in a certain feild that the courts bring in to give their expert opinion on what you were doing?).

so it's probably not against the law per-say (as in there may not be an exact law saying 'you can't accelerate hard up to the speed limit'), but that's not to say that they couldn't do you for it under the guide lines they have in place.

so it's probably not against the law per-say (as in there may not be an exact law saying 'you can't accelerate hard up to the speed limit'), but that's not to say that they couldn't do you for it under the guide lines they have in place.

Wonder what these guidelines are though. As in, what they judge safe driving as..

I think a safe speed could be defined as being able to stop in the distance you can see in front of you? Ona roundabout you can see less ahead so need to be able to stop sooner, and your car is turning so has less braking capabilities aswell.

This would be my guess, and is how I try and drive these days.. having matured from my erratic youth-hood

as i have just finished my nvq level 3 in driving goods vehicles i can tell you the DSA state you should accelerate up to the speed limit as quickly and safely as possible. if you dont you are actually a hazard to other drivers that are already doing the speed limit.

if a copper wants to be an arse about it go through the proper lines of defending yourself in court and refusing to be to blame for something that is within the law, even though the copper has experience he does not have evidence, especially if he was on his own he doesnt stand much chance in court, people lie down n take things off the police way too easily, fight your case for principle if anything.

I've been pulled over for taking off at the lights, only getting to the speed limit (40), but all he could do was moan and let me go 'cos I hadnt actually broken the speed limit =)

i think that was the coppers way of saying "If you accelerate fast, we'll slow you down" so you get there quicker by going a bit slower (make sense?)

Everything is so confusing about this entire subject.

When I did my advanced driving we were told to accelerate hard in 2nd and 3rd up to speed...so as fast as the car would get there.

As said above the DSA state you should accelerate up to the speed limit as quickly and safely as possible.

But then the cops pull people over for accelerating or revving too hard and the goverment wants us all to change gear at like 2,000rpm!

the morel of the story is:

once you've accelerated to the limit, don't stop

as i have just finished my nvq level 3 in driving goods vehicles i can tell you the DSA state you should accelerate up to the speed limit as quickly and safely as possible. if you dont you are actually a hazard to other drivers that are already doing the speed limit.

if a copper wants to be an arse about it go through the proper lines of defending yourself in court and refusing to be to blame for something that is within the law, even though the copper has experience he does not have evidence, especially if he was on his own he doesnt stand much chance in court, people lie down n take things off the police way too easily, fight your case for principle if anything.

all they would have to do is prove that you were doing it in an unsafe manor, that doesn't just have to be based on your driving style, they could also take into account the weather, the road conditions, the state of the road ect, ect, even your driving experience. after all accelerating hard on a dry hot day on a freshly tarmacked road will give you more grip and no doubt be seen as safer than accelerating in the same manor in the wet on a road with loose surface.

and a copper will have evidence to a degree, he is not just some randomer off the street he is a highly trained officer of the law and will be classed as an 'expert witness' if called into a court case. that's not to say that he doesn't need any thing to back up his side of events, but if it comes to a case of your word against his, his will be a lot more credible, especially if he is a traffic copper.

i've been through court for dangerous driving so i know how it works in practice

dangerous driving is a little different, courts hate that,

id hardly say a copper is highly trained. some yes but thats abit of a tarring with a brush situation,

if you have a good solicitor or are good at fighting your own case it really is his word against yours, and in the above situation where he was driving past you he would barely be able to comment on your driving as all he had was a glimpse where as you where the one driving so know whether you where in control.

a copper could be picking on you as he has seen you around and doesnt like that he cant do you for anything and is being petty. id take it on, the worst the courts will do is give you the offence that was intended if you didnt, it sounds silly but most police around here are like that and would do you for anything they could.

dangerous driving is a little different, courts hate that,

id hardly say a copper is highly trained. some yes but thats abit of a tarring with a brush situation,

if you have a good solicitor or are good at fighting your own case it really is his word against yours, and in the above situation where he was driving past you he would barely be able to comment on your driving as all he had was a glimpse where as you where the one driving so know whether you where in control.

a copper could be picking on you as he has seen you around and doesnt like that he cant do you for anything and is being petty. id take it on, the worst the courts will do is give you the offence that was intended if you didnt, it sounds silly but most police around here are like that and would do you for anything they could.

another fan of dyfed powys police

sadly around here they will try for anything, there are a few decent coppers in the patch.