The Road Maniac and Pathetic Punishment Thread

[Fastpedaller]

A recent report on the 'interweb', a driver had his licence stripped for driving at 153 mph on the A338 near Bournemouth, a 50 mph road limit.
The driver in question ,was a 23 yrs old man , recently passed his driving test, in a BMW 235 coupe, 3 weeks he has held his licence, given a jail sentence, of 6 months , suspended for 2 years , a ban for 2 yrs 6 months, and automatically will need to retake the tests , extended of course, no reported fine.
Given that he was a inexperienced road driver, and driving a relatively high performance vehicle, a fine would probably been a minor inconvenience, but likely appropriate too,
But if the driver could be so flippant about his responsibility, I hardly think he is unduly worried about the situation it seems that's the reality out there.
Of course there's nothing to stop him from driving unlicensed, uninsured or taxed, as chances are he is unlikely to be caught, but he will risk a jail sentence should he do so
This is the problem we are up against, obviously more money than he knows what to do with.

Take the vehicle away? - he obviously can't be trusted with it!
What sort of moron drives at that speed - I wouldn't even want to do that on a racetrack.

 

[grldtnr]

The issue there as. I'm sure it's quite common, it's not theirs, it's a lease or PCP deal, so not actually owned by them , just the registered keeper.
Although this wasn't mentioned, you can be sure it probably was, something that perhaps encourages these idiots to drive like, well idiots !
Trash it and there will be a financial penalty, but it's not like whatever flash cars cost.
I often think ,why are these cars sold on the basis of super performance, it cannot be used on British roads, I believe EU rules now fit speed limiters on modern cars.
Fit governors to all cars , they can't then speed.
Good idea , I think so.

 

[icowden]

Fit governors to all cars , they can't then speed.
Good idea , I think so.

Another approach is to put 25% VAT on ICE cars and take VAT off EVs. You don't speed in an EV. Well not for very long...
(I think a Tesla 3 at 130mph only has about 25 miles of range)

 

[Fastpedaller]

Another approach is to put 25% VAT on ICE cars and take VAT off EVs. You don't speed in an EV. Well not for very long...
(I think a Tesla 3 at 130mph only has about 25 miles of range)

Not a solution. Ask why anything with a government incentive err... has a government incentive? It's because it's not as good as the product it's trying to replace.

 

[icowden]

Not a solution. Ask why anything with a government incentive err... has a government incentive? It's because it's not as good as the product it's trying to replace.

Weird - it worked really well for the Norwegian government. Almost all their sales are now EV because it's such a no-brainer to make EVs cheaper and ICE more expensive.

 

[Fastpedaller]

Weird - it worked really well for the Norwegian government. Almost all their sales are now EV because it's such a no-brainer to make EVs cheaper and ICE more expensive.

It depends on individual perception of benefit, both to the individual and/or the planet. We've pretty much perfected the internal combustion engine over 100 years, and now choose to throw it away. I previously worked in the auto industry, working on engines for many years - I could go into great depth and bore everyone, so won't. Suffice to say it isn't a simple 'electric' is better, yes, the tailpipe emissions may well be better, but the total energy usage over vehicle life is a critical factor. Electric has other issues, such as tyre particle pollution being a lot higher (than ICE) because of increased weight. As I said I could go on, and if our Gov't (or any other) was really bothered about the climate they'd limit vehicle use (except bikes) and put weight limits on vehicles (both EV and ICE) - the weights of ICE cars have increased some 40% in the last 30 years, and I've very little doubt we could all have been enjoying 100 MPG cars if they'd stayed lighter/smaller.

 

[grldtnr]

Also ,take consideration in charging EV's not everyone can have a home charger, but that's besides the point, it is off topic , this thread is about driving misdemeanors , and perceived 'light' sentencing of offenders.
Take a life , or seriously maim someone gets a 'light' penalty, speed dangerously down the road without injuring someone , and get a suspended custodial sentence and a driving ban,
There are some gross misjudged sentences out there, but a singular charge of negligent driving would be a catch all charge, occaisining grievous harm makes a more serious offence.

 

[Drago]

We need mandatory speed limiters that work without intervention and cannot be overridden.

This was coming , but the regs got watered down in the face of resistance from the motoring lobby, so they can now be overridden on the fly or even switched off entirely.

Strange that a group that kills 5 and maims 82 every day gets new laws designed to curb their murderous tendencies so vastly watered down when they bleat a bit.

Strange still. Shoplifters, who generally as a group don't kill anyone on a typical day, would be laughed at mercilessly if they tried to get, say, CCTV laws watered down to suit them, yet a group that harbours highly dangerous road criminals manages just that with ease. What does that say about our society?

 

[icowden]

We need mandatory speed limiters that work without intervention and cannot be overridden.

Agreed. There was someone in a local facebook group wanging on about the 20mph limits in Richmond and Kingston because they had had THREE speeding tickets and it was just SO difficult staying at 20mph all the time. It also meant she took an HOUR to get to Kew Bridge from Richmond Road in Kingston.

Essentially she did a massive self-own that she is a terrible driver and shouldn't be on the road. It hadn't occurred to her that 6 miles at 30mph is going to take 12 mins and the same at 20mph 18 mins and that during rush hour of course it would take 24 mins on a good day or 45 on a bad day, meaning that on a good day her speed is 14mph and on a bad day 8mph.

But - y'know - 20mph limits are clearly the cause, and not say - people driving at rush hour rather than taking public transport.

 

[grldtnr]

Or gawd forbid actually walk ! My dayjob as a postman i'd walk at least 15 miles. daily, just walking , fittest I'd ever been, but this is posh west London , can't be seen not in a big monstrous 4x4 without sunnnies the size of dustbins on her 'pert' little nose , ......oh No !!!
My round as on the mean streets of Sarfend ,not that saloubriuos, she has the majesty of a Royal park to walk through, I'd have loved that !