Yesterday (23:05)quotequote all
Posted on Pistonheads.


Hi, I never been in trouble with the cops before... but always have had a heavy right foot. Anyway, I was on a single carriageway early in the morning and there was no traffic. I was on a long straight and thought to myself how fast can this go, have a 1999 fiat coupe 20v turbo by the way. Got up all the way to 120 - 130 and then saw faint blue lights in my rear view, so I instantly slowed right down. The cop pulled me over and said he clocked me at 130 and had to do 150 odd to catch me. (Even though I pretty came to a stop when I saw him) surely he wouldn't have to do 150 to catch me?


After a long talk he let me go, but said I'm probably looking at a big and a possible ban. Anyone on here have any experience with this kind of situation? I really need transport to get to work otherwise I'm fked.

At the speed your admitting to travelling -your looking at ban territory.

You need to find a good specialist lawyer. If you were going the speed you think you were-you need to have someone argue in the courts to mitigate a fair penalty.

If you have family to support-loosing your job due to a ban would be a very draconian act for instance....

Good luck!


MM

It's not safe to do 130mph anywhere but a race track.

Apparently it is safe on German Autobahns! I'm not condoning the actions of the person who posted on Pistonheads but in the right weather conditions, car and road situation 130 in itself isn't necessarily dangerous. What makes it potentially unsafe is that other road users would not be expecting anyone to be travelling at that speed.

It is often done on German Autobahns! 130 in a straight line, in good weather, in a car in good condition, it is in itself no big deal. One often sees quite a bit more and occasionally a lot more!

Other traffic, etc., makes it more risky though and it is generally pointless as it just burns fuel for a few seconds to a few minutes reduction in journey time. But it is fun if you are wired up that way.

However, if it is illegal to do so on the piece of road in question, on has to accept the consequences. Definitely need to get a good lawyer to help but any reduction in the ban is a bonus.

What a numpty Probably very few drivers are adequately trained to drive a car safely at 130mph on a public road. And a single carriageway as well - any road defect, pot hole etc would easily destabilise the car with serious results. Flog him to an inch of his life and may God have mercy on his sole - not that I feel strongly about this..

130 isn’t dangerous per se - it would be perfectly safe to do it on many stretches of UK A road.

What makes it unsafe is the presence of other road users

i got caught doing 61mph in a 30mph zone, but it was on a duel carriageway. when i went to court i wrote a letter saying how i need my licence for my job and to support my family, and gave it to the magistrate.
i was handed out a £500 fine and 3 points

Sorry Nigel but couldn't disagree with you more. Driving at these speeds requires a higher reaction time, judgement, assessment of the conditions and anticipation that many drivers simply don't have or are taught. Driving at speeds over 100mph is surprisingly draining both mentally and physically as concentration levels have to be spot on - there ain't no room for error.

Things certainly happen a lot quicker once you get past 120. But it's not the speed that's the problem. It's the sudden stop!

Autobahn driving is not for the faint hearted in my opinion. Unfortunately I have seen 1st hand the results of high speed and poor reaction time in braking in changeable weather and it ended badly. I can still hear the screeching tyres and the sound of folding metal 20 years later.
We are all tempted at some time to push the limit but 130mph on a A road is madness.

Autobahn driving is like all other driving - you learn as you go along. In the UK we have experience of driving at up to 70 mph. Suddenly driving at 120+ mph is daunting for some. However, as you develop you own observational and self-preservation skills, when the roads are clear, the speed is not a great problem. You should not be doing it when the traffic is too heavy.

Driving fast in heavy traffic is draining and actually pointless. Driving fast on a near empty road and making good progress is actually quite relaxing. A 100 mph cruise in a modern car is much easier and safer than 70 mph in an old Mini.

I have been up to 190 on the M180 a few years ago as a passenger in a Gallardo.

Was very early hours of the morning. but still very irresponsible and against my wishes.

Yep things go past very very quickly at those speeds, can only imagine what a mess a simple thing like hitting a pheasant would be at those sort of speeds.


Not proud to admit it but I was terrified

M180 - that is in the UK and 120 mph over the legal limit. Agreed, very irresponsible.

Where it is legal, one may do it, but the risks rise with the increased speed. Even in Germany, any accident on a derestricted Autobahn at over the guide speed of 130 km/h, the insurance company gives the fast driver some of the "fault" even if the other driver was technically 100% at fault.

To say that one should not drive fast even if it is allowed by law is a bit narrow minded. One should drive respectfully and carefully and within the prevailing conditions. One has to be very much more careful passing much slower cars because they might not have expected you to have caught them up so quickly even though they "know" that it is possible.

Most drivers don't drive so fast so often, but those who appear to have company petrol cards and cars seem to try and use the performance of their car to the full. Most family cars these days will do 130 mph or more and you have to expect some to be doing such speeds out here.

I took my Coupe up to an indicated 155mph (to match the published top speed) on a stretch of de-restricted Autobahn back in 1997ish. It's amazing how quickly things fly past at that speed, how quickly you approach slower traffic, how every "straight" turns into a curve, and how little margin of error there is. Imagine my disappointment to realise that it was probably only a real 145mph. I've tried to repeat it on subsequent visits to Germany but it's so hard to find a long enough stretch of traffic-free Autobahn these days

Yes the Coupe speedos are a bit optimistic

Also dead right about the Autobahns in western Germany - usually packed apart from at times when one should be asleep. Some of the eastern ones are more often a bit more lightly loaded. Winding a car up to very high speeds is during the day is hard. I remember one trip when I accidentally gave my wife too much of a head start so gave myself an excuse to play. I could get up to 250 km/h quite regularly but only for a second or two and then I would be back to 130 or so. A diesel Mondeo more or less kept up with me for the complete derestricted stretch of 15 mins or so!!! Waste of fuel really

You'll have to play the game. Turn up at court looking smart. Explain that you'll be destitute if you lose your licence and job and that you have no family nearby and will be homeless. Explain how disgusted you are with yourself for the blatantly dangerous, selfish act of speeding.

After you've made your little speech hang your head in shame and await the magistrates response. You may just be allowed to keep your licence. I managed to avoid losing my licence twice using this tactic. I actually had 15 points on my licence at one point but was still allowed to drive.

Even on a motorway the rule is almost always over the magic ton = instant ban.

You might get 30 days clink for that and a 12 month ban and told to take your test again!

I have no problem with speed. It's the numbskulls driving the other vehicles that I am wary of.

I went on my first un-voluntary police speed awareness course over 30 years ago, after inverting and becoming airborne in a Citroen BX GTI. Plod in those days was not too worried about speed, but more about defensive driving and idiot avoidance. This course, which included time on a police skid pan, was 1 hr theory followed by 7 hours practical on the road and it taught me how to drive quickly and smoothly together with looking ahead for the unexpected action of others. The police, and I now, treat ALL other road users and their colleagues as potential accident causes and idiots.

Of course, at that time and unlike now, very few cars were capable of 130mph+, but it was interesting to note that on my latest speed awareness course last year for doing 38mph in a 30 zone, whilst driving my 225 bhp Volvo V70, the course was 5 hrs total theory on avoiding getting caught for speeding and avoiding motor cyclists + 2 hours for coffee breaks.

Nothing relevant to car control is ever seriously taught to newbie drivers today!

I used to drive an E Type Jag at 145mph on the A1 in 1961 every day, on my way to work, before the 70 limit was imposed. Now 50 years later, traffic volumes, common sense and plod's technology normally keeps me within non punishable limits.

If I wanted the speed rush, over the last 15 years, I would get out my Fireblade and rip up Cadwell and Donnington Parks.

5 years ago I noticed that my reaction times were slowing, so have settled down and my driving is now much more PC. Just hope I don't develop into the old dodderer holding up the traffic in lane 2 of dual carriageways!