No SAC in Scotland. Updated- Waiting for a Scotland v England 6 Nations home win. 24th Feb 2018
Gone-1972 88 SWB Soft top
Gone-1981 24v FFR Lightweight
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Gone before it bankrupted me- 2008 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto
2013 Freelander 2 SD4 GS Auto

I am actually all for speed cameras in the 'right' areas and by my definition of a right area I mean somewhere like the rat run that is our village as non residents bomb through to save about 20 seconds and pass a couple of schools on the way. And it is a 20mph zone, But no. Instead about half a mile away on the dual carriageway that they are supposed to use there is a fat ******* in one of those mobile units coining in the £££££££'s on a regular basis when they should be out supporting the community bobby.

So yes - happy to support those mobile units but let's use them for what they are supposed to be used for - deterring t***ers in really dangerous areas around schools and residential arrears and not soft targets on 40mph roads that in other areas are often 50mph.

Zero tolerance in Wales, do 31mph in a 30mph and you will get a speeding ticket!! Got done for doing 33mph in a 30mph zone heading to Barmouth a couple of years ago and was offered the SAC, half a day out of my life but at least no points. The instructor advised me that you do not have to make your insurance company aware that you attended the course - in essence as you are attending the course they are not prosecuting you for speeding.

The SAC was interesting (but only slightly), I, and many others in the room, did not realise that if a dual carriageway has a barrier / hedge / raised kerb through the central reservation then you can do 70mph, the majority of us thought it was 60mph. Shockingly there was one numpty in the room who thought that you could drive at 40mph absolutely everywhere, urban area's, outside schools, when the instructor asked what speed you should do in a 20mph zone they still answered 40mph - should have shot them in the head there and then and be done with.... Now - 2017 BMW X3 M Sport Carbon Black
Gone - 2014 BMW X3 M Sport Space Grey, faultless!
Gone - 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Bali Blue with xenons
Gone - 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Rimini Red with bodykit

I went on one of those courses last year, and the instructors (both retired traffic cops who really knew their business) were at pains to point out that it was a "driver awareness" not "speed awareness" course!

It reminded me of the days when speed cameras first appeared on our roads, and the warning signs went up saying "Speed Camera", only to be replaced a few weeks later by "Safety Camera" after a public outcry!

Anyway, I found my course quite useful and interesting, and better than 3 points any day.

I wonder if the guy who thought the speed limit was 40 learned anything?

shilen wrote:

The SAC was interesting (but only slightly), I, and many others in the room, did not realise that if a dual carriageway has a barrier / hedge / raised kerb through the central reservation then you can do 70mph, the majority of us thought it was 60mph. ...

I think you're both talking about the same thing, but using slightly different terminology.

The speed limit on a dual carriageway derestricted road (ie one with out signs to the contrary) is 70mph.

The "interesting" bit is what defines a "dual carriageway". A dual carriageway is any road where the carriageways are separated by a central reservation. That central reservation does not (in theory) have to be a physical obstruction such as a kerb or a barrier (although a VAST majority do these days), just a "no man's land" that physically separates each direction of travel.

Similarly, a dual carriageway has nothing to do with the number of lanes of travel in either direction. A road with multiple lanes of travel in either direction is still a single carriageway if it has no central reservation. Equally, a road with a single lane of travel in either direction is a dual carriageway if the two lanes are separated by a central reservation.

So, it's the seperation that makes it a dual carriageway and there are no dual carriageways without some sort of physical divider? No physical divider on a two lane carriageway means it is classed as a 60mph single carriageway if it has the national speed limit sign? Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Yes - although, in theory (at least), the "physical divider" doesn't have to be anything other than a "no man's land" separating the two directions of travel.

In practice, nearly all central reservations will have some form of physical obstruction to prevent traffic intruding on the opposite direction of travel.

shilen wrote:

Zero tolerance in Wales, do 31mph in a 30mph and you will get a speeding ticket!! Got done for doing 33mph in a 30mph zone heading to Barmouth a couple of years ago and was offered the SAC, half a day out of my life but at least no points. The instructor advised me that you do not have to make your insurance company aware that you attended the course - in essence as you are attending the course they are not prosecuting you for speeding.

choccymonster wrote:

Yes - although, in theory (at least), the "physical divider" doesn't have to be anything other than a "no man's land" separating the two directions of travel.

In practice, nearly all central reservations will have some form of physical obstruction to prevent traffic intruding on the opposite direction of travel.

I recall on the SAC I attended, on city roads, they said to assume all roads were 30mph "if you could roll a ball from kerb to kerb". If a central reservation stopped it, it was likely to be 40mph.

Bob 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

Just got her letter. £100 fine and 3 points or £100 to go on a course. She's opted for the course, two days before we go on holiday so she's having to cancel hair and nails. Proper punishment!  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

My brother in law has just called in complaining about being done for doing 49 in a 40 limit.
The position is a bit cheeky as it is around 500yds from where the speed limit changes and catches people coming out of a 60 limit into the 40.
I can't understand why he was complaining because he had pulled out of a junction, passed the camera van and accelerated most of the way to the 60 limit sign.
Conversation went a bit like this.
Did you see the van ?... Yes
Did you know it was a speed camera van ?.... Yes
So why did you go over 40 ?.... I always do that and didn't think I would be doing more than 40 when I got to the 60 sign.
Did you look at the speedo ?... What for ?? Mine, Saab convertible
Hers, MY08 GS auto