Speed limits and Austin 7s

[Bob Olive]

A good few years ago an old friend and I went down to Brighton to help marshal one of the A7 'Brighton' events of that time.  We were both in Sevens and 'in tandem'.  Somehow or other he managed to be hit with a speeding fine for exceeding 30 m.p.h on the way into Brighton - and another, in the same location, on the way out!! I escaped uncharged... 

Moral: not all policemen are charmed by our little cars, escpecially when they have to make their monthly quota of traffic offences... or perhaps he wasn't pretty enough?

[austin]

Me being "caught" speeding in our Ulster a few years ago. It's was uphill as well

[Hugh Barnes]

A pal of mine has a similar photo taken whilst driving his '32 RN. His dear wife got hold of a copy which she had printed on a T-shirt that he now wears with pride...

:o)

Nice that you thought to smile for the camera, Austin...

[Terry McGrath]

We were stopped for speeding in my Nippy: 52mph in a 40 limit in Halesowen. The cop who ticketed us never realised that there were 3 people on board. Our son was in a carry-cot behind the seats. He's now 46.

[Reckless Rat]

The red colour on the photo is down to the infra red flash of the 'Truvelo' fixed speed camera, which flashes day or night ( although you'd never know). The three lines across the road are the calibration marks. 40mph.

[Bob Culver]

I find it ironic that driving various "moderns" today, including inherited wife's car with a.b.s etc, I drive consistently slower in suburban areas than nearly 60 years ago in the Seven. Here we have unmarked mobile and parked patrol cars with radar, handheld lasers, cameras everywhere, all unnanounced, and rigid enforcement with 100kph open road and 50 kph suburban with recently a myriad other including lower limits. The effect on driving behaviour and the road toll has been dramatic. 60 years ago the dustbin sized radar could be easily spotted and many motorists signalled. And marked patrol cars spotted in the mirror. An inhibiting influence on suburban speeds was the right hand rule requirng yield of row to traffic on the right. Grid layout towns could not be prudently crossed at a steady 30 mph. Cars with Austin style brakes were very harrowing. Now uncontrolled intersections are so rare the rule is forgotten. When traffic was light at night, and any following vehicle obvious, motorists maintained high average speeds by driving through towns unabated.

[Tony Griffiths]

I find it ironic that driving various "moderns" today, including inherited wife's car with a.b.s etc, I drive consistently slower in suburban areas than nearly 60 years ago in the Seven. Here we have unmarked mobile and parked patrol cars with radar, handheld lasers, cameras everywhere, all unnanounced, and rigid enforcement with 100kph open road and 50 kph suburban with recently a myriad other including lower limits. The effect on driving behaviour and the road toll has been dramatic. 60 years ago the dustbin sized radar could be easily spotted and many motorists signalled. And marked patrol cars spotted in the mirror. An inhibiting influence on suburban speeds was the right hand rule requirng yield of row to traffic on the right. Grid layout towns could not be prudently crossed at a steady 30 mph. Cars with Austin style brakes were very harrowing. Now uncontrolled intersections are so rare the rule is forgotten. When traffic was light at night, and any following vehicle obvious, motorists maintained high average speeds by driving through towns unabated.

Motorists have always been easy meat for revenue raising. Here cameras are in yellow and it's easy to plot exactly where mobile traps are. They have to be in "safe" places to keep the cops safe, so you can program them into your mobile phone and SatNavs. You still need to take care of course, but "high averages " are still possible.

[Charles Levien]

Interesting to hear from Bob concerning the rather bureaucratic and restrictive traffic laws in his country. I think it’s something we shall have to watch out for and fight against here. 
We are currently restricted by COVID which is quite understandable but when easier movement returns it will be ever more important to use our cars and be seen to be using them.
A lot of people on this forum have been saying this for years. Of course modern roads are not friendly to eighty year old cars but let’s do a bit of tweaking, fit effective indicators and be adventurous — even if it’s just to buy some sausages or get a jab.

[Parazine]

Of course modern roads are not friendly to eighty year old cars but let’s do a bit of tweaking, fit effective indicators and be adventurous — even if it’s just to buy some sausages or get a jab.

In my experience, it's the modern drivers who are not friendly to eighty year old cars. Back in the 1980's and '90's, I used an Austin 7 (and sometimes a H12/4) for almost everything, especially in the summer. Now, it seems to provoke a fit amongst the Audi, BMW and Mercedes bunch and I'm not keen to provoke them.
Last year, I was overtaken in my RK  doing a legal 30MPH in a 30 limit by an Audi. A few months earlier in the Chummy, I slowed down to match a 30 limit and was promptly overtaken by a BMW.
These drivers seem to be ruled by the "I must overtake this slow old car NOW" rule rather than watching the speed limits. 
Still, I suppose they'll lose their licences eventually with the number of radar traps and community speed monitoring groups about these days.

[AllAlloyCup]

I got booked once , sorry , the first time I got booked for speeding, was in a Honda N360 mini car 
in Kirkintilloch doing 40+ in a 30 mph limit. My excuse I was late for a hospital appointment!

When the summons came in it said I had been speeding on a Honda motorcycle DWJ 223H.

I asked my solicitor what to do and wondered about pleading not guilty on the grounds I didn’t have a motorcycle, but he said no! But wait to see when the Sherriff asked why you were speeding.

In the end I got 3 points but NO FINE! And as my weekly wage then was about £10 this was a great result!

I liked that Honda and wouldn’t mind getting an N600 or better still a S800

The N360 had a twin air cooled bike engine with a Dynostart and did tremendous revs.
It could out accelerate a standard mini it was so light.
Regards
Bill G