| Is speed so important nowadays? Other than | | | | Here in the UK, there are speed surveillance |
| bragging rights, do people really care about | | | | cameras, such as Gatso's, that are placed at |
| the top speed of their cars. Outside of a | | | | roads where the police consider to be |
| race track, there are very little | | | | hotspots for over speeding. So we have |
| opportunities to test the limit of your car. | | | | constant monitoring in place, which means |
| So given that the speed limit in the UK is | | | | that there is more chance of being caught |
| 70mph, and allowing for some overtaking | | | | and prosecuted with 3 points or more on your |
| speed, a top speed double this seems | | | | licence. 12 points in the UK, means an |
| pointless. | | | | outright driving ban for 2 years. |
| | | | |
| Sports cars, which will have more powerful | | | | Before cameras, a 'human' police officer may |
| engines and thus higher tops speeds, also | | | | consider the conditions of the road, or the |
| have exotic and distinctive looks. So, the | | | | number of others vehicles in proximity to |
| sports car may say more about the status of | | | | you, before deciding to issue a fine. You |
| the owner, rather than any particular need | | | | could have probably been let off with a |
| for the car to travel at the speed it was | | | | caution if you were not travelling too much |
| designed to do so. The question is not really | | | | over the limit or driving recklessly. A |
| targeted at these owners, but more for the | | | | camera however, is ignorant of such factors. |
| person who would sacrifice features in a car | | | | So once you are photographed, there is little |
| for a gain in speed. | | | | you can do to escape the penalty. |
| | | | |
| The obvious reason against driving fast would | | | | As electronics become more sophisticated, |
| be to reduce the risk of accident to you. | | | | there are more advanced ways of detecting |
| Driving fast does not necessarily kill you, | | | | your speed. Sure there are ways of detecting |
| but stopping does. You may be familiar with | | | | the camera's themselves, including advanced |
| the road safety tests, where the stopping | | | | detectors that use GPS, but speed cameras are |
| distances needs to memorised against the | | | | relatively cheap to install. So for most of |
| speed of the car. So at higher speeds, there | | | | your journey, you'll will be driving within |
| is less reaction time to danger ahead, and so | | | | the speed limit as you slow down to avoid the |
| there is more of a chance of being involved | | | | speed traps, especially as speed camera's |
| in an accident. | | | | become more common. |
| | | | |
| Another reason for driving slower, would be | | | | So next time you shop for a car, you may find |
| increasing amount of surveillance techniques | | | | that a model with more luxury items may be |
| used by the police. | | | | more desirable than a model with a higher top |
| | | | speed. |