Safe Speed Forums

Hi all, Yep! you're not seeing things......50mph forChrists sake! On the Autobahn!

I've just been given a May 2008 copy of CSMA magazine to read. On page 106 is an article about the changes to those towing trailers..

Here are the main points:......

In Holland the limit is actually raised from 50mph to 56mph.....(I can't see the point though when the limit for everyone is only 62mph these days).

In Germany, Your limit will be 50mph unless...you take your trailer to be tested at one of their MOT (TUV) stations. This consists of 4 tests and will cost you £30 plus £16-£24 for the certificate (taking 1 - 2 hours plus a visit to a "local" Registration Office) You will then get a sticker for the rear identifying you as certified to drive at an unbelieveable.....62mph!

The towing vehicle must have ABS, tyres must not be older than 6 years, and have an "L" speed rating (120 kph)...

Now I can't wait to see this in action on 2 lane German Autobahns with registered German caravans wanting to overtake and being held up by you, and not to mention the 56mph lorries trying to get past and cars travelling at up to 175mph in the other lane.....It's going to be at the very least.......interesting.

It looks a little like a calculated cash grab to me.........from foriegners, but I can see that they may actually loose more from tourists who decide to go elsewhere than they gain in the cash grab.

See: www.germany-tourism.co.uk and click on "Driving in Germany"....

You keep on insisting the limit highest speed limit is 62 mph ~ 100 Kmph in the Netherlands but is not on the boarder the highest limit is still 120 Kmph. It certainly was when I drove through there 4 months ago.

_________________
Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

It won't be long before we all go about 60mph to save on fuel. I'm already doing it when i'm heading home or don't need to be somewhere for a particular time. My target is 50mpg and i'll normally get at least 45mph compared to 38-44mpg for driving faster.

175MPH? you've got to be kidding, 6 times the braking distance of 70mph. Must be some kind of relativistic effects .

Well, last year I nearly fell asleep on the journey from Rotterdam - Venlo(German Border).....and the return journey as well..
I don't think that anyone overtook for the whole distance....


P.S.......Please don't shoot the messenger. I'm not a fan of 50mph (or 62mph myself) and I may change my holiday plans.

No nicycle, the fastest thing ever to come past me on the Autobahn was, believe it or not: an old style Audi Quatro...........I was doing 90mph in a 155mph Euro limited car and the Audi was lifting the tarmac off the road as he went by me.................and I'm used to watching race cars!.......and driving at 155mph now and then! well,.......sometimes..

I would delibrately not go at an economic speed for as much time as I can so as just not to let the government and the metalists get their way.

_________________
Currently undergoing training with the I.A.M.

Hmm it's been bad enough the two times when i've been going perhaps 85mph because I've left a bit late for school and had lorries going around 60mph pull in front of me and had to brake hard. That's enough to discourage me from creeping over a speedometer - stated 80mph when there's other traffic on the road.

Racing cars that go those kind of speeds have spoilers and adhesive wheels, unusually giving even for friction than the vertical force on the road (ie a co-efficient of restitution >1).

I wonder at your eyesight and anticipation nicycle. I can easily judge when a car is going to pull out long before they indicate.

_________________
Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

You have a little more experience than him though, at least he is on here and hopefully picking up some ideas.

_________________
Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

A lady in our local MS group gave up driving when she had made a 50 mile motorway trip and commented at the end that he roads were empty. Another person who had made the same trip said the trafic was awfull. It turned out that the lady was suffering from optic nuritus The same thing happend when my wife had optic nuritus, when she played nintendo she could only see the main goody and villians but none of the smaller baddies sneaking up on her. The brain/optic nerve focassed on the main obsticles filtering out the smaller ones.

I wonder how many other drivers fail to pick up on the smaller clues. Is it inexperiance or more than that? I know my eye sight is different and my brain function is different from the norm being red/green colour blind and dyslexic.

Is that why nycicle is content driving at 60mph to save fuel? that would drive me nuts!
My brain wants to work at the fastest rate. It is the same wether I am cooking, driving or walking.
neurology is a facinating subject... the more I know, the more questions I need answering.

_________________
Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

Both cases were lorries who obviously decided it was clever to pull out without indicating. I guess I may not be an expert on trunk roads but 3 years of cycling previously means I can read town roads like a book, and this is what the hazard perception consists of...


I get about £70 a week plus a fixed allowance for school fuel, so small savings make a difference. And going 60mph saves about 15 mpg, so be it . There are fun moments where if need be I'll slam it into 4th to overtake something going really slowly (:sub 55mph).

The Audi Quatro in question Guys was clearly not a standard car..... Believe you me. It was truly ..RAPID ! ..and try telling the germans that they need to "slow down"....

It's usually quite easy to tell when lorries are going to pull out. Unlike car drivers it is extremely rare for them to just change lane with no good reason, though I agree that sometimes the indicating leaves a little to be desired.

Basically when you are approaching a lorry and are reaching the point where it would be a problem should the lorry decide to change lanes, have a look at whats in front of the lorry, are they catching up with another vehicle? If they are there is a good chance that they're going to want to pull out soon, slowing down in a lorry is something you try to avoid as it takes a long time to get back up to speed, and it costs you money in increased fuel consumption. If you can move into L3 without slowing someone else down then do so to allow the lorry to pull out. While you're at it, do this for cars too.

I think the problem with *some* lorry drivers is that they do not want to signal because what happens when they do so is the person in L2 thinks "bugger that, I don't want to be stuck behind a lorry" and accelerates to block them. Yes their solution to this problem is wrong but I can't say I entirely blame them. Think about it, if you had to put up with idiot road users for 12 hours a day, every day of the week, you'd be a miserable bastard too!


Getting back on topic, I quite like the idea of an incentive to get trailers safety checked. The state of some caravans and horseboxes on the roads is quite shocking (I have seen tyres with sidewalls that are entirely green due to mould and similar growths). Not so sure I'm keen on this specific implementation. What's the current autobahn speed limit for trailers? It's particularly idiotic that there are a variety of minor speed limit differences for all these different types of vehicles. It's bad enough over here with the 56mph lorries and 60mph coaches!

Trailers in Germany Lum are (or were) limited to 62mph (100kph).. now you must have the German TUV (MOT) certificate and sticker to do that speed, otherwise it's now 50mph (80kph).....simply not worth the cost and trouble for a 2-3 weeks holiday. Has the artricle concludes, "I doubt if many foriegn tourists will be rushing to take the test". Not because their trailers would fail, just the cost. The trouble is the distances are so great and anything that prolongs the journey results in more fatigue as drivers try to maintain their intended destination for that day. And I have to say that in my experience 70mph is absolutely no problem at all with a well matched and loaded setup and you'll find that most trailers tend to run at 70mph on the autobahns anyway. 50mph? I'm not looking forward to it........