Most UK Drivers Think it's Fine to Break the Speed Limit -- A Bit

According to recent research the vast majority of UK drivers believe that going slightly over the limit is harmless, in fact 1 in 5 UK motorists thinks that driving 10mph over the speed limit is acceptable. Whilst almost one in three motorists are of the opinion that a driver traveling in a 20mph zone should only face punishment if they go 10mph or more over the speed limit, this is cause for some concern as 20 mph speed limits are typically found near schools and hospitals, where travelling at a reduced speed is crucial for the safety of children and patients.  Despite thinking that marginally speeding is not a problem the survey revealed that the vast majority do support limits being in place

The survey was carried out by German based insurance company Allianz, in an attempt to discover British attitudes to speeding. Other data gathered included:

• 74 per cent of motorists believe it is okay to go over all speed limits by 5mph 
• 65 per cent of motorists nominated motorways as most likely to induce speeding 
• 59 per cent of drivers get frustrated with other motorists who stick to the speed limit. 

There were many excuses for speeding but the most common were seeing a empty road in front of them, their speed gradually creeping up, and - perhaps the most predictable reason - being late.

More than one third of motorists (35 per cent) agree that compulsory speed awareness courses should become standard alongside the current penalties and 74 per cent of motorists agree there should be harsher penalties for extreme cases of speeding. 

The UK Chief Executive of Allianz Insurance said: "With 1 in 4 drivers saying they had been personally involved in an accident which involved excessive speed, motorists can help significantly reduce the number of accidents on Britain’s roads by driving within the speed limit."

Lamborghini Murcielago Rear Ended By Daihatsu

 

A Daihatsu rear ended this yellow Lamborghini Murcielago. The damage as shown in the image included included the cars bumper, rear grille and exhaust tips as well as some cosmetic damage to the front bumper. The accident occurred in Penang, Malaysia.  No-one was injured in the incident fortunately.

Source, and should you want to see more images: http://thesupercarkids.com

Smaller Cars Not Necessarily the Most Efficient

So you thought that small cars were more economical than big cars?..... Think again. Research by Emissions Analytics discovered bigger cars were actually closer to their claimed fuel economy figures.

The data is derived from the driving of 500 vehicles, 250 petrol and 250 diesel, for three hours on British roads to give a more realistic representation of real-world use. It transpired that on average manufacturer fuel economy figures were 18 per cent lower than advertised in brochures.

Cars with the smaller engines showed the biggest discrepancy, with vehicles in the 0- to 1.-litre category achieving 36 per cent few miles per gallon. That worked out at 38.6 instead of 60.3mpg. 21 per cent fewer miles were achieved In the 1- to 2-litre category, averaging 46.7mpg instead of 59.1.

Larger engines in the 2- 3-litre category came out as the worst fuel guzzlers, unsurprisingly, but the claimed figures were only 15 per cent out on the claimed ─ 45 instead of 52.9mpg.

The difference is down to how manufacturer estimates are worked out. The manufacturers test in laboratories with low rates of acceleration and slower speeds. Unsurprisingly this method will never give an accurate representation of real world day to day driving.

“For maximum fuel economy you should look for a one to three-litre engine, as these will return around 45-46mpg. To avoid being too disappointed with the result, pick a two to three-litre vehicle as it will be only 15 per cent worse than you were told you could achieve,” Emissions Analytics said in a newsletter.

Stephen Glaister - RAC Foundation director  is concerned that the findings show that consumers are being misled: "These astonishing figures only fuel the debate on the worth of official mpg data. Well over two million new cars will be sold in the UK this year, with small vehicles topping the sales chart. But how many drivers will actually get what they think they have paid for? The answer, in terms of fuel efficiency, must be not many.”

A ‘Fake Policeman’ Was Caught After Stopping a Real Officer For Speeding

Jonathan Weekes who pretended to be a policeman pulled over a real officer for speeding, a court has heard. He put a blue flashing light on top of his Vauxhall Insignia as part of the ruse. 

Newport Magistrates' Court heard Mr Weekes was shocked when he approached a car he had pulled over and saw a police officer in full uniform in the driver's seat. Weekes had followed him for four miles before he pulled him over in Cross Keys in September.

Jonathan Weekes told the officer he had been speeding and said: "If you had been going any faster I would have booked you." the real officer asked Weekes what force he was with and where he was based, he gave a fake collar number before he drove off without any headlights on and overtook several cars at speed on narrow streets.

Weekes was traced through the car's registration number and during his arrest at his home, officers found police uniforms, batons and handcuffs bought on eBay as well as the blue light hidden in his shed.

Weekes  admitted acting falsely in suggesting he was a police officer and was given a 12-month community service

He told magistrates that he had a "fascination" with authority figures but he "couldn't explain" why he pretended to be a police officer when he pulled over the real one.

Weekes also admitted driving without due care and attention and was banned from driving for six months and told to pay £85 costs and a £60 surcharge.

Speeding Driver Gets Caught Due to 'Strong Scent of Cologne'

Officers in western Oregon have revealed that a suspect they tried to collar at a traffic stop drove too
fast for pursuing officers,   the driver gave officers in Linn County the slip in a high-speed chase before dawn Sunday, doing better than 100 mph in a red Honda Prelude whose hood flew off during the chase.

Later when it was dark however police saw the car parked and launched a search by foot.

That's when officers caught a "strong scent of cologne" and managed to find their suspect in the dark hiding in shrubbery.

The suspect was Charles V. Agosto (Thirty-five-year-old), he was jailed on charges including probation violation and trying to elude officers. Officers said he told them he regretted using the cologne.

For more detail on this story please visit http://m.news18.com