Hypermiling

[Jocko]

I was also told, here in Scotland, if you get a camera ticket through the post, you admit it was you driving (assuming it was), then when the ticket comes in you just ignore it. They don't have the resources to follow it up. It was a civilian job to process, but they were paid off and there are not enough police officers to cope (good old Nicola). If you ignore the first request for driver information though you WILL end up in court.
Don't know if I would have the bottle to try that though.

[culzean]

No road tax, no licence, no insurance

A bit harsh? Most of them are probably drivers also, paying 'road tax' and a fair proportion will probably have cyclist insurance too, given the value of their bikes will be significantly more than that of a ten year old Jazz.

I do take your point though. You wouldn't see squadrons of swimmers just randomly deciding to swim the English Channel in a group and hang the maritime traffic.

Do they have insurance just for damage to themselves and their bike,  or damage to third parties from any accident they may cause,  like other road users are required by law to have

[guest1372]

All event organisers insist on 3rd party liability insurance for competitors in road races, triathlons etc.  Usually your club membership or national association fee adds you to the scheme.
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TG

[guest5079]

It is very difficult to remain objective when motorists are continually bombarded by all sorts of hassle.
However, at times we ourselves are responsible for exceeding the speed limit after allowing some person frustrating our progress.
I too sailed past a speed van on a dual carriageway with a 70 limit. A quick check of the speedo was enough to worry me for a fortnight.
I checked online and the Chief Officers whatever stated it was usual to give 10% plus a couple of miles an hour so an 80 would be 77 plus the discretionary bit.
I think in most cases it depends on the road, the driving and the density of traffic. A 30mph limit any transgression would be punished as 40 and 20.  Motorways are special.
Remember as speeding is an offence that needs a notice of intended prosecution, if the police don't contact you within 14 days that's it.
Unfortunately it is very difficult with modern cars to stick to 30 without going a couple of miles an hour over.
Incidentally, today's news male bought a Ferrari for £80,000 an hour later written off. Wet road. So back to being able to handle what you are driving.
Off subject, Jocko mentioned his Triumph 2.5pi. Driving course, Triumph 2.5pi flat out on the A30, Instructor told me to take the hand brake off, I told him my foot was flat on the floor, so he leaned across and tried to put his hand under the throttle pedal to check. 100mph max. We were allowed to exceed all speed limits EXCEPT 20/30/40 as part of our training. No markings on the car no blue lights nor two tones all a case of making sure it was your driving and not depending on the normal 'aids' of a police car. All we ever got was make progress. What I do not understand is why it seems learners are not taught according to Roadcraft. Position on the road, anticipation and adequate signalling surely if taught straight away must be a benefit. It also appears to be a case of passed my test so I can forget everything. Sorry but it is pertinent to the subject after all we can do everything to try and drive economically and safely and then along comes mr average.

[Jocko]

When my brother did his basic police driving (doesn't matter how long you have been driving, they reteach you and you have to pass their test. On his course was a girl who had never driven before!), he had to drive an unmarked police Ford Transit minibus from Edinburgh to Kincardine Bridge without lifting his foot off the floor. He got the same "put the handbrake off" comment, even though doing close to 100 mph!!
While an instructor at Tulliallan Police College they were invited out as a passenger in the cars auntyneddy is talking about, while the trainees did their advanced driver training. No one was ever brave enough to go twice. He also told me about a trip down to Newcastle, to see Bon Jovi, with one of the instructors driving. Even keeping to the limits (guy's own car) it was still one of the scariest drives of his life.

[guest5079]

The scary monster we had at driving school was a Ford special police model ( the last police model made) It was bog standard inside with plastic seats and rubber mats. BUT it had Ford's V6 I think the 3 litre. As Jocko says it was scary. I had been driving for  quite a few years before I  became a police officer and then, nobody could drive any police car without a permit. I had developed bad habits. WE had one potential traffic driver, me just wanted my standard car licence ( that was for general police work )and a rookey. First week was completely destroy your driving. Second was tuition and third was polishing. Fourth was test. The Ford I suspect was capable of well into 3 figures.  We were only allowed to drive for one hour at a time and all was done on public roads. All where possible at high speed. Skid pan was included and although I was unhappy at being away from home for 4 weeks  I am very grateful for being put through the mill. Transit vans with blacked out windows and trailers that could carry a transit van being made to reverse into a space doing a U turn that was fun etc.High speed work with a mini bus. Land rover work in a sand pit was also included. To illustrate how tough they were, on the running commentary the rookie came up to a T junction. Sat there, traffic building, in the end the rookies said which way? Then the instructor told him. Valuable lesson but to the layman not really understandable. As an aside my Wife was late to driving and the driving school let her down so we did a crash course over  a weekend prior to her test and I suggested she spoke as she drove, then the examiner would know what she was thinking. She passed, it did help. We found out afterwards that the examiner was a retired Met pursuit driver ( highest grade possible OR it was).  Sorry old coppers tend to tell a tale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[culzean]

BUT it had Ford's V6 I think the 3 litre.

My older brother had the Capri with that engine in, I think it was the 'Essex' lump ( I drove a Cortina with it in South Africa where they called it the Cortina Savage I seem to remember),  but as he pointed out it was proper tail happy,  and apart from the torque which was pretty useful,  quite a few modern cars are faster and way more economical in fuel.  Ford UK built the engine and I seem to remember it put the Germans nose out of joint a bit.

0-60 was just under 8 seconds I think,  same as his Skoda estate 1.4 turbo direct injection and a hair quicker than the normally aspirated Honda Civic 1.8 petrol.

[Jocko]

Found this on the Savage. Sounds fun!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortina_Savage

[culzean]

Found this on the Savage. Sounds fun!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortina_Savage

A strange thing happens when you blip the throttle at standstill on a car with a large capacity V6 or V8 when crankshaft is mounted parallel to long axis of the car (north - south layout),  the front end twists,  one side goes up and the other down due to the torque reaction - modern cars with transverse engines  (east - west layout ) will never do it   

[Jocko]

When I was working in California I drove a 1971, pre-federal spec Corvette Stingray. It had a 7 litre V8 with 430 bhp. Rev that while standing still and it would twist and shake its front end. Brilliant.


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[guest5079]

In 1977 that sort of acceleration was not the norm. I have no idea of the spec of the car because any question of the driving school instructors met with blank. All I know was it was pretty fast. I seem to remember the handling wasn't too bad either. The only other hot Ford I drove was a druggies 3 litre V6 Capri. That had been altered quite a bit!!!!!!!
In my time at the driving school the fleet was the Ford, a Triumph 2.5pi ( Chief Constables cast off car) and two Chrysler Avengers. One being called the Boeing as it's fleet number was 707. Their favourite trick was to alter the clutch pedal each day and as we never knew which car we would be driving you had to be on your toes as too many revs and slipping the clutch was a rap on the knuckles from the Instructors cap. Clutch control/clutch control/clutch control.
In it's day the Avenger was quite a good little car. In my force they were the GP cars and did it well. One completed 170,000 miles before being sold.
One occasion, I had to drive to Swansea from the South Coast near the Kent border to pick up a person who had kidnapped a girl and bring him back for court. A hurry up job. The Avenger managed  to hold over 100 mph on the M4 from Swansea to London.( no we didn't have to stop to pay the tolls on the bridge) Not bad for a tiddler.
No good for fuel economy. I suppose that is why they tried to teach us to drive properly.