Top Gear's Clarkson and Hammond banned from driving in France. - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Groat;42920642]Actually the limits are really just there to make us feel safer, there have been numerous studies that show that drivers are much safer on highways without a speed limit, as the majority of people spend more time watching the road instead of their speedometer, and besides, most people don't drive faster than they feel comfortable, which is generally around 85 miles an hour max. Modern vehicles are easily able to handle 80-100mph, and so keeping speed limit standards the same is actually somewhat pointless. [url]http://www.motorists.org/speed-limits/truth[/url] [url]http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/sl-irrel.html[/url] [url]http://reason.com/archives/2012/10/25/raise-the-speed-limit[/url][/QUOTE] I'm gonna start redirecting this to those of my family who believe speed limits are as absolute as the Bible... or the constitution.

it was only for 3 months, seems fair given that they're known to speed in the show and would probably continue to speed.

They ban you for speeding? Is that why MaxofS2D is so ban happy?

The next public transport vs car is going to be interesting. Clarkson has usually done the car, but now if they want to do it, they'll either have to start somewhere else, or drive to somewhere stupid like Wales, or May has to drive. Could also do a Clarkson+May double-team on the car, and May just drives in France, and is really annoying the rest of the way.

people who say speed kills disgust me

[QUOTE=dbk21894;42922303]people who say speed kills disgust me[/QUOTE] it's not the fall it's the landing etc etc

[QUOTE=endorphinsam;42918773]but i don't think you should be "banned from driving" because of driving faster than the speed limit i have a feeling if it wasn't a super famous person that was going that fast, he would have just been fined out the ass, not banned.[/QUOTE] I don't know how is it in France but here in Czech Republic, if they catch you driving certain amount over the speed limit, they seize your drivers license automatically no questions asked (with a massive fine obviously) and there is no going around it. Usually that comes with year or two driving ban and after ward's you are required to pass the driving course and exam, again. If you are a forefinger I think they can't seize your ID but they ban you from driving here. [editline]20th November 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Groat;42920642]Actually the limits are really just there to make us feel safer, there have been numerous studies that show that drivers are much safer on highways without a speed limit, as the majority of people spend more time watching the road instead of their speedometer, and besides, most people don't drive faster than they feel comfortable, which is generally around 85 miles an hour max. Modern vehicles are easily able to handle 80-100mph, and so keeping speed limit standards the same is actually somewhat pointless. [url]http://www.motorists.org/speed-limits/truth[/url] [url]http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/sl-irrel.html[/url] [url]http://reason.com/archives/2012/10/25/raise-the-speed-limit[/url][/QUOTE] Thing is, this hugely depends on the road. There are constant calls to rise or remove the 130km/h speed limit on Czech highways but every time the road officials point out that while it would be desirable from psychological point of view as you said, the roads just don't fulfill the quality and structure (minimal turn diameter for instance) necessary to rise the limit. I am honestly not shy to go 160km/h when the road is safe for that, but in our case it's more often not than it is, and the speed limit is meant to not to just hold you back arbitrarily buy ensure you don't overestimate quality of a road your don't know yet.

i normally go 55-60 on a road i travel every day that is posted 50, i would go faster since there's literally nowhere for cops to hide but the road goes through the middle of a forest and whenever I drive it it is around the time deer are up and about so i have to watch out for them

at this point speed limits are mostly arbitrary and are determined by legislatures and not engineers in virginia speed limits are based on distance from highly populated areas residential streets - 25mph (this is fine) roads going through towns - 35mph (could be a little higher, but its okay mostly as well) highways near urban areas - 55mph (this is insane, it should be variable based on traffic conditions) and the further out you get into rural land it is between 65 and 70 I live just outside of Washington, D.C. in N. VA and I do 80mph on my way to work every day, which is just slightly faster than the speed of traffic I stay in the left lane passing everyone, totally comfortable going the speed I am going, but not going so much faster than traffic so as to stick out or come across as "that asshole". It is a 12 lane highway that is mostly straight. 80 is not unreasonable in the slightest. The speed limit is 55 along the entire road. No one does 55. I've passed police officers when they were doing 65. I regularly see people going 100+, including cops. No, they're not responding to a call. The road is just that safe, but the legislature has dictated that the speed limit shall be 55. I cannot stand low speed limits. The national speed limits were lowered in the 1970s from 75mph to 55mph to save fuel due to the oil crisis, and governments loved the revenues that speed enforcement was bringing in so the limits were never raised.

[QUOTE=darth-veger;42918681]They have done way more dangerous stuff then just driving too fast. They also own their driver license for at least 25 years and are pretty much professional drivers.[/QUOTE] You can be the best driver in the world, however if your fellow driver on the road has no idea what he does, he can get you both injured/killed. Good riddance, I despise Clarkson anyway, though I like the other two.

Next time they go over France they'll probably just take their mothers to drive them across.

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;42918670]As much as I can see the humour in this going 80+ MPH in a 55 MPH zone is a very stupid and selfish thing to do, and someone very easily could have been injured or killed in a crash if they'd fucked up. The limits aren't just there to police fun.[/QUOTE] And they usually close the roads down. If you watch the show you'll often catch glimpses of the police cars blocking the roads with their blues and twos on, and I'm sure you'd notice how often they're on a motorway and it's completely desolate save the three of them on both sides.

Perhaps next time I go to France I'll avoid doing 135mph in an 80 zone. [editline]20th November 2013[/editline] I also got stopped in Austria doing 128kph in an 80kph zone - got a 260 euro fine on the spot :(

i wonder, what will hapen if they'll travel via Eurotunnel with cars

I want to see what they say on the show about it

Meh no one in Europe actually obeys the speed limit in my experience

[QUOTE=dbk21894;42922303]people who say speed kills disgust me[/QUOTE] You're right! Speed doesn't kill! It's the sudden stop when you hit a wall :v:

[QUOTE=dingusnin;42923744]You're right! Speed doesn't kill! It's the sudden stop when you hit a wall :v:[/QUOTE] It's not the stop either what kills, it's the devastating blunt trauma!

[QUOTE=garychencool;42920488]I was in Quebec in the past years and there was this area that was posted for 50Km/h. We went the speed limit. No one else did.[/QUOTE] We drive 10Km/h over in all speed limits. so 30 is 40. 50 is 60. 70 is 80. 100 is 110-120.