An unusual motoring experience?

[steve pas]

I overheard a rather different conversation recently.
A man was driving his smart car at approx 80mph got pulled over by police for speeding, as you would expect, but then went on to say that apparently the policeman wanted to also charge him for dangerous driving on the basis of that particular vehicle was to dangerous to drive at that speed.
Anyone heard of anything similar?
Hmmm, looks like no nitro kit for the reliant robin now! Lol!

[zf44]

When we were looking for a second car, test drove a SMART FOR TWO took it on a motorway it was a nightmare to drive: each time I was overtaken by a HGV I couldn't keep it on a straight line. I wasn't too happy but the salesman tried to reassure me it was the 'charactistic of the SMART' - yeah right. The SMART didn't have power steering and unstable at high speed.:mad:

We ended up with a Beetle and we have very happy ever since. :approve:

[pon]

Reminds me of a story in one of the papers of a skoda estelle caught speeding going up Wrotham Hill. The police didnt believe it was possible for him to be doing the speed recorded, so they had there equipment checked and recalibrated. When it went to court the Skoda driver was given points, fined & had to pay costs for the check and recalibration. Turns out the Skoda was modified.

[Hex69]

Reminds me of a story in one of the papers of a skoda estelle caught speeding going up Wrotham Hill. The police didnt believe it was possible for him to be doing the speed recorded, so they had there equipment checked and recalibrated. When it went to court the Skoda driver was given points, fined & had to pay costs for the check and recalibration. Turns out the Skoda was modified.

I've also heard of a guy who had the opposite, been done for speeding, he went and proved that his car wouldn't go as fast as he'd been done for..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4290679/Speed-case-dropped-after-driver-proves-old-car-wont-reach-98mph.html

[elvismiggell]

We ended up with a Beetle and we have very happy ever since. :approve:

Can't beat that re-skinned Golf IV... :biglaugh:

I love the idea of prooving your car can't go that fast.

I can well believe that there are some cars that aren't particularly stable on the motorway. Hell, I could believe a G-Wiz wouldn't be stable at 30!

[RickT]

I've also heard of a guy who had the opposite, been done for speeding, he went and proved that his car wouldn't go as fast as he'd been done for..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4290679/Speed-case-dropped-after-driver-proves-old-car-wont-reach-98mph.html

the thing is... the civic would do 100mph... a mate of mine had a 1.0 uno years ago.. and that got upto 100mph after 10 minutes!!!

lol

Rick

[macmillions]

I agree, with enough persistance, you can get a truely rubbish car to those speeds.
My sisters 1982 20 yr old (back then) Polo 1.0l managed to hit 105mph... She said it was shaking itslef to bits, but did it nonetheless.

[mwvw]

My sisters 1982 20 yr old (back then) Polo 1.0l managed to hit 105mph... She said it was shaking itslef to bits, but did it nonetheless.

You can see it on the speedo but is really going that fast
My old Polo1.0L would top out at about 95/98, but still smooth:D

[NickPicks]

My old Hillman Imp managed 100 on the speedo. The engine did overheat and blow up a couple of miles further down the road (the temp guage didn't work, so I didn't realise how hot it was getting)

Most car speedos overread. The best way to check is to see what speed the sat nav says.

[steve pas]

Thanks for entertaining and informative replies. I now know to stay away from smarts when they are doing 80. Lol! I'm guessing they aren't to good in a crosswind aswell. Seem to remember they used to close some bridges in high winds. Wonder if they would extend that rule to driving smarts on a windy day? Lol!

[Sam]

Anyone remember the spate of Smart-Car-Tipping that went on when they first came out?

[Col]

Anyone remember the spate of Smart-Car-Tipping that went on when they first came out?

Was that not the Merc A class ?



Anyway, what we should all say is;

"Officer, this car has been designed and built to go up and down the autobahns all day long at over 100mph, which they routinely do. So what is the problem?"

Of course, the dear old Policeman and then subsequently the Magistrate will get really quite grumpy if you did actaully say this. However, it is the truth.

The speed limits and all the laws, rules and regulations, not to mention the massive amount of resources used to enforce them are all pointless.

Why not use all that cash and energy to properly clean our hospitals? After all, more people die from infections picked up in hospital than do on our roads?

What is left could then be spent on driver and pedestrian education.

Instead of those stupid public information radio adverts that I hear telling us not to bring sausages into the UK (as if!!), why not spend it on radio adverts mocking stupidity on the roads?

Here is my first draft of one;

"Middle lane? Are you in the middle lane for no reason at all, going slowly? Then you are a middle lane moron. Think always use lane one when ever you can."

That is what I'd like to hear on the radio.

Why stop there even?

Those pointless over head gantry signs that cost £250k each that normally say nothing or when they do, say something pointless. I'd have them saying things like;

"Don't be a middle lane moron"
"Get out of the way or hurry up"

I could go on.......

[Sam]

Was that not the Merc A class ?

aaaah, they tipped over of their own accord, people went round tipping Smart Cars over

http://www.boingboing.net/images/cartipping.jpg

[paul b]

Merc A classes should not be allowed on the road either, even the late ones like the 04 reg one I had was a compromise.

They used to fall over in road tests as Col says, so Merc made a number of suspension updates so it didn't fall over. End result being an ultra stiff ride, similar to that of my A6. Yet the A Class only had 15" wheels, unlike my Audi which has 17s and is a sport!

Surely the Smarts must be similar?