Speedo Inaccurate

[Corey_R]

Lets now apply this to aircraft so pilots don't exceed their Vne (never exceed speed). Makes no sense there either.

Lol - are you seriously trying to compare aircraft pilots to drivers! Um yeah, an aircraft pilot goes through so much more training and certification prior to acquiring their license that it's not really a comparision at all....

[Corey_R]

Its got nothing to do with the accuracy of the hardware and everything to do with policy.

That's exactly right man! Exactly

[Topend]

Lol - are you seriously trying to compare aircraft pilots to drivers! Um yeah, an aircraft pilot goes through so much more training and certification prior to acquiring their license that it's not really a comparision at all....

How much driver training does it take to read and interpret a speedo?

[pologti18t]

A GPS is not the only give away to the speedo being inaccurate. Other traffic whizzing past is another and in my case my wife accusing me of speeding when I went past her in my Landcruiser.

Have you ever thought the other drivers are actually speeding?

I take the speedo error into account when driving.

[Zeke]

There's a note somewhere in the Golf MK6 handbook that says drivers should not put there heads to close to the exaust pipe whilst the engine is running as the inhaling of exaust fumes may cause random acts of babling and self pontification on web forums.

Some off you haven't been reading the handbook have you.

[Maverick]

That's just the point — it isn't a known amount of error, it varies between vehicle makers and between individual instruments — even by the viewing angle of the driver.

And there are non-rotating methods of measuring speed, varying from very cheap (your 'laser' computer mouse, for example, that can be made for a dollar or so, is surprisingly accurate, works on pretty much any surface and uses technology that could easily be scaled up to what's required for road vehicles if the demand were there) to the generally detested speed cameras now in world-wide use.

Even the focusing sensor systems of modern digital cameras could probably be adapted without too much trouble, and I don't doubt there are others I've not even heard of.

Geeez how complicated do you want to make something that works well and has done so since the first police radar was invented!

None of those systems will be anywhere near as reliable as the wheel driven speedo!

[Idle]

Its got nothing to do with the accuracy of the hardware and everything to do with policy.

Hear Hear!

And so far as licencing goes, I had to go through a long-winded theory course plus many hours of practical experience, then front an expert panel to get my steam ticket — out of about fifty who started the theory course only two lasted the distance and passed the exam — my car (which in those days included trucks and buses but not bikes) licence test consisted of identifying the colour of a few discs and forking out five bob.

Motorcycle testing was a bit harder — the cop stood outside the local station and watched me ride down to the next corner and come back (but he didn't test me for colour blindness...)

Needless to say, that was many moons ago.

[Topend]

Have you ever thought the other drivers are actually speeding?

I take the speedo error into account when driving.

Driving my own car with its accurate speedo most of the traffic is moving along at the same speed as me. When my wife was driving her Golf home from the dealership most of the traffic (including me) were going past her in the other lane.

I don't believe you should have to take the speedo error into account. It should read correct.

[flappa]

Beaker over reacting . . . . lol . . . never.

Not evryone understands their speedo under reads their speed. How many times have you seen people travelling at or below the speedlimit (according to speedo), coming across a speed camera or otherwise and JAMMING on the brakes . . . .

Personally, I do agree with Beaker and find it an absolute PITA, but, its not going to stop me buying what I want to. Unlike Beakers Patrol, mine is not correct and I allow for that.

[Topend]

Beaker over reacting . . . . lol . . . never.

Not evryone understands their speedo under reads their speed. How many times have you seen people travelling at or below the speedlimit (according to speedo), coming across a speed camera or otherwise and JAMMING on the brakes . . . .

Personally, I do agree with Beaker and find it an absolute PITA, but, its not going to stop me buying what I want to. Unlike Beakers Patrol, mine is not correct and I allow for that.

I wouldn't let it stop me buying one either. I like the Golf VI so much I would like a second one for me to drive.

[Corey_R]

How much driver training does it take to read and interpret a speedo?

Apparently lots. How many people get booked for speeding in NSW each year? All the speed cameras are SIGNED and yet people STILL get booked for speeding. Obviously there are hundreds of thousands of drivers on the NSW roads who can't read and interpret their speedo correctly

[Topend]

Apparently lots. How many people get booked for speeding in NSW each year? All the speed cameras are SIGNED and yet people STILL get booked for speeding. Obviously there are hundreds of thousands of drivers on the NSW roads who can't read and interpret their speedo correctly

Do you really believe drivers speed because they can't read and interpret their speedo?

[Corey_R]

Not at all...
I think that there are many drivers who obviously speed on purpose, and I think that there are a lot of drivers that get booked by speed cameras for not paying enough attention - these drivers are helped by the fact that the speedo's now read under - but that wasn't the point I was making.

The point I was making was that pilots are by-and-large a whole lot more trained and more responsible than drivers on our roads. Comparing them is about as useful as comparing a Doctor to a check-out-chick.

[Beaker]

Beaker over reacting . . . . lol . . . never!

It won't stop me buying one now that I realise anything I buy is likely to be just as bad!


Doesn't make it right though!

[Idle]

Not at all...
I think that there are many drivers who obviously speed on purpose, and I think that there are a lot of drivers that get booked by speed cameras for not paying enough attention - these drivers are helped by the fact that the speedo's now read under - but that wasn't the point I was making.

The point I was making was that pilots are by-and-large a whole lot more trained and more responsible than drivers on our roads. Comparing them is about as useful as comparing a Doctor to a check-out-chick.

Yet, like the rest of us, pilots, medico's and checkout chicks still make mistakes — of course, doctors can often bury theirs, pilots are lucky if they make more than just one (hence their very specialised training), and checkout chicks who make too many get fired — and I've no doubt a percentage of all those also get speeding tickets, but of course then they're only drivers like the rest of us.

I can also assure you that in the course of my now rather long lifetime I've known both doctors and pilots who were not among the best of drivers.

I also know quite a few drivers who can't fly, but still don't get tickets.

None of which is a valid reason for driver aids that ought to be accurate being engineered to tell porkies.