Speeding Fines

Not exceeding the limit was not the point I was making. I was just highlighting the apparent disparity in fines for different types of speeding. Speeding is wrong.

As to using technology as you suggest. Many cars do not have it. One of ours a small automatic does not have CC. Whilst our manual tow car does, but it is not particularly effective at slower speeds. I just make sure I am aware of what speed I am doing.

Me too. I have a large clocklike device and I make sure that pointer on it does not exceed the road's speed limit. Works rather well.

Incidentally there is  current research that suggest cruise control actually makes drivers less safe.

http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20130808-is-cruise-control-dangerous

The less work the driver has to do, the less alert he will be behind the wheel

(sorry for the sexist language not my words)

The study indicated that by automating control of the vehicle, there is a decline in drivers’ attention and control, which reduces their ability to respond to hazards.
 
For example, when cruise control and speed limiters were used, drivers showed reduced ability to merge into traffic due to greater difficulty in modulating vehicle speed. The aids also caused drivers to remain in the overtaking lane for longer periods of time and to move back into the slow lane less often. Drivers straightened their vehicles less often when using these devices, and had substantially slower reaction times, especially in emergencies.
 
These behaviours grew more pronounced with the duration of travel, especially when using cruise control. Generally, the reduction of alertness and control was greater when using cruise control than with speed limiters, the researchers said

Any comments?

Speed limiters for all cars then? (I am not suggesting this just throwing it open for discussion)

Interesting thread SL, I'm with Corners on the 20mph on all urban roads. Speeding is speeding, it WILL take life at some point due to the reaction times. As much as I 'get' the disparity point I do think it can be too complicated as in-if on a quiet road in the wee small hours it should be classed differently. Big fine to start with re exceeding accepted speed, then Doubling & tripling etc after that. It needs to hit everyone hard.

The prime objective with this sort of change is to allow a jobsworth somewhere to tick a box and claim that they have fixed a problem, which they haven't.

Without providing sufficient resources to catch, prosecute and punish at least the majority of offenders the status quo prevails but it looks good in someone's annual report. 

It would be impossible to monitor the speeds on all roads and all road users on a regular basis. Fines should be higher for repeat offenders and significantly higher for truely excessive speeds. It's just a shame that deterents have to be used rather than folk respecting the laws of our land and the lives and health of other people. It's all to easy to inadvertently creep about the road speed, I know that to my expence, thankfully my Nav system shouts at me when I do, I just wish it was a little more reliable and quick to alert me particularly when I'm in unfamiliar territory.

So it seems that you can drive as dangerously as you like  just as long as you don't exceed  the (sometimes ) arbitrary  speed limit .... a bit like the clown in front of me earlier today .... swapped lanes half a dozen times (dual carriageway) cutting people up, but eventually ended up one car in front.

I don't think anyone has said that MM? We're just talking about  exceeding the speed limit. If you drive dangerously you could get convicted of dangerous driving, there's also careless driving, inconsiderate driving, driving without due care and attention. Of course you have to get caught first and unless there was a police car about in the situation you describe it is unlikely, so it's probably easier to get caught for speeding with all the speed cameras.

Hey, this thread appears in the ask the expert section. I've been promoted at last!

Post edit, it appears in the CT homepage of discussions under Ask the expert but actually in it. Oh at least I had one minute of fame 

Every new post takes the thread into Ask the Expert, Corners. This will be there now until someone else posts. Good, eh?