Update: Arrest made following death of cyclist killed by A13 'street-racing' driver

We don't need automated speed limiters as some have suggested nor GPS tracking nor average speed cameras. We have the technology and its used every day in Iraq - armed drones! That'll make sure they don't do it again

There are three decent arguments I can think of against flat 70mph limiters off the top of my head:

1) The "getting out of trouble" argument: e.g. you've misjudged an overtake and *really* need to speed up and get past before an upcoming obstacle. Removing that ability *might* cause crashes. Easy solution to that though: the limiter allows 70 to be exceeded for a short period of time (with an audible warning).

2) It doesn't target the most harm. This is probably true. Motorways are statistically the safest roads in the UK. The real problems start when motorised traffic meets other road users, pedestrians and other inconvenient obstacles.

3) If you limit boy racers to 70 then they'll take their races to places where doing 70 requires a lot of skill (i.e. city centres). Likewise if people can only do 70 on the motorway they may attempt to "make up time" on other roads.

If they do not get him we should campaign to remove all surveillance equipment in the country as they are useless. Every time i have had to rely on cameras the footage is mysteriously not there. Lets hope they do catch him and he gets more than a slap on the wrist which is what i suspect will happen. Maybe 3 years for running. The idiot should have stopped and not talked since i am sure that would have netted him less time in the slammer.

on the speed limiters, ok a tad higher, but I most of the German manufacturers have an agreement to limit to 250kmph, so that it can be done is fact. You can pay extra to have it undone I believe.

Quite frankly anyone speeding along the A13 really needs to be locked in a padded room and not allowed out unsupervised ever again.

We are on the cusp of smart cars and roads that could limit cars speeds and actions or disable them altogether should they not be mot'd insured etc, itll be here in 10years gaurenteed and quite easy to implement should we choose to do it.

Thats not really the issue though, its still about the perception that road cars can be legimate "sporting" devices. The manufacturers business models rely on it and their ranges and adverts reflect it and theres always people who think their more capable than average and should be allowed to use vehicles without restriction.

That could change tommorow but collectively we choose fast cars at the expense of a few dead people.

The solutions are easy the will to do something is missing.

I'd much rather see more widespread use of average speed cameras.

Lots of traffic lights already have cameras on top, if they can do ANPR then it would be possible to install a system measuring average speeds betweens sets of lights relatively simply. That would effectively target speeding in built-up areas where there is a high potential for harm.

There must be at least one cctv camera that has recorded what happened?

Some one is likely now getting a car repaired after last night's hit and run or knows what happened.

It's an awful feeling being hit and run.
Fortunately I survived.

When cycling on roads a head cam facing front and rear are now essential pieces of cycling kit.

RIP.

“Terrible accident involving a cyclist on Commercial Road. If you cycle in London always wear a helmet.”

- This is why I get more and more anti-helmet every day....

Forget speed limiters. In the bigger picture, a single tragic incident, indeed many of them put together, is not going to bring automated speed limiters into force. The bad guys will always work around them even if they did, and even then, are we going to retrofit them to a cost of all drivers of older cars? Not feasible in the short to medium term.

The tweeter is not the axis of evil here. She's just uninformed.

The police have standard non-committal speak for describing an incident prior to investigation, so they are not to blame either.

The scumbag who killed this poor man and was so cowardly as to not care for his outcome deserves 14 years for this, which I think is the maximum sentence.

Let's concentrate on this rather than the law, the bystanders and the people are trying to apprehend the motorised thug that ended a life for the fun of a race.

GPS limiters will just lead to GPS jamming, and then you won't be able to record your ride!;)

Also, I wonder whether limiting to the speed limit on all roads could lead to lazy drivers with their foot on the floor at all times, without considering whether the speed limit is an appropriate speed to drive.

I wonder whether self-driving cars will be any better at driving safely?

Didn't say I was against the enforcement of speed limits - just that I think its currently done in the wrong way.

[edit: and I can campaign against that as I have an interest in safer roads]

I'm willing to let Sally Dunstable's stupid tweet go, she's an amateur who won't know any better. It's such a common misconception and it isn't her fault.

However, the police language seeming to put the cyclist as the active party in this collision makes me fume: "A 32-year-old, male cyclist was in collision with a car that did not stop at the scene."

The ES put it like this (and they usually get it wrong): "A cyclist was knocked down and killed by a suspected joyrider racing another car through east London."

Which is very clear, and accurate, and doesn't blame the dead guy.

RIP.

Instead of limiting speed, how about when the vehicle breaches the limit, the airbags are disabled, the driver's seatbelt unfastens and a spike comes out of the middle of the steering wheel?

It's amazing how many of the general public have bought this "speed cameras are for raising money" thing. There's no objection to the detection of most crimes. If you don't like a law, fine, campaign against it. Don't campaign against the enforcement of that law - that's just stupid.

Quote:

This is the thing, I believe that cars should be gps limited making it impossible to drive excessively fast in urban areas. I am also convinced that some drivers would then go around foot to the floor at all times and rather than "drive", just rely on the speed limiter to control their speed.

That is exactly my concern also.
And it doesn't address the root problem of people not realizing how much damage they can do in a car.

Quote:

This is the thing, I believe that cars should be gps limited making it impossible to drive excessively fast in urban areas. I am also convinced that some drivers would then go around foot to the floor at all times and rather than "drive", just rely on the speed limiter to control their speed.

That is exactly my concern also.
And it doesn't address the root problem of people not realizing how much damage they can do in a car.

While it is pretty silly to have cars capable of over 100mph on sale for use on roads where the limit is 70... I'm not sure that an automatic limit is the answer. There is a danger that it could lead to a false sense of security as people assume cars are safer.
Its possible to be a dangerous dick at 20mph just as it is at 100mph.

The problem in this country is that speed enforcement has for years been seen as a 'money making' exercise rather than a genuine attempt to improve safety - hence the proliferation of speed cameras onto the safer roads. We need to get to police out from behind the cameras, and looking at reckless driving, rather than the actual speed.

It must be possible for all new cars to have a built in GPS that can limit the cars top speed based on the speed limit of the road its on.

I do hope those PCSO'S permanently stationed at traffic lights looking to predominantly FPN cyclists and the pillocks speed gunning cyclists in Hyde Park struggle to sleep at night.
Shame on the lot of them.

I was on that road a couple of weeks ago and was passed by a couple of bellends in the usual bellend type cars(german sports) doing easily upwards of 100mph.

There is no reason for any car to be capable of more than 100mph and it IS easily achievable.