Speed Awareness Course

[TridentTested]

Don't forget you have to account for old, classic cars as well.
For example the width of the needle on my 74 Stag, and the thickness of the paint lines on the speedo, plus a little bit of needle flutter, you have no chance of any accuracy between 30 and 33 mph!

On my GTV6 the speedo's needle stayed dormant until the car reached 100 mph at which point it spun up to the mark (don't ask me how I know this). These were the days before GPS so I had to learn what 30 mph and 60 mph were in revs in various gears. Doubly annoying as mine was the earlier so-called 'split dash' with the rev counter over in the middle of the dash. It was a known problem with worn speedo senders on the gearbox, I meant to get it fixed and never did.

The QP's speedo seems very accurate when compared to my TomTom (which one assumes is totally accurate). The QP seems to over read by 1% or 2%. It helps that it has a digital readout so you are not trying to guess where the needle might be pointing.

 

[mjheathcote]

Errrrrrr........got done for doing 57mph in a 50mph zone.........went on line and downloaded a pre written letter for £15 guaranteed to get me off using the calibration of the camera argument. To cut a long story short I still got 3 points and it ended up costing me £1000. Lesson to be learned if its too good to be true - it normally is

oops!

 

[Parisien]

A grand............gee......why was the fine so high??!!

P

 

[npaskin]

The QP's speedo seems very accurate when compared to my TomTom (which one assumes is totally accurate). The QP seems to over read by 1% or 2%. It helps that it has a digital readout so you are not trying to guess where the needle might be pointing.

Good to know. That's very good, and actually within the margins of everyday variance - unless I've got my maths wrong, if you lose 2.5mm of tread wear on a QP, overall wheel radius reduces by 1% and so speed will show as 1% faster.

 

[Chrisbassett]

My GPS and speedo seem to be in agreement on the Spyder - the only car it's ever been that way with, including brand new hire cars.

Well, maybe 1 or 2 mph out at 100, what with the needle thickness etc, it's hard to be 100%

 

[BennyD]

My speedo appears to be very accurate as well, which is nice to know.

 

[Felonious Crud]

On the subject of satnavs: after years in the wilderness I now have a iPhone. Any recommended satnav software (ideally which won't result in confiscation and a sound beating by le forces of bloody darkness if caught having too much of a good time in France)?

 

[mjheathcote]

I use copilot live, both on iPhone and iPad.
It's the European version so can download only the maps I need when using it in Europe to save on memory space, and can pay in app, if I want to add say the US.
It's great, mostly only use it in Europe, can't beat it.
Nice feature is that it displays the speed limit in mph, so say when in France, you always know what the current speed limit is where ever you are, converted from kph to mph. No speed camera warning when in France so okay!

 

[CatmanV2]

On the subject of satnavs: after years in the wilderness I now have a iPhone. Any recommended satnav software (ideally which won't result in confiscation and a sound beating by le forces of bloody darkness if caught having too much of a good time in France)?

Tomtom or Copilot. I have Tomtom for the UK (have done for years) got Copilot for France.

C

 

[CatmanV2]

My speedo appears to be very accurate as well, which is nice to know.

This is interesting. Mine isn't. It's indicating about 77 when I'm at 70.

C

 

[Felonious Crud]

I use copilot live, both on iPhone and iPad.
It's the European version so can download only the maps I need when using it in Europe to save on memory space, and can pay in app, if I want to add say the US.
It's great, mostly only use it in Europe, can't beat it.
Nice feature is that it displays the speed limit in mph, so say when in France, you always know what the current speed limit is where ever you are, converted from kph to mph. No speed camera warning when in France so okay!

Tomtom or Copilot. I have Tomtom for the UK (have done for years) got Copilot for France.

C

Copilot now downloaded. Thanks to you both.

 

[TridentTested]

On the subject of satnavs: after years in the wilderness I now have a iPhone. Any recommended satnav software (ideally which won't result in confiscation and a sound beating by le forces of bloody darkness if caught having too much of a good time in France)?

I use the TomTom Western Europe and they updated it when the French released their recent anti-radar fatwa.

It still shows the camera positions, zones de danger, but I'm totally sure it must comply with French law as they still sell it in France.

 

[Phil H]

I'm not referring to the 10% tolerance on the speed camera, but the speedo in the car.
Okay most speedo's under read the actual speed, but a cars speedo is not a regularly calibrated instrument so it's unfair to assume that it's reading the correct speed, hence my understanding of a 10% tolerance! an extreme case of the speedo indicating say 40mph, but you are traveling at 44mph.

EU regulations state that "The speed indicated must never be less than the true speed" so if you have a relatively modern car you could technically be nicked at the limit+1. 10%+2 over the limit was quoted to me by an 'authority' but you can't use that as a defence, and I'd suggest that factors such as driver demeanour and vehicle condition will play a part if you are hauled over.

As for the pill0ck who was in the news recently, well.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhDn6uYHToM

PH

 

[CatmanV2]

Copilot now downloaded. Thanks to you both.

I assume you got the turn by turn navigation 'add on'

C

 

[Felonious Crud]

I assume you got the turn by turn navigation 'add on'

C

I think so, but didn't see it listed as an add on. Could it have Ben standard with the latest verson (9.5.0.435)?

 

[CatmanV2]

I think so, but didn't see it listed as an add on. Could it have Ben standard with the latest verson (9.5.0.435)?

Could well have been. Have you tried it out? You'll soon notice if it's missing....

C

 

[Felonious Crud]

Haven't tried it in earnest yet but have used it to confirm that the Verso's speedo over-reads by about 8% (assuming accuracy of the satnav).

In any case looks like a good recommendation - thank you.