20mph Cruise Control Settings

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Avulon

I'm far from telling anyone how to drive. I neither claim to have always stuck to the EXACT speed limit either (you don't have to, you are allowed to drive slower you know.).

Legally you are allowed to go slower, but other drivers may become very annoyed. They do in fact become quite annoyed when you stick precisely to the the posted limit.

On Sunday I had to navigate to a strange to me address, in a strange to me village. As I often do, rather than wait for the satnav to boot up, I set off in the correct direction whilst it was ready to enter the postcode. I stuck to the 20, 30, then the 50. All delivered accurately via cruise. With a driver behind obviously unhappy with his progress - following far too close. Then on a nice wide stretch of road I indicated left to pull over and enter the postcode. Idiot from behind them begins gesticulating and sounding his horn for having delayed him. I wonder what he might have had to say had I immediately pulled back out and followed him to enquire?

Some drivers are simply not safe at any speed. A BMW making a right turn into my street (a T junction) to save him turning the wheel, was cutting across using the wrong side of the road he was turning into - many do it, despite it being plenty wide enough not to.

Unfortunately for him, there was another vehicle already on the bit of road wanting to come out, which appeared suddenly. So BMW driver had to stop midway and blocking the main road. Round the bend of the main road comes a truck, who just managed to clip the BMW which had appeared suddenly across his path and had to stop mid-way. I gave my details to the truck driver, as a witness.

I have many times been the one coming out of my road, faced with corner cutters. Why they do it beats me - laziness, inability to use a steering wheel, or just could not care less?

[Avulon]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Yes I can hold my speed at roughly 20mph, but despite my experience on the road I do find it occupies a considerable amount of my concentration to do so. I personally would rather my concentration was on the road and its potential hazards, than on making regular checks on my speed. These limits are set at 20 for a good reason - that of there being many more hazards to be dealt with, it needs your full attention on the road, not on the speedo.

Simple - you get your speed to the correct speed and press a button, you can then keep your eyes and your attention fully on the road and cover your brake pedal with your right foot.

The correct speed is not necessarily the posted limit - That's the maximum speed.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Likely it is a matter of - the ECU receives pulses from the wheel and the ECU cannot reliably deal with such a low pulse rate reliably and control the throttle well enough to hold a lower speed. Despite the way it might seem, an ECU can only deal with one thing at one time.

Or if we are playing guesses that maybe on safety advice it was prevented from working below a certain speed. I have hall effect speedometer on a bicycle that get's one pulse per revolution and goes down to 1mph...

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Legally you are allowed to go slower, but other drivers may become very annoyed. They do in fact become quite annoyed when you stick precisely to the the posted limit.

Drive your own drive and don't be intimidated by other road users, the annoyance is their problem - not yours.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Avulon

Or if we are playing guesses that maybe on safety advice it was prevented from working below a certain speed. I have hall effect speedometer on a bicycle that get's one pulse per revolution and goes down to 1mph...

I forget what the name for the electronic technique which is used, but it is a way to predict when the next pulse will arrive, when the pulses are so infrequent. Your bike speedo will use that method to be able show such low speeds.

I agree the posted speeds are a maximum, but much of the time under normal conditions, the maximum is also a safe speed at which to progress for most drivers.