Speed Limit

[Campo Steve]

The legislated error in speedometer readings is ultimately governed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation 39[3] which covers those aspects of vehicle type approval which relate to speedometers.

These rules state that:
1.The indicated speed must never be less than the actual speed, i.e. it should not be possible to inadvertently speed because of an incorrect speedometer reading.
2. The indicated speed must not be more than 110 percent of the true speed plus 4 km/h at specified test speeds. For example, at 80 km/h, the indicated speed must be no more than 92 km/h.

So, as White Horse rightly says, the speedo can read over but never under.

Technically, if you are in a speed limit of 100km/h and physically doing 101km/h you are speeding and could be done, although the leeway built in to measuring devices when calibrating etc makes that unlikely.

[Devils Advocate]

And yet when the Yoof stick 20" after market alloys on their cars the calibration goes out of the window .something that's never taken into account.

[El Cid]

The easy solution is to fire up the Tom Tom and then you know exactly how fast you are going!

Sid

[Campo Steve]

And yet when the Yoof stick 20" after market alloys on their cars the calibration goes out of the window .something that's never taken into account.

The 10% over reading is supposed to take into account things like tyre wear and the fitting of different tyres/wheels. Guess there has to be a limit as to how far leeway can go.

[Campo Steve]

The easy solution is to fire up the Tom Tom and then you know exactly how fast you are going!

Sid

Agreed. My speedo always reads higher than TomTom.

[Bowler]

According to my friend Ramon there are no such things as "Speed limits" he insists they are "government guidelines" with his tongue stuck right up his cheek of course.

[Campo Steve]

According to my friend Ramon there are no such things as "Speed limits" he insists they are "government guidelines" with his tongue stuck right up his cheek of course.

And many in Spain drive accordingly. Around here many seem to think that driving on the right is just a guideline as well!

[gerryh]

The signs on the A7 near me have been changed to 110.
Spain can be very prompt when it wants to be.
Cheers
Gerry

[morlandg]

Are you allowed 20 km/h over the speed limit whilst overtaking?

[gerryh]

Are you allowed 20 km/h over the speed limit whilst overtaking?

No, this has never been allowed on motorways.
This has been discussed on another thread.
Cheers
Gerry

[gus-lopez]

My understanding was that it was. This is why the cameras were always set to flash at 141kph. 120 + 20 kph. When i asked my neighbour why everyone who overtook the trafico cars on the autovia weren't pulled he said that it was because the law did not differentiate between A roads & autovias & they could use the ' +20 kph over the limit' defence.

[gerryh]

There are two different issues here.
One is you are allowed to exceed some urban limits by 20 KPH for overtaking.
The other one is an allowance for discrepancies in speedo readings and inaccuracy of the radar equipment.
If you tried to use the "20 KPH over the limit defence" then you woiuld be addmitting that you knowingly exceeded the limit in a 110 KPH zone.
To save me repeating the details here just go back to the start of this thread and read all the messages.
Cheers
Gerry

[gus-lopez]

Apparently since the introduction of the 110 limit , fines issued have gone down from 5,500 a week to 2,082 ! From here :
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/ ... peng_2/Ten

[Campo Steve]

Similar speed limits in New Zealand. They are about to start clamping down on speeders and anyone doing 5km/h over the limit will get fined and get points. Last time they had a blitz like this, accident rates dropped dramatically.

Police cars in NZ can measure your speed when they are driving towards you, accurately enough to do you. Do they have that capability in Spain?