General driving discussion

[Steady]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Hope your cruise control is not to loose.

I guess we are all different. When they will have cost effective driverless car in the near future I still want to drive my car. Not the other way around.

I am still driving my car when I engage CC, CC is not auto pilot

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

I've driven a few vehicles lately where the speedo read about 7km/h over. ie. 117km/h indicated was actually only 110.

My personal vehicle reads under, so 93 is really 100

Australian standards allow 10% plus or minus for your car speedo accuracy. Vicpol only give 3km leeway.

 

[Bindibuys]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Try a drive across Australia - and back - to incentivise yourself .

So I should make sure the Winebago has CC?? (don't see me making that trip in the Polo)

 

[wandering_fred]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

My 87 Volvo speedo reads at least 4 km/h faster than actual. Source: Roadside radar and informational sign/ Timing 5km on highway between markers. You get a bit bored of a weekly commute of 360 km after 6 or 7 years.

Typically the average car on that commute would go by me doing (estimated) 115-120 km/hr in the 110 zones and were mostly ignored by the patrol cars. OTOH I do remember one young bloke going by doing more like 125 and and a few km later his car was sitting by the side of the road being illuminated by alternating read and blue lights. I know young since he came into the road house (another 30 km) loudly complaining about the stop.

They have tightened up quite a bit especially on the holiday weekends - both with double demerits and more patrols and the occasional booze bus. But let's face it at 0100 hours there aren't going to be a lot of patrol cars seen. Though I wouldn't suggest going through the couple towns at speed where the limit has now been reduced to 50 km/hr at any hour.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Current model cars speedos can be checked but apparently cannot be made more accurate

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

There are multiple apps available to accurately test your vehicles speed.

 

[straitman]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Australian standards allow 10% plus or minus for your car speedo accuracy. Vicpol only give 3km leeway.

Not quite accurate any more.

Australian Speedo accuracy standards

Australian Design Rule 18 sets out the accuracy standards for vehicle speedos.

Until July 2006 this rule specified an accuracy of +/- 10 percent of the vehicle’s true speed when the vehicle was travelling above 40km/h.
That is, at a true vehicle speed of 100km/h the speedo could indicate between 90km/h and 110km/h.

An odometer accuracy of +/- 4 percent was also a requirement.

From July 1 2006 a new standard began its phase in and by 1 July 2007 all new vehicles had to comply. The new standard requires that:

• The speedo must not indicate a speed less than the vehicle’s true speed or a speed greater than the vehicle’s true speed by an amount more than 10 percent plus 4 km/h.
• Odometer accuracy is no longer defined.

What this means:

• For a vehicle travelling at a true speed of 100km/h, the speedo must read between 100km/h and 114km/h. The effect of this is that many drivers will find that at 100km/h they are driving up to 14km/h below the speed limit if they rely on the vehicle’s speedo.
• The speedo must always read 'safe', meaning the vehicle must not travel faster than the speed indicated by the speedo.

This change was made to align Australian vehicle rules with those already in place in Europe. It applies to all Australian motor vehicles except mopeds.

Dealers will generally not attempt to correct speedo error unless it exceeds the legal requirements.

 

[straitman]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

There are multiple apps available to accurately test your vehicles speed.

Just us a good quality GPS.

Unless it has been dumbed down a GPS must be accurate because of the methods used for it to function.

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

worth getting speedo tested for the actual error in case its one which reads higher than actual. (reads 114 when its actually 100) especially for those who do lots of travelling on highways.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Just us a good quality GPS.

Unless it has been dumbed down a GPS must be accurate because of the methods used for it to function.

Yes all GPS apps will do the trick but there are also multiple 'speed' apps - it ain't rocket science.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Yes all GPS apps will do the trick but there are so multiple 'speed' apps - it ain't rocket science.

Actually it IS rocket science. All Einstein's fault.

I find it very useful to use the GPS to get to the 'correct' speed then set the CC at that speed. Usually speedo shows 105-112 for 100kph. Especially useful in hire cars since you don't know the accuracy of the speedo as you normally do in your own car.

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

How do you knowc the gps is accurate?

 

[straitman]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

How do you knowc the gps is accurate?

GPS uses satellites for their information. A timing error of one second gives a position error of 186,000 miles. So if any particular satellite has a timing error it is excluded out of the calculations. If you are running out of satellites the system becomes unavailable rather than give inaccurate information.

 

[mushez]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Judicious use of cruise control will save a bit on petrol/fuel consumption and occasionally the avoidance of photos taken by radar cameras. :shock:

Since retirement, trips to Perth have confirmed that travel at 100 (compared to the limit of 110) will reduce the consumption by about a liter per 100 km. And add 15 or 20 minutes to the trip. When doing the trip 3 or 4 times a month, the time savings seemed more important.

Happy wandering

Fred

I'm with you - keep it on the limit and get there before I nod off to sleep

 

[JohnK]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

The Koleos I had from Hertz the other day has inbuilt GPS. It beeped a few times. Thought I was doing something wrong then realised it was a warning that we were approaching speed/red light cameras.

Very interesting.

 

[mushez]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

The Koleos I had from Hertz the other day has inbuilt GPS. It beeped a few times. Thought I was doing something wrong then realised it was a warning that we were approaching speed/red light cameras.

Very interesting.

Did you figure out if it was a speed camera or a red light district in the end?

 

[serfty]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

In Victoria they take 3kph of the reading to give an 'alleged' speed and base the fine on that.

So to be pinged for 4kph over the limit means the reading was 7kph over.

 

[Cossie]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

In Victoria they take 3kph of the reading to give an 'alleged' speed and base the fine on that.

So to be pinged for 4kph over the limit means the reading was 7kph over.

That may be what they say, but I'm not going to risk it. I hate giving any guvment anymore than I have too!

Whenever we drive to Sydney from Canberra, swmbo reckons that she would be at my sister's place in about 1/2 an hour less than me if she was driving.

 

[mushez]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

That may be what they say, but I'm not going to risk it. I hate giving any guvment anymore than I have too!

Whenever we drive to Sydney from Canberra, swmbo reckons that she would be at my sister's place in about 1/2 an hour less than me if she was driving.

Even more reason to check how accurate your Spedo - as most are 5-10% underestimated.

107kmph in my Hilux is 100kmph true
110kmph in my Hiace is 100kmph true

You will always see me sit both on 110kmph in 100kmph zones - 5 years and passing multiple speed camera and cops doing radar later, never fined.

Knowing how accurate your Spedo is, will help you understand why others with GPS spedos are passing you by and pissy that you are doing 10kmph under the limit.

 

[JohnK]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Did you figure out if it was a speed camera or a red light district in the end?

Looked to be doing it for both. Drove from Milton to North Lakes and back on the A3.