Testing Positive For Speed

Having just switched to a car that is actually capable of troubling the national speed limit without a twenty-minute downhill run-up, speeding has become more of an issue than it used to be. So here’s the thing: we all speed, but where do you draw the line?

If you’ve ever driven with a sat-nav that features a GPS-verified speed readout, you’ll immediately clock the optimistic speedo your car no doubt has. Car speedometers are allowed a bit of lee-way to allow for inaccuracy in the equipment, though really it’s so we don’t drive everywhere right at the limit. Our cars tell little white lies so we’re not borderline wrong side of the law. It’s fine, until you work out by just how much you’re being denied. At an indicated 70mph, Ollie's Puma is actually tacking along at about 66mph, so there’s an extra 4mph to play with...

Then there’s the thorny issue of what is actually illegal. The standard response is that ‘no worries mate, put your foot down, you’re allowed 10 per cent over before the po-po get serious.’ So 77mph is cool then, if our maths is correct? Fine, but what about inaccuracy dialled into the speed camera and ray-gun gear the police use? Could you get away with 80? After all, most commuters do. Audi A4 drivers have perfected the art of maintaining a perfect 80mph 3cm off a mere mortal’s bumper. Brake test, anyone?

Plus, don’t forget that the faster a car goes, the harder it punches through the air, so at 80mph you use 30 per cent more juice than 70mph. It’s why all the eco-greenies got stressed-out when the government touted the idea of bumping up the national speed limit to the big Eight-Oh. Speed can be expensive in more ways than one. But does that matter if you’ve taken too long perfecting the hair and your date is now worrying he/she’s been stood up?

Thing is, we know all this, the wallet-pounding, the police tech, the safety disregard and the wear-and-tear that should deter us from straying above the limit. But all it takes is to be a few minutes late for work, or to get caught behind that Honda seemingly glued to the middle lane, and you don’t just need to get past it – you just gotta blast by and assert your disgust at other people’s tardiness and disregard for your schedule.

Doesn’t matter if you’ve got an Aveo or an Aventador, the same limits apply, but where to draw the line between a cheeky blast and Back To The Future-style flames left in the road? Would an electronic box of tricks reporting straight to your insurance provider keep you off the loud pedal? Or do you drive everything like you stole it to stick it to The Man? Tell CT your speed stories in the comments below.