Goldfazer
1. as a cyclist you have often boasted you dont have to stick to any speed limits, as no doubt you are a special sort of driver.
2. yes in 1999, if you strayed over the limit more than 3 times on your test ( even minor overages eg + 5 mph) you automatically failed. Rospa didnt allow any mistakes....obviously times have changed.I think standards were higher back then. Some might think that doesnt count , but keeping to limits is a skill in itself....
My issue is this...a court or traffic copper wont take the view that as a IAM driver you have any more right than anyone else if caught speeding. Graham, you seem to smugly assume you have the ability to spot / detect speeed traps/ cameras...you should bottle it , it will be a wonder product.
The issue of sticking to a speed limit shows you have restraint , something very important for inexperienced riders to master if they want to avoid riding into situations which can rapidly exceed their abilities. It doesnt actually mean going slow.Speed is not everything , safe use of speed is .We all have bikes which are capable of much higher speeds than we will normally need in most road situations...hence mastery over the machine ibso facto means restraining speed.
The common thread amongst inexperienced riders is they just want to ride faster ....I think you should try to ride safer first . Speed comes with experience and knowledge, its not the first thing you should want to learn.I first learnt to ride in 1975, the roads were scary even back then with much lower powered cars and bikes, and much less traffic/ driving distractions.The UK is a potentially very dangerous place to ride...get safe first is the IAM message.