Section : Speedometers

speedo's and the law....anyone? 

Posted By : Daniel James, 26-Aug-2004, 10:17am

• speedo's and the law....anyone? 

  Posted By : Graham Reeks, 26-Aug-2004, 10:25am

  I would assume that as long as he knows what speed he's doing ... and doesn't exceed the limit, it doesn't matter. Make up a disc that goes around the speedo with the mph marks on it.

  • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

    Posted By : Michael Davis, 26-Aug-2004, 11:37am

    I believe that you do have to have mph markings to be legal.

    • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

      Posted By : Chris Gray, 26-Aug-2004, 12:10pm

      Heheh - what if you've got mph markings on your speedo, but it doesn't read the right speed?

      • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

        Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 26-Aug-2004, 03:18pm

        Chris, you should read this posting from Mike Crewes on this very subject...
        http://www.tssc.org.uk/messageboard.asp?board=lega...
        
        Graham and Mik... when it come to the law, ignorance is no excuse. I think Daniel needs hard facts here as he would be in real trouble if found to be illegal. Imagine, if you would, that he was involved in an RTA if teh car was found to be illegal after an inspectors inspection then his insurance may not cover him.
        
        Sorry guys... but this could be important...
        
        Daniel... I'm sure Mike Crewes (our local Triumph Bobby) will find you your answer... or alternatively you could just try 'googling' for it...

        • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

          Posted By : Chris Mills, 26-Aug-2004, 03:54pm

          As Nigel says " ignorance is no excuse " I would suggest you consider
          
          Re the Japanese Car, guessing it's a grey imported MX5, there's enough of them about to find one in a scrapyard and replace the speedometer, or have it recalibrated to MPH.
          
          It's fairly easy to calculate KPH to MPH as 100 KPH is 60 MPH so 50 KPH is 30 MPH and so on.
          
          With regard to the Spitfire, again have it recalibrated, mine is reading -10% to -12% having checked it out with a GPS unit, I'm just taking account of how far out it's reading, although it's within tolerances on cars of this age, still no excuse to exceed the speed limits.
          
          When I've been with the Spit on a long journey, I've moved the GPS unit from the eurobox to the Spit, which acts as a backup and is far more accurate. The unit displays the speed in either MPH or KPH and I find it quite useful.

          • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

            Posted By : Ben Ferguson, 26-Aug-2004, 07:34pm

            Its my mission to not get caught speeding on a derestricted delivery bike from domino's pizza...on which the speedo is bust. I tell you, you have never felt such gut wrenching power or out and out speed...its rumoured to do 40 mph with a slight tail wind...

            • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

              Posted By : Graham Reeks, 27-Aug-2004, 07:42am

              That must be the explanation for the poor quality of Domino pizzas ... but not the cost.
              
              Is that your tail wind, Ben?

              • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

                Posted By : Daniel James, 27-Aug-2004, 10:55am

                Thanks guys!

        • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

          Posted By : Adrian Lee, 27-Aug-2004, 09:02am

          Reg. 18 Construction and use regs 1978.
          
          To every motor vehicle first used on or after 01/10/1937 there shall be fitted an instrument so constructed and in such a position as at all times readily to indicate to the driver of the vehicle the speed thereof within a margin of accuracy of plus or minus 10% if and when he is driving at a speed in excess of 10 mph.
          
          (1A)The indication mentioned in paragraph 1 above shall-
          
          A) in the case of a vehicle manufactured before 01/10/83 or used before 01/04/1984,be either in miles per hour or kilometers per hour.
          
          B)blah,blah,blah
          
          Kinda says it all,is the speedo part of an mot test?i can't remember of tester taking any of my cars for a spin to see if the speedo works.

          • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

            Posted By : Graham Reeks, 27-Aug-2004, 10:31am

            Common sense, simple common sense ...
            
            Really i'd have expected something better from you Adrian, like "Sod it just drive as fast as you can at all times"
            
            I had an A-class police driver take me on an 'advanced' driving lesson in my GT6 with dodgy speedo for 3 hours, and he didn't seem to think that it was a problem ... as long as you don't actually exceed the speed limit. Incidentally when we tried overtaking manouevers he guessed the cars speed exactly at 83mph (necessary only because we couldn't find anyone slow enough on an A-road to overtake within the speed limit).

            • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

              Posted By : Adrian Lee, 27-Aug-2004, 11:24am

              I do try to have sensible lucid moments occasionally Mr Reeks,not very often admittadly.......i should have added to my original post......"though i stand to be corrected"

              • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

                Posted By : Mike Crewes, 28-Aug-2004, 02:52pm

                Daniel
                
                ALL vehicles used on roads in England & Wales that are resident there MUST have a speedo that reads in MPH as the major scale. Furthermore their accuracy must be within 20% over reading, they are not allowed to under read.
                
                Adrian is wrong, since the Con & Use Regs he quotes are out of date, have a look at the 1986 Regs, which I cannot find on line anywhere (if you do let me know).
                
                I have also done some articles on this, so have a look at the Cop Shop page. Any Police Driver that thinks incorrect speedos are OK is wrong and probably ignorant of the law, but this is no defence.
                
                In short, the RAC advised your mate correctly, as I would expect them to. The MOT man is far more likely to be ignorant than the RAC (or AA). MoT Tests are not a test of legallity, just a safety test. MoT Testers are not trained in the law, as far as they are concerned all the speedo has to do is work. There is no test on its function.
                
                Hope this sorts your problem.
                Regards
                Mike

                • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

                  Posted By : Adrian Lee, 28-Aug-2004, 05:26pm

                  I stand corrected Mr Crewes

                • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

                  Posted By : Tim Everitt, 02-Sep-2004, 12:05pm

                  Mike,
                  
                  I don't doubt what you say, but could you satisfy my curiosity on this point?
                  
                  Was this change to the regs in 1986 definitely retrospective then? So it also applies to early vehicles that were not originally fitted with a speedometer?
                  
                  I don't remember a huge uproar at the time - which I would have expected if loads of drivers of veterans were expected to ruin the originality of their cars by fitting a speedo.
                  
                  
                  

                  • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

                    Posted By : Mike Crewes, 04-Sep-2004, 07:12pm

                    Tim
                    
                    The Con and Use Regs are not applied retrospectively, but an imported car must comply with the Regs in use on the date of importation. The date of importation (or any date after) becomes the 'date of first registration' mentioned in the Regs.
                    
                    Regards
                    Mike

                    • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

                      Posted By : Tim Everitt, 06-Sep-2004, 09:59am

                      Thanks Mike,
                      
                      So just to be clear then: if a car was first used in the UK prior to the 1986 regs (ie all Our club cars), then the old plus/minus 10% accuracy should apply to the speedo reading?
                      
                      Tim.

                      • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

                        Posted By : David Cornell, 10-Sep-2004, 02:20pm

                        Sat.nav. EBS, EBA. power steering, EFI, 4V pots, exhaust cats. etc. etc. - but still 20 % error allowed on speedometers ! Oh well ; I guess that covers our new cars for when the high/low tyre inflation warning lamp bulb fails....

                        • speedos and the law....anyone? 

                          Posted By : Mike Crewes, 10-Sep-2004, 04:12pm

                          Tim
                          
                          Correct.
                          
                          Regards
                          Mike

                          • speedos and the law....anyone? 

                            Posted By : Tim Everitt, 13-Sep-2004, 09:57am

                            Thanks, Mike

                      • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

                        Posted By : David Cornell, 12-Sep-2004, 11:17am

                        One thing we are all very good at in England is being seen, at least, to do as we are told. It is a shame we all have such a need to be so panic stricken about the accuracy of our speedos.
                        I remember a time when police cars were driven at 60 mph on motorways hence allowing vehicles to pass by at a 'sensible' speed ; a time when if you slowed to 30 mph, in a 30 mph limit, while being followed by a police car - you would guarantee being pulled over for suspected drink driving.
                        Are we really all speeding so dangerously these days or are we still simply driving to suit road/environmental conditions - do any of us drive as fast as the speed limit when it is icy, for example ? come to think of it ; with so much traffic on the roads nowadays, how often can we actually even achieve the speed limits.
                        We have no doubt all become so acutely aware of yet another method our leaders can use to coin in a stealth tax !
                        

                • speedo's and the law....anyone? 

                  Posted By : Daniel James, 03-Sep-2004, 08:47am

                  Thanks!
                  
                  He's going to get the person selling it to convert it...
                  
                  p.s. it's a '91 toyota celica RC (Carlos Seinz in the UK) not easy to find!