my missus
used to work in sales, ie on the road every day, as a result she taught me how to get 'through' traffic. the glasgow m8 townhead interchange is the busiest in europe FACT! you can simply sit in it and process slowly or read the lanes and by (admittedly being somewhat aggressive) but not being a complete prick, wipe 30 - 40 mins off your journey time just by knowing the lanes and when to change and what you can get away with - ie using a slip road to get the jump etc - that guy 3 cars in front trying to get into a lane is the one who will subsequently let you in, when you pull alongside, guilt basically. I move with the flow of traffic and never go over 95 even on an empty motorway (instant ban) as a result i have never had a bump on the motorway...

however - over the last decade i have driven RWD sportscars (mainly honda s2000’s) and i live in the sticks so i tend to be rapid on the largely empty Scottish country roads that I know well. very rapid, every single day. as a result my few rare 'moments' have generally resulted in a some major offs, (according to insurers woman contrary to opinion in fact have more accidents but they tend to be small ones – men bin the fucker) my offs have been - one simply my error, one RWD + black ice, one speed plus a huge slick of mud on the road (farmers are bastards). I should add no one else involved in any of these.

so - you can drive safely at speeds of 85+ on the motorway in traffic very safely if you are alert, observant and skilled

however if you push it to the limit regularly on winding B roads with difficult corners in varying conditions - invariably you will run out of luck at some point. this is why Scotland, Iceland and the Scandinavian regions all produce world class rally drivers - the conditions are never the same and the roads are a real challenge.

(in my mind there is no point having a sports car and tootling around town, sounds arsey but if you're not prepared to lose it you shouldn’t use it).

But in answer to your question one of the reps in my wife’s company was killed on the motorway so her company panicked - consulted their lawyers and as a result put all their guys on a ‘defensive driving course’ basically a course run by ex traffic plod who know all the tricks.

My wife was told bluntly – if you are are female and are stopped on the motorway – turn on the waterworks, most traffic cops are blokes and they can't handle that crap – so unless you have caused damage or been a danger to others they will tend to let you off.

Sucks doesn’t it
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Sat 17 Oct 2009, 1:38, 2 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

oh and i recently traveled from reading to glasgow in under 6 hours including wee wee and snack stops
but i had to slow down to 50 for all the average speed cameras revenue traps - probably the periods where i was least focussed on the traffic and most distracted by my speedo

but i still did not go over 100 - not even through the wide sweeping borders run of Mway

6 hours though, you try getting to heathrow, checking in, flying, disembarking then cabbing it to your destitnation somewhere in the scottish central belt in that time - as we say up here - tight as a fat burds shoe!
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Sat 17 Oct 2009, 2:00, Reply)

sucking does...
indeed help if female - well male too, but might not be appreciated, 10 points for first person to try.
(feedingtimeatthezoo day 1 of his bikini diet started, Sat 17 Oct 2009, 15:26, Reply)