Far too much short-term, vote-grabbing legislation from all sides of the political spectrum. If there’s one thing I do admire about China, it’s their system that doesn’t reward short-term political grandstanding, so they get carefully thought out policies that will sometimes take generations to bear fruit.

I am kinda with you on that - in Europe we tend to get over-legislated to a far greater extent than you but there are some arguments that I find compelling for limiters in certain situations:

I’ll give you a point for being technically correct but deduct half of that because, as I’m sure you are well aware, it’s possible to make a limiter so damn difficult to remove it may as well be impossible.

Yes, you’re absolutely correct. There’s a mechanical or digital limiter set at 56mph on everything over 3.5 tonnes I think. Anything over 3.5 tonnes needs a professional license these days anyway, although us oldies snuck through the system with grandfathered rights.

Royal Air Force. C130 commander. My unofficial mission, in that I decided said mission, was to reassign USA kit and rations to UK forces and something my particular crew were very good at. You had so much spare, ours was crap... Humour and ability to sign for kit that wasn’t yours using a random signature were always…

I genuinely, genuinely, don’t understand what you just said but it sounded positive so I’ll take it!

Are you sure you’re not just speaking for yourself, your circle of friends and the online car community though?

I do not wear a tin foil hat. I know the USA put some of the best aviators it’s been my privilege to meet on the moon. I know the aircraft I fly doesn’t have a switch to turn on the chemtrails because...sigh.. it doesn’t. There are no crabs on mars. The US govt. didn’t blow up the Towers.

Smart-locking, in effect, then. That’s an interesting idea. Not a welcome idea, but interesting.

I think you need to revisit the OP’s comment and perhaps re-evaluate the context in which it was said.

It’s interesting to see the Fiesta, which is one of the UK’s best selling cars, up there in the cack’o’meter ratings.

Ah, I’m a British citizen but one who has spent many years in your fine country so have a little understanding of how it all works. It’s not my place to come down on one side or another in the political spectrum and inflict my views on people to whom it matters.

No. He shouldn’t fuck off. He’s right, but not in the way it came across.

The SOPA/PIPA bill backlash was superb and, thanks to you folks, steered the UK government away from considering implementing the same kind of legislation. We owe you for that one... everyone online does.

Very fair point. No analogy ever is perfect, especially one drawn up from another country, but I was making the case that the UK government wanted ‘x’ to happen, and fuck what the populace wanted, ‘x’ was happening regardless.

Now, although the article makes it very clear that the *proposed* governmental-imposed speed limiter quite clearly doesn’t apply to passenger vehicles in the USA (it’s the ATA who are looking to bring everyone down to the same common denominator), what would be your practical response if it did?

It’s a little more complicated than that. Even normal aircraft like the bog-standard 737 or A320 have ergonomic limitations which are due to being able to reach switches and control panels, obtain full movement from all the flight surface controls, or simply just be able to dive out of the window in an emergency.

Whilst walking, eyeballs are always in uncontrolled airspace...

You’re welcome.

Now then, my dear chap... I will not dispute your violent crime figures because I agree with you on that point. I also agree with you that governments on both sides of the Atlantic use fear as a tool to pass legislation that has really no business being even debated in a democracy.