We recently had a sales meeting in the office, and most of our sales team turned up for it. During one of their many tea/coffee breaks, one of them came up to me and asked me if I knew why speedometers go up to 160mph, when the UK limit is 70mph? I really couldn’t answer the question, but I guessed it’s probably because speedos have always gone up to a high number – so it’s historical! He quickly said: “Come on, you’re the fleet manager, you should know this – get a drink, and I’ll tell you. And while you’re getting yourself one, I’ll have one too!’
He told me he’d heard on the radio the very same question being debated, while getting to the next customer. He said: “Cars and vans are not just designed to drive on UK roads, but many take them abroad where speed limits are different.” He went on to start quoting facts and figures, that had obviously made an impression on his brain, or that he’d practiced them on the way up to the office. “Did you know that just 200 miles from Calais, near Aachen in Germany, on the Belgian/Dutch border, there is a motorway where the speed is de-restricted, where you can go up to around 150mph. 200 miles isn’t far, it’s only like London to Manchester.” Then he went on to tell me, that the Isle of Man does not have a national speed limit. However, some roads have a local speed limit of 30mph, in built-up areas.
So, that’s why speedometers go much higher number than the UK limit. “Can you imagine going to Europe where there are limits of 81mph, or Germany where it’s much higher, and not knowing how fast you are going because your speedo only goes up to 70?” Lesson over, he duly went back into the sales meeting looking very smug, thinking he’d got one over on me, which of course, he had.
I went out to our car park to have a look around the sales team’s vehicles, noting that some of our office staff are still using our electric vehicle charger as a table for their mugs of tea and coffee! One by one, I looked at the cars, and I’d say over half were immaculate – despite the dirty, wet weather on the day. About a quarter had a few small scratches and scrapes on them. But the last 25% were, to put it mildly, a disgrace. I cannot imagine turning up in a customer’s car park, in a car in that condition. Dents, scrapes, and scratches all over! Plus, the interiors looked like someone had tipped a bin liner of contents all over the seats and carpets. In fact, were there any carpets? As I couldn’t see them for the rubbish. I wonder if their homes are in the same condition. I bet they’re not! The company buys our sales team new, shiny and clean cars – and this is how some of them treat them, it’s just ridiculous!
I looked at the tyres, and the worst, bordering on being illegal, belonged to ‘Mr know it all about speedos’. I don’t think he’d want to be going over 20mph with his well-worn tyres – never mind 150mph! I pulled him aside after the meeting, and that knocked the smug smile off his face!
I have since told quite a few people about these speedometer facts, and they too, like me, find it interesting. Of course, there is no way would I tell our know-it-all driver, so let’s keep this between ourselves!
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