hedgehog

It is not clear if this is intended to be EU wide or just to apply in Germany but it raises some interesting questions with speed limiters and ISA on the horizon. I believe that the 70mph speed limit was a temporary measure to save oil so there is a precedent for similar action in the UK.


http://euobserver.com/?aid=18815&rk=1


Energy Commissioner backs reduced speed limits to save oil
08.04.2005 - 09:48 CET | By Lisbeth Kirk

Due to rising oil prices, the EU's energy commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, has backed an idea of the International Energy Agency to reduce European speed limits to 90 km per hour (55.9 miles per hour).

"I personally support the idea", Mr Piebalgs said in an interview with Die Welt.

"When cars in Germany race along the roads at a speed of 200 km per hour, of course they use a lot of petrol", the commissioner pointed out.

Smiler

When the Lotus Carlton first came out one of their engineers managed to use an entire tank of petrol in a shade over 60 miles

astraboy

Would that be by entering the 60 mile zone at 170+mph and not dropping below it for love nor money?

astraboy.

NotoriousREV

The problem with EU commisioners is that theyre unelected and often come up with crazy ideas. The thing is, the oil industry is a very powerful force in politics so I don't think they would allow it to happen. Doesn't mean it's an impossibility, though.

The last time someone tried something like this was another German EU commisioner called Martin Bangemann who tried to limit all motorbikes to 100bhp and even the manufacturers started to build bikes built to this limit for a couple of years as it looked likely to become law but it got thrown out at the last minute. Wonder why...?

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

Dumb question, but so what if oil is expensive? We pay for the fuel and a good wedge of tax into the bargain. Since the tax is a %age of the cost of the petrol surely the government wants us to use more, not less? It's not like the government (in this country or any other) is subsidising the fuel which might mean a bigger loss to them. I'm surprised they aren't out there making us go faster.


M

Clarebabes

Two words: Green Nutters

Leslie

At the moment the Eu cannot dictate our speed limits to us, but if we become federated then presumably they will be able to do that.

No doubt the Roman sandal wearers will make the most of that announcement though!

Les

Shark Man

I can see underhand tactics going on here. People complain about how much it costs to run their vehicles, reduce speedlimits so they use less fuel and cost less to run. Then creep up the taxation whilst nobody is looking

A 55mph speed limit in UK would be pointless....very rarely you get above 55mph these days unless you pick empty backlane B-roads or jump on the motorway at certain times (small hours usually). Even on motorways during rush hour (with the most % of cars on the road at those times fuel saving would be questionable if you can't get above 55mph anyway).

I spent the whole of friday driving down national speed limit roads (60mph single, 70mph dual carriageway) and getting rather annoyed at traffic refusing to go above 40mph when safe to do so (or 50mph on dual carriageway sections)...yet come a 30mph section...they'll happliy continue at 40mph Where TF is the logic in that?

Anyhoo, the point being, peak fuel usage is at rush hour due to all the vehicles out there, rush hour speed on motorways usually amount to 60mph, and even at non-rush hour time traffic barely exceeds 40mph on single carriageway national speed limit roads. So fuel saving would be hardly anything.

If anything, it may increase fuel consumption, I know my car refuses to stay in 5th gear (auto) at 55mph. So I use more fuel than if I were doing 60mph.

One thing I look forward to driving in Europe is that I can actually drive at the posted speed limit without being held up, if anything I tend hold people up as most people exceed the speed limits as there isn't the enforcement like in the UK. So, they can blanket the EU with 55mph limits...but everyone, given the chance will still travel at 80-90+mph as there is hardly any enforcement . Do it in the UK however, and I'll be buying shares in the camera partnerships

clarence

I don't understand the fuss. My opinion is if I can afford it, I can afford to go faster. If I can't, then I'll go slower & save fuel. The US has raised the speed limit a few years ago from 55, so it means those EU cretins is rather backward, & from what time do they know better than we ourselves do?? Also, the high oil prices have nothing to do with lack of supply, it's to do with the speculators in NYMEX. Some of those EU politicians are Marxists in disguise.

Brendan Hughes

The UK has the slowest motorway speed limit in the old EU, IIRC. So whatever cuts we make, everyone else will have to cut harder.

As I said in another thread, though people obviously don't listen, EU laws are passed by national government ministers. They are proposed by your lovely mystery "faceless bureaucrats in Brussels" that you all like to complain about - but the people approving the directive would be, I guess, the transport ministers.

Do you really think the above is going to happen? I sure as hell don't.

hedgehog

I have no idea if it will happen or not, as I mentioned earlier the 70mph limit certainly did. However, we must bear in mind that the green and anti-car lobby want a UK wide 40mph speed limit and they are in control of transport policy at present. I think that 40mph is highly unlikely at present but could easily see 55mph being at least considered as a "compromise" solution.

It would be a HUGE victory for the greens and anti-car lobby and many motorists would buy into the speed kills/global warming lie and would go along with it. Quite what the effect on the economy would be I don't know and I can also see lots of EU countries objecting in a big way which, in the end, would probably kill it dead.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

200kmh I do more than that on the way to work

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

Sweden has 110kph (70 mph = 112kph)

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Perhaps we should now start campaigning for a 110mph motorway speed limt and accept 90 as a compromise?

Brendan Hughes

Henrik - old EU is pre-1995

Anyway, I believe there is an EU road safety agency to be set up sooner or later.

You might like to see this page, which summarises a recent European Parliament report on traffic safety.

http://www.epp-ed.org/Press/showpr.a...PRContentLG=en

You will notice such unpopular proposals as:

The EU has an important role to play, but it cannot do everything: e.g. speed limits are an issue for national authorities.

New cars are much safer than older ones. Therefore the registration taxes of cars should be abolished in Europe. If needed, they can be replaced with annual circulation taxes.

The road infrastructure has not at all kept up with traffic growth. Roads should be upgraded to accommodate the current traffic levels.


The limits of legislation are being reached. There is now a need for other types of persuasion such as: Tax deductions for the safest cars.

There, that should have you all up in arms.

clarence

It will be a huge blow for the economy. The lower speed limits mean time will be lost & therefore there'll be a direct cost for the economy. Traffic safety will not improve much, & cost of business will rise, especially for manufacturing sector.
55mph is nonsense, even the Americans are raising the limits, & their Interstates are far inferior to UK's motorways (not to mention the skills of most of the drivers there).
Come to think of it, the 70mph limit was set ages ago to save fuel, it means that it is outdated, & the limit should be raised dramatically as it should catch up with nearly 40 years of automotive development.

Dr Hu

Dude - RAFLMAO - like *THATS* gonna happen:

Mick

iTrader: (1)

I'm sure about 8 yrs ago the police were asking for the motorway speed limit to be raised to 85 mph so that they could have a reasonable limit to enforce. The Government response was basicly along the lines of 'well evrybody already does 80 to 85 on the motorway anyway so iff we raised the limit to 85 they would be doing 95 to 100!' - What stupid reasoning is that????

So in a nutshell although the Police and govt agree that 85 mph is OK we can still be prosecuted for daring to travel at 71 mph or above upon her majestys highway!!!

Makes my blood boil!

Mr Angry from Purley!
(that dates me huh? )