Alec

Could you have a quick vote over here: Polls | Countryfile Magazine

Will be interesting to see what the results are.

Leslie

Good enough indication already.

Les

David Lock

Sorry but I take the minority view

I lived in London for many years where reaching 20 mph in the day was often an achievement. We then moved to the country and it was quite a shock driving down a lane where 60 was allowed.

This meant that we couldn't risk the kids walking or cycling to school and tractors and horses often got clobbered when they travelled around a bend. It's a different type of driving entirely.

On the plus side there are some major A roads with silly 50 or 60 limits which could be abolished.

dl

Leslie

Those who are used to the "lanes" have enough common sense as a rule to drive at a speed which is safe for the conditions, which is a requirement of the RTA anyway. We are quite able to manage in Devon.

Les

hodgy0_2

ditto -- and it doesn't get any better

The biggest killer of teenage girls is teenage boys -- haring around the lanes in souped up Saxo's

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

It depends on the rural road. NSL is meant to indicate you allowed to drive at a spped which you think is appropriate for thr conditions.

Its doesn't mean someone can do 60mph down a single track lane because that's the legal maximum speed you are allowed to do.

On some lanes a 30mph speed limit would be too high. But that won't stop a mother in her SUV late for school run forgetting about oncomming traffic (an even bigger SUV - one could hope ), and the fact that soft verges and trees means at this time of year they are often covered in mud and decomposed leaves making grip very limited.

On the otherhand, there are some country lanes that are as wide as a B or A road, with nice clear straights and no junctions or entrances, where one can 60mph with minimised danger.

The problem is alot of the motoring public have been dumbed down, and as such I believe many have little road initiative, common sense or any realisation of the amount of energy and grip required to stop or turn a 1.5ton car, yet alone a 2ton SUV. Power assisted steering and assisted brakes have alot to answer for IMO.

GlesgaKiss

As the responsibility we are given decreases, so will common sense. That's one point the people in charge of this country seem to be missing. It's a vicious cycle that will only get worse. Every generation will be, on average, more stupid than the last, and we will be restricted more and more as a result of that. Just my opinion.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

We had this argument with a lad when he binned his Saxo trying to avoid us when my mate pulled out of a blind junction (which was clear at the time of pulling out).

His defence was that he was doing under the speed limit (60mph NSL) and he had right of way.

But the fact he lived half a mile down the road, having local knowledge that it is a blind junction prone to accidents, and its a slippery road (it was wet), meant that he should have been going at a far slower speed than what he was travelling at.

The other fact is he slammed on the brakes and lost control of the car from barking too hard. He locked the front wheels, so went in a straight line thereafter and hitting a grass bank. Which shows poor ability to control a vehicle. If he had candence braked, or lifted off the brakes entirely, he could regained steering and been able to avoid sliding off the road into the grass bank.

He was doing about 35-40mph, when really its only safe to do 20mph when approaching that (signposted) junction when its wet. I could forgive someone who was not local, but someone who lived half a mile down the road, ignorance is no excuse.

speedking

But the councils put up so many "Slippery Road" and "Max. speed 30mph" signs when the hazards do not exist, that many legitimate signs now get ignored. Slippery road when approching a junction on an A road, but the surface hasn't changed. It's just so you can't sue the council for poor maintenance if there is an accident.

BOB.T

I've been driving on rural roads since I passed my test, I don't want some knobwit in London telling me how to drive on them, thanks!

David Lock

Was that aimed at me?

I spent my first 20 years driving in semi-rural Hertfordshire, 10 years in London and the last 10 in more rural Sussex. And driving styles do need to be different - I would argue that more skill is required in a country environment. dl

pandyman

Sorry but i would entirely disagree that more skill is required in a country environment !

Different skills are required to suit different driving conditions and the ability of a good safe driver is to be able to forsee the conditions and adapt the style to suit that is the skill.

Andy

hodgy0_2

certainly a case for arguing we are ridiculously over signed in this country

it looks naff and often absolves drivers on any responsibility -- i.e. the brain gets left at home

Peter Wheeler (Started TVR) thought that a no seat belt policy and a compulsory spike on the steering wheel would tend to make drivers concentrate a little more -- especially on braking distances

BOB.T

dl, no, not at all, I was referring to interfering MPs! Sorry for the confusion!

tkws5606

perhaps the goverment should do all my thinking for me what with the health and saftey pric#s and all. seems we are heading nearer and nearer to comunism

David Lock

Thanks for clarification. Anyway I am poor so I can't be an MP. dl

53

iTrader: (41)

Should speed limits on country roads be cut?

Cut to what exactly ? most pointless poll ever...

Milamber

iTrader: (2)

I thought the maximum speed capable of any modern car under any circumstances was 40mph (reducing to 12mph past speed cameras).

Overtaking is illegal, to be met by rigorous flashing if attempted.

Compulsory coasting through corners followed by random dabs on the breaks.

The mandatory 30mph below the limit is enforced by gun helicopters round here.

Clarebabes

If you say "yes" in some circumstances, then the Government will see that as a green light to reduce ALL speed limits, no matter whether they are justified or not.

We have dual carriageways in Northampton which are 30 mph and then single carriageways which are 40 mph. Makes no sense at all!

Clarebabes

Sounds like the journey I had back from the MIL's the other night. What is it with those people who do 40 mph no matter what the speed limit - 30s included?! (Except the obligatory 12 mph past speed cameras of course.)

scoobymad555

iTrader: (1)

I live in Hertfordshire and I work all over the country so I get to experience a multitude of different driving environments. IMO there's a totally different skill set required to drive in each environment be it rural, city or motorway. I'd have to suggest that I think the speed limits are perfectly fine ... in some cases they could even be Increased given the abilities of most modern cars. From the various idiots I've seen over the years, the big issue to me is the simply pi$$-poor driving abilities of the general public. The standards seem to be slipping year on year but in many cases it's people that should know and almost certainly were taught better in the first instance!

Rather than lowering speed limits, personally I reckon they should make the driving test harder and introduce a number of other elements to it to stagger it in a similar way to bike tests. Grade 1 gets you a 30mph license for local commuting only and upto a 1 litre, Grade 2 allows you 60mph and dual carriage way access and upto a 1.6 litre, Grade 3 allows 70mph and motorway use and no restriction on vehicle/engine size plus the introduction of compulsory skid training. Oh and maybe an age bracket like under 19 years old can't have past a Grade 2 license or something aswell as compulsory re-tests periodically.

Just an idea

boomer

+1

mb

corradoboy

Those whom think 60mph on country lanes is too fast maybe need to assess their own abilities as a driver. When I start teaching learner drivers I occasionally take them along some NSL country lanes which feature on test routes around here, and they invariably say 'how can anyone do 60mph on here ?' A few weeks of tuition later and they are comfortably over 50, and occasionally I have to reign them in for speeding. Driving confidently and ably at appropriate speeds is not automatically dangerous, as long as you read the road ahead, assess the hazards and adjust your behaviour to suit. Accidents can and will still happen, but that's life !

Leslie

Yes I totally agree with what you say. The electorate is not considered to be intelligent enough by our ever so clever leaders and they are inventing more and more rules etc so that we can soldier through life in a way that suits their own future requirements in the way we live in this country.

As you say, the more of that which happens, the worse the people will become at thinking for themselves until we will need directions as to how to get out of bed in the morning!

Les

r32

We've had a few fatalities on local roads in recent months. Sadly in every case its been people ignoring the speed limits and driving like tw*ts, too many youngsters have died in some of those accidents. So what would be the point of lowering the limit if they are ignored?
Perhaps we should make it 21 before granting a licence?

Spoon

Allowing dogs to drive is something that really needs looking at.

tkws5606

goverment statistics claim the average age for a traffic fatality is 36.9 so perhaps you should not get a licence till your 40

corradoboy

Ignoring speed limits AND driving like ***** is a fatal combination. Driving like a **** at any speed is dangerous, but speeding in itself isn't necessarily dangerous. Again, it's all down to ability. Some people can assess the road ahead, taking into account signs, markings, current conditions, knowledge of the area, traffic volume etc etc and make good and fast decisions as to how fast they can drive, and that judgement may well see that decision being in excess of the posted limit. The limit after all is based on an average of what is considered to be safe for the majority of ordinary drivers. However, some people have capabilities way in excess of that average, others only think they have, and some are well short of it and know it.

Lewis Hamilton was just 21 when he started his F1 career, so dismissing the abilities of all young drivers is a bit narrow minded. Indeed, many teenagers I teach make for better drivers than the older people whom come to me for tuition. If applying any restrictions I would recommend there to be a way of side-stepping them by proving ability. My own preference would be to restrict novice drivers of any age to low powered cars with restricted passenger carrying capacity, such as Smart cars (the 2 seat ones), unless you choose to sit a more advanced test which proves you already have the ability to control larger, more powerful and faster vehicles.