22BUK

From The Sunday Times:

The transport secretary, Justine Greening, will press ahead with plans to test an upper limit of 80mph on some stretches of motorway and in certain conditions.
The new speed limit will be tested on areas of the network where the infrastructure to enforce variable speed limits is already in place. This includes stretches of the M25, M1, M6, M42 and M20.
On these sections of the motorway network, totalling about 70 miles, large signs mounted on overhead gantries keep traffic moving by controlling the flow of vehicles when the route is congested.
A computer system calculates the most appropriate speed limit based on the volume of traffic. Under the trials, these signs will, during quiet times when the traffic flow is light, allow motorists to drive up to 80mph


Speed cameras will enforce the new limit, and it is thought they will not allow drivers the normal amount of leeway. Police guidelines allow motorists a measure of leeway under the “10% plus 2mph” formula. If this were applied to an 80mph limit, driving at 90mph would be tolerated.
Mike Penning, the roads minister, has made clear that there will be no leeway at speeds above 80mph. “I hope the public are listening to me, because average speed cameras, especially on managed motorways, are ridiculously accurate,” he said in evidence to a Commons committee.
“The argument, which will be in the public consultation, is what we enforce over 80mph. The answer will be that 80mph will be the speed limit, and not, as we interpret it today, perhaps 90mph,” he added.



So, what's the point?

Tidgy

lol, alot of folks travel at 85ish and police don't care. To me its more about driving for the conditions and not driving like a tosser than a x speed.

Funkii Munkii

Couldn't agree more with Tidgy, if anyone tries doing 70 mph in the 3rd lane they will start getting undertaken by all and sundry, no one does 70 mph anymore only the poodlers in lane 1.

I use the M3 every day and the average speed for the third lane is 85-90 mph, same on the M25 and has been for years, just change it to 80 mph and when it's quiet make it 90mph under the variable signage system.

Bugatti

So in reality they are actually going to be reducing the speed most of us drive at when the roads are clear of traffic

Tidgy

tbh i dont think its gonna make any difference at all, police will do the same as they have always done.

22BUK

Exactly!

IainMilford

iTrader: (15)

my mates a traffic cop, he says he pulls people who are doing more than 85-90 (GPS) unless there is no one else around or if someone looks like they are driving way too quickly compared to other drivers, so as far as I can see this will just reduce the amount of people getting tickets, which will reduce the amount of money the government makes so they will put tax up elsewhere to compensate

Tidgy

or will it reduce the costs of speed courts to compensate? the time it takes to prosecute a driver is never covered by costs.

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

As already mentioned, it all seems a bit pointless because third lane drivers drive at 85ish mph anyway and no body cares unless it's stupidly fast or very congested.

speedking

Not enforced by the police but by average speed cameras.

So now you can legally drive at 79mph, and in the future it will be 80mph!

The only reason these stretches of motorway have average speed control in the first place is because they are congested. Let's roll out an increase on the northern section of the M6 where real benefits could be had.

Bean1984

iTrader: (3)

Wont make a difference. Just means now people will start driving faster etc

Blue by You

iTrader: (23)

I think this is just a way to enable the powers that be to enforce stricter control of speed limits. This 'increased' speed lmit will result in traffic actually slowing down.
As Speedking say, as it is you can legally drive at 79mph according to the 10%+2mph rule.
Big Brother knows this so why would the government bother to issue a new speed limit of just 1mph more if not for the purpose of drawing a line in the sand?

DYK

And to top it all off i listened to Cameron making his speech at the civil Engineering meet,How he is proposing to privatise some of the UK roads and bring in a Toll on some of them.
Not many do less than 80mph on the outside lane,and those overhead speed signs are useless when they are flashing 40mph on clear road flowing road,and i notice this often.

stedee

iTrader: (4)

i do think variable speed limits would be a good idea for weather and how quiet/ time of day it is.
dont think it will make a blind bit of difference

jef

iTrader: (13)

i thought the 10% plus 2mph tolerance was jut a myth, is that wrong?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

France is 130km/h (80.8mph) in the dry and 110km/h (68mph) in the wet. Driving standards are still attrocious though.

Also they ban HGVs from overtaking on some stretches of road...something the UK needs to adopt (i.e on the two lane section of the M42).

speedking

ACPO guidelines. Not binding in every force area.

richs2891

And do you really think it cost Ł85 + the now obligatory Ł15 victim surcharge, to collect pc plod evidence via email or post and then post a standard template letter out to the registered address ?

Richard

c_maguire

I disagree with that sentiment.
I have a property in SW France so regularly drive through most of France.
With the exception of the Paris area (and to a lesser degree the other big cities) the general standard of driving is at least as good as here. I certainly don't get held up unnecessarily by other drivers over there or get the tools that actually try and baulk my progress like I do here. Paris does however play host to some occasionally lairy driving/riding but even then the culprits appear to be more aware than their less lairy equivalents here.

As far as the subject of this post goes, if the increase is only on stretches with existing variable limit cameras and is enforced 24 hours then that is worse than now, as when no reduced limit is currently active in those areas the cameras are not active so ton-up is possible without problem.

stevep360

iTrader: (20)

my neighbour was on a speed awareness course last week and was told it was 10% plus 2mph. She was pulled in a 30 mph zone, so kicked off in the course cos she was captured doing 33mph. Go figure She said the copper said that she must have misread the police letter, so she produced it in front of him lol

Adrian F

This is just smoke and mirrors to allow them to use average speed camera's all day to enforce limits which will always be cautious to avoid the chance of being sued. so in future they will enforce the 70 limit where at the moment they dont plus as most know when empty cars travel safely well in excess of 80 so this will in fact slow speeds down

richs2891

And if they slow cars down they use less fuel = less revenue for the goverment, a lot of people will buy lower powered cars, hence use less fuel and less revenue from road tax.
Will it bring down death or accident rate, no I dont think it will at all. I cant see any advanatage to doing this at all.

Richard

Leslie

Since the speed limit is 70 mph at the moment, no one has the right to criticise someone for driving at 70 in the outside lane. He should not do it continuously of course but if he is overtaking slower drivers on the other lanes he is full justified.

To call him a "poodler" is wrong and unfair just because he is staying within the law.

Doesn't make anyone more manly by belting along at very high speeds well over the speed limit. No one has a god given right to do that either.

We all must realise anyway that an increase in the speed limit to 80 will mean there will be those doing 3 figure speeds of course.

Les

andy97

iTrader: (1)

Certain European countries are terrible for road behaviour Italy, Portugal and Spain. The French are generally OK especially on the motorway network as the French dont use them

80 mph is just falling into line with EU a very rare, but good idea this time

hodgy0_2

the beauty of driving on continental motorways, especially in France, is that not only are they, as someone has noted, often empty (due to tolls) but they have very few entries and exits.

obvious as the countries have a lower population density

In France for instance, it is not uncommon to go for 30 odd miles without a junction, this means far less lane changing is necessary – you can really get down to the business of driving

Blue by You

iTrader: (23)

Perhaps I was a bit optimistic to use the word 'legally'.
Maybe I should have said 'can get away with'

TelBoy

Good of you to sign up to post that, Mr James C. Walker 3rd Jnr Esq Consultant Sir

urban

iTrader: (1)

There has to be lee-way, average cameras cannot be 100% accurate.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Nope, some areas are 10% plus a wee bit more than 2.

But.....that's down to weather conditions and officers discretion anyway.