Leslie

I see that the government has decided not to increase the maximum speed limit from 70mph to 80mph.

I think that is sensible because I believe that 70mph is plenty fast enough on our crowded roads which were never designed for the volume of traffic that we have now or for particularly high speeds anyway.

Les

^Qwerty^

It has a lot to do with where you live. The roads I drive to/from work on can be quiet to the point I can go for miles without passing anybody in either direction, depending on the time of day, but sadly we have to dumb down to the lowest common denominator.

David Lock

Great post to put on a fast car forum

DYK

I agree to a certain point in that some drive like complete arseholes les.If you use the motorways everyday,you'll have seen it for yourself.
Its just a pity now a days we own vehicles that can reach 70mph very easily...

ericooper

Electronic signs on all main roads would be nice, traffic volume cameras control the speed limit, like the traffic calming we get on the m25 m40 etc, linked to control who can over ride depending on weather, late nights when its empty and dry it could be 80, wet weather or rush hour down to 50 etc

BULLITT

I personally would've liked to see the limit for motorways increased to 80mph but I'm also realistic, so lets face it, cars may have gotten safer and faster and able to handling perfectly well at 70mph, 80mph 90mph+ and even roads have gotten safer as far as better ish road surfaces etc BUT people haven't become safer, our reaction times haven't evolved over the last 60 years and if anything there is even more things to distract the general motorist from driving whilst behind the wheel and just general bad driving is even more common place these days, only these days it's through choice not through lack of knowledge like it was 50/60years ago.

Boro

iTrader: (1)

I imagine a world where every car has collision avoidance sensors front and rear. No more rear enders.

Pulling away from traffic lights will no longer be; First car pulls away 60 seconds before the car at the back even starts to move and then the lights go back to red.

All cars will move like a train at the same time, with safe gaps, keeping the flow of traffic at its highest.

No more rubber necking.

Them will be the days!

boomer

I beleive that motorways were originally designed (curves, sight-lines etc.) for up to 130mph. Unfortunately, modern day thinking - removing hard shoulders, exits "to the right" (e.g. with the M6 Toll), ATM, SPECS, permanent roadworks etc. means that "any" volume of traffic will fail

mb

boomer

We have had them for years - they are called, er, "trains"!

Oh, and they still crash quite a bit

mb

tony de wonderful

The only reason they aren't doing this is because they would lose revenue from speeding fines.

Leslie

Do you know, its a funny thing but that had occurred to me as I posted it!

I did feel though that there are a good few responsible people on this forum who might even understand why I said it.

In the days when those limits were set, there was comparatively very little traffic on our roads and not only that, not many people used to drive at such speeds anyway.

Of course cars handle much better these days and the handling and brakes are better in the main, however peoples' driving ability and also their personal reactions etc. have not improved. Coupled with heavy traffic etc. those are more important factors I reckon.

Les

skoobidude

Most faster drivers tend to cruise at 85mph on the motorways anyway so whether the limit stays at 70 or increases to 80, it won't really make a difference.

chopperman

Not how i read it yesterday, unless its changed since then. I read it would probably go ahead some time in the future but the new transport minister was not as enthusiastic as the former minister ,so the bill was shoved in the "not a priority file". Funny thing was it was reported the government thought raising the speed limit would alienate women voters. Is this #10 saying women can't drive? I think that comment could alginate women voters

skoobidude

Until 'a woman voter' is driving on the motorway, happens to be late and could do with the extra mph.. Ha

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I like the idea, but they don't work properly as it is. There was a 40mph limit and queue ahead warning on the M40....this was at 4.00am last Sunday morning, the motorway was empty!!!

tony de wonderful

Yeah like when you see 'Debris on carriageway' and a reduced limit. You just know it is 2 hours old and the 'tard on the computer who typed it in has gone for a long cig break or forgotten about it.

oliVeR6

Those overhead gantries have a lot to answer for when it comes to delays on the motorway.

I was travelling back up to Carlisle from Walsall on Friday, early afternoonish and ahead of me a gantry lit up with "Caution Queue Ahead" (or something like that) and a speed of "60". Upon seeing this the cars closer to the sign than myself slammed on the anchors to IMMEDIATELY drop to 60!! This obviously caused the cars behind to start hitting the brakes and before you knew it what once was a steady flow of high volume traffic turned the M6 into a car park for 5mins or so until everyone was past said gantry.
The best thing about it was within a couple of miles or so we hit the next one with "40" flashing on it and the whole scenario happened again but with a slightly longer stop this time!

Now I know people's first response will be "its not the gantries fault, it's the lack of understanding from the drivers for hitting the brakes" and I agree to an extent. BUT once we hit the final gantry showing "END" we hadn't actually passed any obstruction, queue, workmen in the road, debris etc etc! So why light up the signs in the first place?!

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

I say make it 100mph and but that it has to be safe to do so.

David Lock

The problem or worry that I have is not motorways but my daughter cycling down quite a busy country B road with a 50 limit. The road has a number of bends and wide enough for say 2 Transits to pass on opposite sides but if they are close to 50 on a shallow bend and come up against a cyclist with a vehicle coming the other way which is not immediately visible that is a closing speed of 100 mph and not enough room. Worries the hell out of me.

dl

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Then your daughter has to accept that she is chosing an extremely dangerous road on which to cycle. It wouldn't matter what the max speed was in that situation. We have a similar road near us and the mrs always comments on how slow I take the corners. Fact is, I can't see what's there until I'm actually there!

If she was my daughter I would be having a serious chat with her! (Then again, we all know what women are like - It doesn't matter how many facts your present them with, they always know better. )

David Lock

Fair comment but 1) that is the ONLY road to the next town and 2) there are dozens of roads in the county like the one she uses albeit not quite so busy. And don't suggest buses, virtually non-existent

David

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Car?

Leslie

Ministers are very shy about announcing something really different!

Les

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

This happens so often, yet I've never read or heard anywhere of anyone being held accountable for inaccurate or signage/limit systems that haven't been updated after a event.

Drivers instinctively hit the brakes because every odd gantry has a set of speed cameras, and everyone is scared of getting a speeding fine so overcompensate. Like they do at gatsos where people tend to over-brake/panic brake to 10mph below the posted limit.

David Lock

Yes she has a car but the point being she enjoys cycling and the irony is she would like to ride down this road/lane to take part in a club cycling event on Saturday mornings in the next town

She will avoid this route if I tell her but it seems a shame.

david

Paben

iTrader: (5)

The 70mph speed limit is largely ignored already. Drive at 70 on a free flowing motorway and you will rarely catch anyone but you will be overtaken by 95% of car traffic. Even the police seem to take no interest unless you're exceeding 90.

boomer

I drove down the M42 at rush hour for the first time in quite a while today and was amazed how stupidly random the speed limits were

After "accepting" the "drop everyone to 40mph" limits before the busy section (so they can "prove" ATM's effectiveness laters) i saw the limit fluctuate between 40mph and 60mpg on the approach to gantries many times. That was legally enforceable limits being specified at only a few seconds notice - not very good for traffic flow

mb

Leslie

You are undoubtedly correct, but does all that make it legally correct or even safer to drive above the speed limit?

Les

Turbohot

No, but legally incorrect seems to be the norm for the fast lane overtakers, and they do not get done for it. So, basically, illegally incorrect is incorrect when it suits the traffic cops i.e. above 90; generally.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

Legally correct, no. But it illustrates that the typical motorway speed of 85+ is perfectly safe in the right conditions (i.e. not in heavy traffic) and despite this motorways remain the safest roads by far.