Speed Limit up to 80mph

passmore · 2 Oct 2011

Butts said:
Just hearing on News at Ten of a proposal to raise the speed limit to 80mph.

Although this is largely academic (try driving at 70 in the middle never mind the outside lane)

My own view is that it should be raised to 100mph on Motorways.

Car safety has improved out of all recognition since the sixties so I feel this would be the appropriate upgrade to introduce.

What do others feel ?

I feel it won't make much of a difference since most people drive at 80mph on a motorway anyway. When it comes to general safety on our roads, the problem isn't the speed limit but driver's attitudes to them. When I was still in my job I was amazed at the number of people on the motorway doing in excess of 100mph. Sure it makes journey times slightly less, but I cannot think why raising it any further would contribute to greater safety on the roads.

RailUK Forums

jon0844 · 2 Oct 2011

We would need to drastically improve driving standards to ever be able to increase limits further, or remove them completely on certain roads.

As that won't happen, 80 is probably the highest we could ever go, before it comes down to problems mixing with drivers who can't even drive safely at 60!

GearJammer · 2 Oct 2011

jonmorris0844 said:
We would need to drastically improve driving standards to ever be able to increase limits further, or remove them completely on certain roads.

As that won't happen, 80 is probably the highest we could ever go, before it comes down to problems mixing with drivers who can't even drive safely at 60!

People that can't drive competently/safely on a motorway should'nt be on the road at all, it should be part of the driving test and if you show nerves or incompetance on the motorway you should fail.

Zoe · 2 Oct 2011

GearJammer said:
People that can't drive competently/safely on a motorway should'nt be on the road at all, it should be part of the driving test and if you show nerves or incompetance on the motorway you should fail.

But there must clearly be some reason that learners are not even allowed on the motorway. Even if they were some people live many miles from a motorway so it would not be easy to test them. Graduated licencing could be an option though and it may be that with a basic licence you wouldn't be allowed on motorways and would have to pass a further test that included motorway driving to be allowed on motorways.

90019 · 2 Oct 2011

GearJammer said:
People that can't drive competently/safely on a motorway should'nt be on the road at all, it should be part of the driving test and if you show nerves or incompetance on the motorway you should fail.

Problem with that is learners not being allowed on the motorway.
IMO there should be a test for the motorway once you've passed your driving test, to show that you're capable of using them safely.

SS4 · 2 Oct 2011

GearJammer said:
People that can't drive competently/safely on a motorway should'nt be on the road at all, it should be part of the driving test and if you show nerves or incompetance on the motorway you should fail.

Aren't learners banned from the motorway?

I can't see an objective reason why it was being raised to 80. Seems like political manipulation during Party conference seasons

Schnellzug · 2 Oct 2011

GearJammer said:
People that can't drive competently/safely on a motorway should'nt be on the road at all, it should be part of the driving test and if you show nerves or incompetance on the motorway you should fail.

Exactly what I was saying. The insistence that learners can't go on Motoways is just silly, that's what you should have particular training for. Or perhaps once you've passed, you should then need an extra qualification before you can set foot on one, or something like that anyway.

Zoe · 2 Oct 2011

SS4 said:
I can't see an objective reason why it was being raised to 80. Seems like political manipulation during Party conference seasons

I doubt it will actually get increased to 80. It was talked about a few years back and in the end they decided to keep it at 70. There are environmental groups calling for a reduction to 60 and in a time where green issues are more important than they were previously I can't see anything getting approved that is going to increase CO2 emissions.

Schnellzug said:
The insistence that learners can't go on Motoways is just silly, that's what you should have particular training for.

When this has been discussed elsewhere people often say that it would simply be too dangerous too allow learners on motorways.

SS4 · 2 Oct 2011

Schnellzug said:
Exactly what I was saying. The insistence that learners can't go on Motorways is just silly, that's what you should have particular training for. Or perhaps once you've passed, you should then need an extra qualification before you can set foot on one, or something like that anyway.

A certificate of motorway safety is a fine idea but how would it be enforced? Would the police have a record of it on ANPR records like tax insurance? Or would they pull over some dodgy looking motorist?
From what I've seen as a passenger, motorway traffic is safe because of the style of the road and because it's largely uniform; you don't get a random guy stopping to park! Imagine a learner on the inside lane?

ralphchadkirk · 2 Oct 2011

Schnellzug said:
Exactly what I was saying. The insistence that learners can't go on Motoways is just silly, that's what you should have particular training for. Or perhaps once you've passed, you should then need an extra qualification before you can set foot on one, or something like that anyway.

Generally once you have passed your test, you pay for a few more lessons on motorways.

SS4 · 2 Oct 2011

Zoe said:
I doubt it will actually get increased to 80. It was talked about a few years back and in the end they decided to keep it at 70. There are environmental groups calling for a reduction to 60 and in a time where green issues are more important than they were previously I can't see anything getting approved that is going to increase CO2 emissions.
.

I'd like to believe that but I fear that public support for cutting CO2 emissions is waning. I would like to see the limit set to whichever speed is most fuel-efficient as long as it's reasonable. Highest gear is the most fuel efficient so nothing that would facilitate driving in fourth.

Zoe · 2 Oct 2011

SS4 said:
I'd like to believe that but I fear that public support for cutting CO2 emissions is waning. I would like to see the limit set to whichever speed is most fuel-efficient as long as it's reasonable. Highest gear is the most fuel efficient so nothing that would facilitate driving in fourth.

Would you support full coverage of the motorway network by average speed cameras? It's all very well setting a maximum speed for environmental reasons but it would need to be enforced.

SS4 · 2 Oct 2011

Zoe said:
Would you support full coverage of the motorway network by average speed cameras? It's all very well setting a maximum speed for environmental reasons but it would need to be enforced.

Same argument goes for any arbitrarily set speed limit. Including 80

jon0844 · 2 Oct 2011

Zoe said:
I doubt it will actually get increased to 80. It was talked about a few years back and in the end they decided to keep it at 70. There are environmental groups calling for a reduction to 60 and in a time where green issues are more important than they were previously I can't see anything getting approved that is going to increase CO2 emissions.

You may be right. In Germany, the road lobby is far more powerful than here - and the green parties have certainly tried to get a 130kph limit imposed everywhere.

Still, we do need to consider standardising our limits with the rest of the EU, and 80 is hardly a dangerous speed - and many people already do it anyway. With more 20 and 30mph limits in other places, it will balance out.

People concerned about high fuel prices (we all better get used to it) can of course consider their next car purchase a lot more carefully.

90019 · 2 Oct 2011

SS4 said:
I would like to see the limit set to whichever speed is most fuel-efficient as long as it's reasonable.

But what vehicle would you use to decide it?

Zoe said:
Would you support full coverage of the motorway network by average speed cameras?

I wouldn't, for the same reasons I outlined earlier. The limited use they have so far is dangerous enough, and I believe they should be banned.

Zoe · 2 Oct 2011

jonmorris0844 said:
Still, we do need to consider standardising our limits with the rest of the EU, and 80 is hardly a dangerous speed - and many people already do it anyway. With more 20 and 30mph limits in other places, it will balance out.

Then the UK should go metric or there will have to be unusual signs like 56 mph. Maybe in the longer term there could also be a change to driving on the right.

SS4 · 2 Oct 2011

jonmorris0844 said:
Still, we do need to consider standardising our limits with the rest of the EU, and 80 is hardly a dangerous speed - and many people already do it anyway. With more 20 and 30mph limits in other places, it will balance out.

No chance. Both the Anti-EU and Anti-Metric folk would be out in force. True standardisation would replace miles with kilometres, speeds in km/h and so on.

90019 said:
What vehicle would you use to decide it then?

A range of common vehicles and take the statistical mean. Ideally this would be updated annually or at least regularly

jon0844 · 2 Oct 2011

We can't always drive at 56mph anyway, or in the highest gear. If my car is most efficient at 56mph in sixth gear, it's no good when I'm driving around town or along my road where it's a 20mph zone.

While you should drive at the speed limit wherever possible/safe, you clearly don't always drive at that speed - so no limit could ever be set based on economy.

Zoe · 2 Oct 2011

On some freeways in Canada the limit is actually 100 kmh. If this was the speed limit for UK motorways then it would most likely reduce CO2 emissions.

jon0844 · 2 Oct 2011

Zoe said:
Then the UK should go metric or there will have to be unusual signs like 56 mph. Maybe in the longer term there could also be a change to driving on the right.

They don't have to be absolutely exact. As it is, speed limits translate fairly well - at least good enough.

50kph / 30mph
70kph / 50mph (the least close)
90kph / 60mph (okay, so it's really 56 - hence limiters going with the lower of the two)
110kph / 70mph
130kph / 80mph

Sweden also has 120kph to confuse matters.

FWIW, we already have speed limits in the UK that don't end in 0. We have 5mph in places, and also 19mph near Cambridge.

Changing to the right hand side of the road would cost too much now. We missed the opportunity and too many road designs would need to be modified. We couldn't be like Sweden that changed overnight.

That boat has sailed I think!

However, maybe one day we will change the speed limit signs to KPH, seeing as we ARE a metric country anyway.

Schnellzug · 2 Oct 2011

ralphchadkirk said:
Generally once you have passed your test, you pay for a few more lessons on motorways.

Not sure how general it is. Extra lessons have to be paid for, and someone who may have paid for lots of lessons (and perhaps several tests) is probably the least likely to want to shell out for more, and they'd probably be the ones who'd most need it.

Zoe · 2 Oct 2011

jonmorris0844 said:
FWIW, we already have speed limits in the UK that don't end in 0. We have 5mph in places, and also 19mph near Cambridge.

Are they actually legally enforced by traffic orders?

jon0844 · 2 Oct 2011

Don't we still have Pass Plus? That involves motorway driving, and a pass gets you further insurance discounts.

Zoe · 2 Oct 2011

jonmorris0844 said:
However, maybe one day we will change the speed limit signs to KPH, seeing as we ARE a metric country anyway.

I thought it was km/h that was officially used not kph.

Mojo · 2 Oct 2011

ralphchadkirk said:
Generally once you have passed your test, you pay for a few more lessons on motorways.

I did the 'Pass Plus' course with the same driving instructor shortly after I passed my test back in 2007. It involved driving in adverse weather, in the countryside, in the city, driving at night and Motorway driving. Dual carriageways are also included but I had done plenty of this during lessons and indeed I had to drive on a dual carriageway at 70mph during my actual test.

ralphchadkirk · 2 Oct 2011

jonmorris0844 said:
Don't we still have Pass Plus? That involves motorway driving, and a pass gets you further insurance discounts.

I believe so. It's certainly avaliable in some areas, but there is no compulsion to do it. I'm quite lucky, I'll be joining a profession where my insurance premiums will drop rapidly, by becoming IHCD D1 & D2 trained, which also makes you an automatic member of the IAM.

SS4 · 2 Oct 2011

Schnellzug said:
Not sure how general it is. Extra lessons have to be paid for, and someone who may have paid for lots of lessons (and perhaps several tests) is probably the least likely to want to shell out for more, and they'd probably be the ones who'd most need it.

Along with young people who are being shafted by insureance companies

Schnellzug · 2 Oct 2011

Zoe said:
Then the UK should go metric or there will have to be unusual signs like 56 mph. Maybe in the longer term there could also be a change to driving on the right.

:eek: How would that be done, then? Would it be done overnight, since it could hardly be phased in gradually. And Would everyone have to buy a new car, or would you be allowed to drive on the Right with an RHD Car?

jon0844 · 2 Oct 2011

Zoe said:
I thought it was kmh that was officially used not kph.

Maybe it is. You did understand what I meant though?

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

In Ireland they changed from mph to kph/kmh gradually, and had a weird mix of old and new. I believe you only knew by the fact that the new signs looked slightly different.

I am sure we could change the speed limit signs relatively easy, but then you have all the distance signs. Mind you, it seems that a lot of signs are seemingly random when it comes to yards, so perhaps they're already measured in metric and then converted?

Switching sides of the road would be a crazy project. Let's build some new airports, HS2, HS3 and HS4 before we try and get that one to happen!

Zoe · 2 Oct 2011

jonmorris0844 said:
Maybe it is. You did understand what I meant though?

Yes. I have also been told that the warning signs you get before roadworks that say 400 yards, 200 yards and so on are actually placed at 400 and 200 metres.

Schnellzug said:
How would that be done, then? Would it be done overnight, since it could hardly be phased in gradually. And Would everyone have to buy a new car, or would you be allowed to drive on the Right with an RHD Car?

That's why I said long term, it may not even be done before the introduction of driverless cars.

Speed Limit up to 80mph

Member

RailUK Forums

Veteran Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Forum Staff

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member