Raising the motorway speed limit

[MJ10]

So the government are planning on raising the Motorway speed limit to 80 so that (and I quote) "those that regularly break the speed limit will be back on the right side of the law"...

Isn't that like saying 'we're allowing drivers to drink 3 units and drive so less people illegally drink and drive'?!!

[ryan1087]

Surely those that speed go beyond 80? It is generally 100+

[ndev2k]

Originally Posted by ryan1087

Surely those that speed go beyond 80? It is generally 100+

This is the mentality that has led to this change being considered.

Anybody driving over 70Mph is speeding but people only consider it speeding once the person is driving at massively increased speeds.

Personally I believe it won't make much difference as most people driving between 70 & 77 are not prosecuted anyway. This is rumoured to be because anything within 10% of the speed limit is acceptable due to speed camera calibration.

I have driven a lot in France where the speed limit is about 81Mph which works because the roads are pretty empty compared to british roads.

[vster2010]

American roads have a general motorway limit of 65mph, and they have major amounts of cars in densely populated areas. they always have traffic queues.

the UK is bad in some places because the roads are only 2 lanes.

either way, i drive over 70 all the time when i drive on the motorway. i think i get it from my parents.

[MJ10]

Here's a comment from one friend:

Kind of. But humans aren't getting any better at drink driving; cars are getting better at stopping (cars have generally moved from drum brakes to disc and frequently ventilated disc brakes; ABS also helps maintain control of the car during braking).

A 0.2 second reduction in reaction time can translate into 21 feet of stopping distance at 70 mph. Being drunk will probably add more than 0.2 seconds to your thinking time.

The highway code says the stopping distance at 70 mph is 315 feet. The BMW 1M, for example, has a stopping distance from 70 mph of just 159 feet, which is nearly half the distance. The highway code says the stopping distance at 60 mph is 240 feet; my Z4 should be capable of doing it in just over 100 feet, which is better than half the distance.

I agree that we shouldn't change the law just because everyone's breaking it; but in this case I think the law is catching up with what's right.

The only issue I have with raising it to 80-90 mph is that we still allow old cars on the motorway that can barely reach such speeds, that don't have ABS, and are typically driven by young drivers (as they often can't afford the insurance on better cars) that aren't experienced at driving on the motorway.

I have to admit that I speed. I guess it's down to me driving the same stretch of motorway for an hour twice a day... I just get bored, I know the road and I just want to get where I'm going. I'm not saying it's right, and I'm waiting to be caught... but 90% of speed limit breakers on the motorway just aren't caught, and therefore they know they can get away with it.

Recently they had roadworks and average speed cameras (ASC) on a stretch of the M4... everyone did exactly 50 for that stretch. As soon as the roadworks were done they were removed! I really think they should install ASC at regular intervals on the motoway as I've witnessed a lot of crazy and dangerous driving on my commute and I know what my mum always told me is 100% true... "You may be the best driver in the world, but it's the other idiots I worry about".

Fine, raise it to 80mph on motorways... but install a way of keeping it at that.

[Cruelworld]

It'll make no difference whatsoever. I drive at ~80 anyway and if they raise the limit i'll still drive at that, it's what i'm comfortable at.
There will be no increase in crashes, and no more danger than there already is. Peoples driving habits will not change at all.

People that don't want to drive that fast will still clog up the inside lane at 54mph and these are the people that the law should be targeting IMO.
There needs to be a minimum speed limit for open road driving, if there is no reason to be doing less than 60 then do at least 60.
This is why you see wagons tailgating cars, because if you cause a wagon to slow down sometimes they cannot regain that speed.

Back on topic, 80mph is a very comfortable speed and a sensible one. I'm all for it.

[az87aris]

Originally Posted by MJ10

So the government are planning on raising the Motorway speed limit to 80 so that (and I quote) "those that regularly break the speed limit will be back on the right side of the law"...

Isn't that like saying 'we're allowing drivers to drink 3 units and drive so less people illegally drink and drive'?!!

It's absolutely bonkers. The current limit is 70 and because people break that speed limit they increase the limit to 80, do they really think that will remedy people going over the limit? They will just speed even more.

What are they going to do next, make drugs legal due to the amount of people taking them to put them back on the right side of the law?

[Cruelworld]

Quick request...
Could anyone that has already replied, and anyone that is going to reply please make it clear if you are actually a licensed driver or not ?

Just for comment clarification...

[az87aris]

Originally Posted by Cruelworld

Quick request...
Could anyone that has already replied, and anyone that is going to reply please make it clear if you are actually a licensed driver or not ?

Just for comment clarification...

Licensed.. been driving since 2009

[Kfchris1]

Originally Posted by az87aris

What are they going to do next, make drugs legal due to the amount of people taking them to put them back on the right side of the law?

Fingers Crossed....

[MJ10]

Been licensed since 2005.

I don't think I have an issue with the limit being 80... it's the reasoning behind it! I mean that was an actual quote I heard on the radio!

[az87aris]

Originally Posted by MJ10

Been licensed since 2005.

I don't think I have an issue with the limit being 80... it's the reasoning behind it! I mean that was an actual quote I heard on the radio!

snap, are they going to increase the current limit of 20 outside schools because people go at 30, just so they too are on the right side of the law?

It kind of defeats the purpose of the limits imo

there are more important things for our government to deal with than silly things like this.

[Cruelworld]

Originally Posted by MJ10

I mean that was an actual quote I heard on the radio!

Licensed since 1987 (HGV since 2005)

There are going to be many,many people commenting in the media. Was this an official government quote or just some random journalist/radio broadcaster ?

I find it hard to believe that this was an actual factor in the official decision and much more likely to be just a passing comment.

[ndev2k]

I am licensed since 2009 and don't have a problem with the speed limit being increased.

[MJ10]

It was a sound byte during the new on the radio (not from the broadcaster)

The government wants to increase the speed limit on motorways in England and Wales to 80mph.

Ministers say it makes sense because people are already driving that fast and it could cut journey times.

Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond, says the current limit introduced in the 1960's, "was out of date".

But Campaigners say it will harm the environment and cause more deaths on the road.

If it gets the go-ahead it won't be until 2013 at the earliest.

source: BBC - Newsbeat - Should there be a new 80 mph speed limit on the motorways?

[Kfchris1]

licensed since 2006

Its a very stupid quote!! But i dont think it will come in anyway!! They are already saying it will take two years, and it has to go to the public, and most people who vote on this sort of thing are the more mature types!!

So i think we will be sticking with 70 guys!!

[ryan1087]

Originally Posted by az87aris

What are they going to do next, make drugs legal due to the amount of people taking them to put them back on the right side of the law?

Speaking of that, there was some country (might of been france, was just a trial within a town) where they made it legal and the drug crime actually went down.

[MJ10]

Originally Posted by ryan1087

Speaking of that, there was some country (might of been france, was just a trial within a town) where they made it legal and the drug crime actually went down.

Well of course it did... it was no longer a crime!

[ryan1087]

Originally Posted by MJ10

Well of course it did... it was no longer a crime!

Well you get what i mean.

[Nero]

Still on provisonal :P

It don't matter, the original speed limit was introduced because the MoT were alarmed about AC Cars testing their latest Cobra on the M1 going 180mph back in 65.