Impending 80mph Motorway limit. Will it affect you?

[Partridge]

And what exactly is so problematic with letting someone pass who wants to drive faster?

When they sit on your arse when you’re doing 80 or 90, when the outside lane is clear.

[CortinaDave]

Apparently speed limits are a devolved issue which is why we're not getting the 80 limits in Scotland. Local councils now have the power to set the limits in their area, which is why Fife is now 20mph on all non main roads, and speed bump hell.

[Lacquer Peel]

[dollywobbler]

I think if they raise the limit to 80 then the automatic default for many will become 90. I'm happy at the 60-75ish range to be honest so it wouldn't really affect me anyway.

Shouldn't they raise the HGV limit a bit as well? a 24mph difference between them could cause some issues. 

 

A fair comment. Having driven a Citroen H van on a German autobahn, the speed differential can be truly terrifying. Once, I got an opportunity to overtake something going even more slowly than we were. Glance in mirror, clear, signal, glance again, whooosh! "Where the chuff did they come from?"

[Lankytim]

Urgh! What an annoying looking fella.

[autofive]

Apparently speed limits are a devolved issue which is why we're not getting the 80 limits in Scotland. Local councils now have the power to set the limits in their area, which is why Fife is now 20mph on all non main roads, and speed bump hell.

 

 

we are talking about motorways though Dave. Local councils have no control over motorways. Thats the highways agency.

[brickwall]

80 is reasonable and when I go down to Durham to see my brothers family I just cruise at about 80...it's a reasonable speed. The old Landy would see 80 as an irrelavence, the Rangie is too expensive to drive at thoise speeds. I just sit behind a truck if I'm in the V8. Anyway, the V8 Rangie comes alive on the country roads.

[skattrd]

Changing the speed limit won't make any difference to me.

I usually drive around 60-70mph as I'm tight and driving faster means I spend more on fuel, so I won't be doing 80+

[CortinaDave]

Matters not, motorway limits are still a devolved issue, and we're getting bugger all

 

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/330184/Confusion-fear-for-drivers-as-SNP-snub-UK-s-80mph-limit

[cort16]

Everyone does 80 anyway. The only ones not doing 80 are old giffers and people driving vehicle restricted either by design or capability.

 

I (amazingly) agree with Laquer Peel it's just another bullshit headline grabbing thing to distract you from all the shite they're really up to like duffing up pensioners and taking money away from people who haven't got any.

[explosive-cabbage]

Does that mean 86-87 should see you ok of the scameras? it's 10% or something isnt it?

10% +2mph

 

So the speed you would have to travel to get nicked would be 90moh if the limit was raised

[worldofceri]

They might well put the National Speed Limit up to 80 mph but pretty soon every section of motorway will be 'upgraded' to Managed Motorway with cameras on gantries every fifteen feet to catch you exceeding the 50 mph limit they impose every time someone chucks a fag end out of the window.

[Mr Lobster]

I thought this wasn't happening but tbh I've mixed feelings if it does -

 

I suspect that an 80mph would be far more strictly enforced (see managed motorways above) - the cameras on the M1 around Luton seemed fairly active at enforcing the 70 limit the other night. 

 

I've no problem with people doing 80 or 90 or whatever, I just wish someone would do something about the terrible lane discipline on our motorways.

[wuvvum]

Will it change how you drive on the motorway?

 

Will you stick to 80mph or go for 80 + 105 + 2 mph?

 

I would do the latter, but I don't have anything in the fleet that will manage 187mph.  Maybe the Vectra down a very long, very steep hill.

 

These days I tend to cruise at 70-80 depending on what I'm driving, and I can't see that changing much as I'm too tight to pay for the extra fuel I'd use otherwise.  The only time I drive significantly faster is when I'm in the Rover of Doom and I get the urge to wind up the Audis in the fast lane, but that doesn't happen very often.

[AnthonyG]

Just means I won't be breaking the law anymore. Although working in Gloucestershire with folks in Herefordshire means I don't bother with motorways much at the moment. It's not going up for dual carriageways is it? Now that would be dangerous.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Got beeped this evening for forcing someone to do 65 for about 300 meters through a junction. That's only going to get worse when people like that expect to be doing at least 80 all the time.

[Pete-M]

I'll go the same speed I do anyway, I'll just feel a bit happier doing it as it won't involve scanning the mirrors and other lanes for Dibble Revenue Devices.

[Richard]

Apparently speed limits are a devolved issue which is why we're not getting the 80 limits in Scotland. Local councils now have the power to set the limits in their area, which is why Fife is now 20mph on all non main roads, and speed bump hell.

 

There are some ridiculous speed limits springing up around here. On one of the approaches to Cupar they have set a 50 limit, which goes back to NSL for the last mile or so. I can't remember any serious accidents in the 50 section but there have been a dozen or more fatal accidents in the bit they left at NSL. It's also a bit jarring to see NSL signs at the start of a single track road leading off the main road.

 

These random speed limits are a bad idea because they encourage people to view them as a target rather than a limit. On some rural roads there are corners where even 30 would be an insane speed, but 60 would be fine on the sections in between, introducing a blanket 40 limit on a road like that wouldn't make it safer.

 

It's mostly Lib-Dem councillors who are responsible for the random speed limit menace. I hope the Clegg effect filters down to local lever and we can be rid of these interfering bastards forever.

 

Everyone does 80 anyway. The only ones not doing 80 are old giffers and people driving vehicle restricted either by design or capability.

 

I (amazingly) agree with Laquer Peel it's just another bullshit headline grabbing thing to distract you from all the shite they're really up to like duffing up pensioners and taking money away from people who haven't got any.

 

I can't remember them all because I try not to pay too much attention, but this government seems to come up with a "crowd pleaser" every other week. Unfortunately this is the crowd they want to please.

[seacow]

When they sit on your arse when you’re doing 80 or 90, when the outside lane is clear.

In this example is the inside lane also clear?

[seacow]

There are some ridiculous speed limits springing up around here. On one of the approaches to Cupar they have set a 50 limit, which goes back to NSL for the last mile or so. I can't remember any serious accidents in the 50 section but there have been a dozen or more fatal accidents in the bit they left at NSL. It's also a bit jarring to see NSL signs at the start of a single track road leading off the main road.

 

These random speed limits are a bad idea because they encourage people to view them as a target rather than a limit. On some rural roads there are corners where even 30 would be an insane speed, but 60 would be fine on the sections in between, introducing a blanket 40 limit on a road like that wouldn't make it safer.

 

It's mostly Lib-Dem councillors who are responsible for the random speed limit menace. I hope the Clegg effect filters down to local lever and we can be rid of these interfering bastards forever.

 

 

 

I can't remember them all because I try not to pay too much attention, but this government seems to come up with a "crowd pleaser" every other week. Unfortunately this is the crowd they want to please.

I was at a meeting with the fife guy responsible for roads the other week which was really interesting. There is a lot of data and reasoning behind what they do. I'm by no means saying I agree with all of it but its interesting the factors you don't realize.

[CortinaDave]

What's not taken into consideration though is that with the ridiculous amount of bumps there now is - its literally every street that isn't a main road, you punish cars suspension. Every MoT I get caught for suspension arms or balljoints etc and its because of the bumps.

 

This means a whole load of unsafe cars running around the area, yet the council just blindly say "speed bumps don't damage cars"

 

If used properly - IE here and there where they are most needed, then they're worthwhile . On every street going, it's ridiculous. Kwik Fit reported a 70 % increase locally in suspension related failures in the two years after the bumps went in, yet they don't cause damage say the council. Grrr

[Pete-M]

I've no problem with people doing 80 or 90 or whatever, I just wish someone would do something about the terrible lane discipline on our motorways.

 

They are doing. If you're collared tailgating it's £100 fine, same for middle lane hogs. £100 fine if you're in the middle lane for no bloody reason. From July 1st I think it comes in properly.

 

It appears to be working, I did about 1000 miles last week and other than the Friday afternoon "Oooh, lets go on holiday" brigade who always drive like wankers, lane discipline has visibly improved.

 

[Pillock]

I'll continue to do an indicated 75-80 as I'm happy at that speed.

 

I do wonder why there is such a trend for limiting vans..... HGVs I can just about fathom as they're big buggers that don't change direction well but I'm seeing a lot of company vans proudly proclaiming "limited to 57mph" or some random figure. Why? They just get in your way, they add to the procession in the inside lane that struggle to overtake and jam everywhere up. I know full well a Sprinter of 1998 vintage can do 89.5mph so why limit them?

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[jonny69]

I owned a Ford Pop a couple of years ago and it sometimes (ok, regularly) got a bit hairy when people misjudged their closing speed and had to take evasive action. I saw at least one vehicle completely lose control doing this. This will only be worse with vehicles travelling 10mph faster.

 

You've also got this really clever system where some lanes are separated off about a mile before the junction actually leaves the road (e.g. M25, M3, M2) so you're sitting there at 55-60mph with traffic passing at 80mph+ on both sides.

 

Quite a few reasons for limiting van speeds if you look at it from a company perspective. It saves a lot of money in fuel if you run a fleet and you have to remember a van won't pull up as quick as a car. If you limit the van so it can't sit bumper to bumper with the 80mph traffic then you eliminate one of the crash risks.

[Bren]

Has anyone actually wondered why, in this age of nanny state, CCTV enforced, risk averse, low carbon footprint austerity why the speed limit would be raised?

 

Simple - to make sure you buy MORE fuel.

 

You are already in top gear at 70. You will use more fuel at 80. Simple.

 

Our economy is borked, not enough going into the treasury coffers, all these zero tax / £30 a year cars are really doing the treasury harm. They need more of our hard earned cash.

 

You won't catch them going after foreign companies who pay fuck all tax, or going after individuals who pay fuck all tax. You wont catch them trying to take the utility companies to task either, or threatening to nationalise our water/ gas etc. again. They won't do this because when the policticians careers in Westminster are over, they will rely on these entities for their next job - you don't bite the hand that feeds.

 

But you can shit all over the electorate.

 

If this comes in it will be a huge exercise in smoke and mirrors - "were helping the economy blah blah blah.."

 

They want more of our money. End of.

[panhard65]

I hope it does come in at least then I won't be breaking the law all the time. It won't make much difference though as you will still have the lane hoggers etc. I would never drive any car on any motorway if it couldn't sit happily at at least 60. It is when lorries have to move out to overtake the car doing 49 in the inside lane that accidents happen. Not to mention the pillocks who think it is acceptable to join a busy motorway doing 40. They should bring in minimum speeds as well to keep it all moving. I heard on the news the other day the mayor of bristol wants to lower the speed limit on the M32 to reduce pollution. He obviously knows f*all about catalytic convertors the faster you go the better they work so to save the planet we should all drive flat out everywhere

[brickwall]

Putting up petrol price is very public and absolutely hated. Raising the speed is a cunning way of getting us to purchase more fuel.

[Junkman]

If you don't want to buy more fuel, drive slower. But please let the people pass that want to drive faster, and hopefully they allow me to drive faster sooner than later.

 

It's actually quite simple, no?

[willswitchengage]

Has anyone actually wondered why, in this age of nanny state, CCTV enforced, risk averse, low carbon footprint austerity why the speed limit would be raised?

 

Simple - to make sure you buy MORE fuel.

 

You are already in top gear at 70. You will use more fuel at 80. Simple.

 

Our economy is borked, not enough going into the treasury coffers, all these zero tax / £30 a year cars are really doing the treasury harm. They need more of our hard earned cash.

 

You won't catch them going after foreign companies who pay fuck all tax, or going after individuals who pay fuck all tax. You wont catch them trying to take the utility companies to task either, or threatening to nationalise our water/ gas etc. again. They won't do this because when the policticians careers in Westminster are over, they will rely on these entities for their next job - you don't bite the hand that feeds.

 

But you can shit all over the electorate.

 

If this comes in it will be a huge exercise in smoke and mirrors - "were helping the economy blah blah blah.."

 

They want more of our money. End of.

 

 

Not entirely true due to the extra congestion this policy will cause. I spend enough time in traffic jams in the South East already (and I only drive at weekends), having a more turbulent flow caused by greater and more disparate speeds will vastly increase those "ghost" tailbacks that trouble our motorways. Variable speed limits work, they're there for a reason; dense traffic moves far more efficiently at a slow and uniform speed

 

Panhard wrote:

 

I heard on the news the other day the mayor of bristol wants to lower the speed limit on the M32 to reduce pollution. He obviously knows f*all about catalytic convertors the faster you go the better they work so to save the planet we should all drive flat out everywhere

 

He probably does know though about traffic flows and that a lower speed limit will significantly reduce emissions, and that it ill also reduce accidents and discourage driving fundamentally.

[Angrydicky]

 I would never drive any car on any motorway if it couldn't sit happily at at least 60. It is when lorries have to move out to overtake the car doing 49 in the inside lane that accidents happen. 

How do you expect me to drive my Austin A35 (cruising speed 50) from Essex to Kent then, a journey I do on a fairly regular basis? As long as people use their mirrors and leave decent gaps it isn't an issue, not currently anyway. I always back off a bit to let the HGV's back in as well, as I'm a courteous driver and am not one of those wankers who will keep a lorry stuck in lane two for mile after mile just because they can't be arsed to drop back a bit.