Motorway speed limit

[Wilko220]

Looks like there may be moves to increase it to 80 (for those of us whose cars can go that fast!)

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/new ... 80mph.html

[michael1703]

bad idea, people drive like twats as it is

[scooters]

Agreed. I used to be in favour of an increase but 50k of motorway miles for the last few years has made me question this.

 

I am in favour of French style variable speed limit. You could have 80 for clear weather and roads but 60 for bad weather.

[Wilko220]

To be honest, I'm not particularly fussed whether the limit is increased or not. But I would argue strongly that the main danger on motorways is represented, not by excessive speed, but by poor lane discipline - which is increasingly an epidemic.

[Guest]

As well as the fact that most of the people who are currently speeding will add 10mph onto whatever they do now, it only increases the gap between people who need to overtake lorries doing 56mph on the limiter. Under moderately busy traffic, it can be fairly difficult to get the 14mph up to safely coast into the middle - if it takes a whole 24mph, there's no chance, you'll just get people pulling out into the middle and causing rear-enders (or at least have people riding their brakes down the line).

[HereHareHere]

De facto motorway speed limit is about 85 anyway. I can't imagine you'd ever be pulled over for doing that, unless you did it right past a patrol car while flicking the Vs.

 

If the traffic's light I always set the cruise at 87mph (140 kmh). I don't do things by the book, but I get results.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

De facto motorway speed limit is about 85 anyway. I can't imagine you'd ever be pulled over for doing that, unless you did it right past a patrol car while flicking the Vs.

 

If the traffic's light I always set the cruise at 87mph (140 kmh). I don't do things by the book, but I get results.

 

Hear here hair, you sound like one of these tough-talking TV cops who's not afraid to bend the rules or ignore his seniors when it comes to busting the crims. At the end of the day, you always get your man, but theres a few people higher up just waiting for you to slip up. You be careful out there.

[boobydoo]

I like to pootle along at 40 in the inside lane when in the Simca. Even the old biddys in their Honda Jizz's HAVE to overtake me then....something they haven't done since 1973. You can see the sheer panic on their faces at the thought of this unwelcome manoeuvre.

[Negative Creep]

Police would likely ignore 85mph but a camera wouldn't. I agree 80mpw would be much better; the limit was introduced at a time when most cars struggled to reach that speed in the first place and it would bring us more in line with the rest of Europe.

 

However we also need to do more. Mainly those retards who sit in the middle lane, or in the outer lane at exactly the speed limit, or truckers spending 5 minutes overtaking in the middle lane at 56.0000000001mph

[HereHareHere]

Damn straight. One day those wise-ass desk-faggots will push me too far, and I'll trade in my badge for a bottle of Jack.

[dollywobbler]

I would be against a change. Currently, my 2CV can (flat out) manage the motorway limit. No chance if it's 80mph! Mind you, I'm getting soft these days and tend to cruise at 60 (65 on the speedo). I don't think I could bring myself to drive at 40mph on a motorway. That'd scare me!! Even the H van did 50. Noisily.

 

Agree that a France-style lower limit for rain is a good idea. I think people assume that ABS means they can stop just as quickly in the rain as the dry. Not so!

[Mr Lobster]

Good. About time it was done.

[messerschmitt owner]

it'll have to come but it will come at a cost of a motorway system managed with average speed cameras.

[Mr Lobster]

^ Thats my only concern about it tbh.

 

Whilst I think the limit should be 80, I'd rather it stay as it is and most people travel at 80 - 85 and get away with it rather than 82 and get caught by a camera.

[Cavcraft]

As well as the fact that most of the people who are currently speeding will add 10mph onto whatever they do now, it only increases the gap between people who need to overtake lorries doing 56mph on the limiter. Under moderately busy traffic, it can be fairly difficult to get the 14mph up to safely coast into the middle - if it takes a whole 24mph, there's no chance, you'll just get people pulling out into the middle and causing rear-enders (or at least have people riding their brakes down the line).

 

I may have misread the above but surely if you saw a truck in the left hand lane you'd indicate and pull into the middle lane in plenty of time not to have to worry about slowing down then accelerating again?

[Negative Creep]

^ Thats my only concern about it tbh.

 

Whilst I think the limit should be 80, I'd rather it stay as it is and most people travel at 80 - 85 and get away with it rather than 82 and get caught by a camera.

 

 

I don't think they could afford to install such a thing. Since people tend to stick to the limit in average zones the cameras wouldn't be making much money.

 

The cynic side of me says getting people to drive at 80 would be a good way to raise fuel revenue................

[Lukas]

In Austria, there is a motorway speed-limit of 130km/h/80mph. Almost every car is travelling at speeds between 80 and 100 mph and it´s not a problem. Not on motorways with two lanes and not on ones with three lanes of course. Some people drive with 110mph too, mostly SUV-drivers.

I don´t think driving at those speeds is a safety-issue. Do you think people in the UK are not used to higher speeds than 70 mph?

 

And fuel-consumption shouldnt be such a problem too. My Legacy does 28mpg at a steady 70mph and 22mpg at a steady 100mph. Not such a huge difference in my book. Just 1 1/2 litres on 100km.

[Pete-M]

I reckon the motorway speed limit should be done away with completely in good weather, with variable limits at other times.

 

Personally, I reckon anyone who dawdles along in lane 2 at 50ish oblivious to the fact that they're slowing down two lanes of traffic should have their licence revoked for at least a year.

 

Also, truckers taking miles and miles to pass each other should have their licences taken off them, and have to sit a full retest of every licence (including a motorway test I'd invent specially) before being allowed back on the road. All truckers involved in such manouveurs would be banned by the way. If they're in L1 and there's a truck in L2 doing the same speed then one of them has to give way. End of. I don't give a toss if the truck takes a month to get from 51-56 mph and uses a planet load of diesel. No excuses. Get the fuck out of the middle lane.

 

Driving across Europe last year two things were very obvious indeed.

 

1: Motorway speed limits aren't needed if the standard of driving is good.

2: Getting trucks off the motorway at peak times works.

 

Both are pretty easy to do. To deal with the poor driving we need motorway coppers who deal with bad driving instead of speeding. To sort the trucks out just build a few large lorry parks around service areas.

 

Oh, and we need to do something about tailgating. Proper motorway cops could sort that.

[RedSparrow]

I think it should stay as it is. People in this country daily prove that they cannot drive responsibly.

The autobahn system in Germany only works because they are not congested and German people take more responsibility for their actions, unlike people here.

[Pete-M]

I think it should stay as it is. People in this country daily prove that they cannot drive responsibly.

 

Remove the limit completely, get the Plod to prosecute anyone who is driving badly (note to PCs - badly = badly, not badly = quickly) and they'll soon learn to drive responsibly.

 

Anyone who gets killed through their own stupidity will be dead. Officer Darwin Dibble back on the highway.

[Wilko220]

I'm inclined to agree with Pete-M, but I do think they would need to start properly cracking down on the shit drivers before they did away with speed limit.

[Negative Creep]

I'd like to say remove the speed limit but you know you'd just have dickheads going on top speed runs during the middle of the day

[dieselnutjob]

De facto motorway speed limit is about 85 anyway. I can't imagine you'd ever be pulled over for doing that, unless you did it right past a patrol car while flicking the Vs. .

 

I cruised past a police car on the M1 last year at 76mph (76 on the GPS and 78 on the speedo). He pulled out and followed me for ages then eventually pissed off at high speed.

 

Also I know someone who got pulled over, went to court and got fined for doing 78 on a motorway, which really shocked me.

 

My understanding is that they can't do you for less than 10% over which is why I cruise at 76. I think 85 would be a definite pull at least in the south east anyway.

 

Proper motorway cops could sort that.

 

They won't sort anything out because they can't be arsed explaining to a judge how driving in the middle lane is "driving without due care and attention" or something when it's so much easier to bust someone for doing 80mph. Also the first time there is a stabbing, armed robbery, domestic incident or whatever the traffic cops have to go and deal with that because they've got the best cars to get there. I see a lot of police cars in London and they are always on their way somewhere in a big hurry. Frankly you can drive as badly as you want in London and you will get away with it.

 

I would like overtaking on the left to be officially legal then I can just drive around all the idiots instead of joining the huge queue in the fast lane as one guy overtakes at 71mph with a two mile queue builds up behind and the two other lanes are deserted.

[Cavcraft]

They can do you for doing 72mph if they want I believe. The 10% 'rule' is at their own discretion.

[dieselnutjob]

at their own discretion.

= how bored or what control freak issues they happen to have at that time

[Lankytim]

I think the police guideline is 10% +3mph, so you should be safe up to 80mph anyway. As its been said though, they could do you for 71 if they wanted to.

[trigger]

I've past a copper before now doing 80mph and they didn't bat an eye lid, I've also had a copper overtake me whilst I'm doing 85mph without there blues and twos going.

 

I think if the limit is upp'ed to 80 mph then people will start going 90 mph, there's no doubt about it, I say leave it as it is.

[RoadworkUK]

I'd hate for the limit to be increased.

 

As it is, I try to sit with the top 10% or so of traffic, 82 to 83mph feels fast enough to get somewhere and is right in the sweet spot for the Audi. Go much slower and you end up being tailgaited. If the limit was 80 and everybody used that as an excuse to add 10mph to their usual speed, I'd then be in everybodys way. I don't want to cruise at 90, in my car to be honest it's not much fun.

 

Recent biggish diesels are geared and sound-insulated in such a way that you can cruise happily and economically at 90+, I find myself doing that in the various Mercs I drive every day. Get back in my own car and I don't want to drive that fast. Also, those with company cars / vans and fuel allowances have far less temptation to drive economically.

 

I'm pretty sure the roads will end up with nothing but company diesels and delivery vans doing 90 in the outside lane while private motorists and cars over 10 years old are stuck in the middle, getting trapped behind ditherers and HGVs.

 

It'll suck sweaty fetid donkey globes.

[RoadworkUK]

DP Ahoy!

 

Can we please have some actual visible police on the motorways, please, to try and implement some kind of order?

 

Pull people on the spot for passing on the inside and general poor lane discipline, tailgaiting and inconsiderate driving, and driving at take-the-piss velocities incommensurate with the prevailing traffic levels or weather conditions.

 

A CAMERA CANNOT DO ANY OF THIS.

 

Have more unmarked cars, whatever it takes. After a while of realising that they can't get away with being twats, drivers will start to behave. At the moment they realise they can drive like dicks all day long and nobody can touch them.

 

Motorists are fundamentally agains automated law enforcement because it is physically unfair. A speeding fine issued by post two weeks after you did 40 in a 30, on an empty road at eight in the morning, on a Sunday, is not law enforcement, nor is it educational. Were a copper sitting there he'd probably be able to deliver a strong enough lecture to make a warning worthwhile. I for one would respect the laws of the road far more If I knew they were enforced fairly and appropriately.

 

I want to be told off, by a geezer, with proper justification. Not by a machine programmed within a set of parameters.

[scooters]

I don't think you can compare our motorway conditions with those on mainland Europe particularly in France and Germany. The fact is that south of Preston most of our motorways are very congested - look at the M6 between Brum and Preston for instance. I drove that road twice a week along its whole length and sometimes it is very very busy. When motorways get that busy lane discipline is difficult to follow and enforce. In my experience the motorways in France and Germany have a lot less traffic - better railways and water navigation ensure much freight goes by these means rather than by road and sensibly priced public transport means there are less cars on the roads.

 

What does seem to work is the peak time variable speed limits you get on the M25 - the theory is good but drivers need educated as to why we all need to sit at 50 when the road is very busy. This would stop the inevitable bunching you get.

 

I have learned that when driving on a very congested motorway you are much better off sitting in the inside and keeping your speed down - less bunching, less stop start and less stressful. The only time you can actually make time is when the motorway is empty or the traffic is light. Unless you are really unlucky you get there in reasonable time. sic. my drive from St Albans to edinburgh is anything from 5 and a half hours to eight hours and is usually done in 6. for the sake of 30 or 40 minutes it is less stressful, uses less fuel and doesnt risk my license or my and others lives.

 

Driving an old vehicle that struggles to get to 60 I would not welcome any increase in the NSL - overtaking HGVS and slow vehicles is tough enough at present speeds but could be impossible if any faster.

 

I would not abolish the speed limit in the UK - our driving standards are just not up to it and our roads are too busy.

 

I recall driving a daf 44 from St Albans to Edinburgh last summer - I ususally used a 535i - the daf took me 30 minutes longer and used nearly half the gas....who said we have made progress in motoring!