80 MPH limit

[Chris Bb]

If you travel from Exeter to Glasgow, the longest Motorway journey possible in UK, you will travel some 440 miles. At 70 this will take you 6.3 hours, at 80 it will take you 5.5 hours. Thus the greatest "saving" possible is some 50 minutes.

 

Having travelled on the overcrowded M3 & M27 this morning I would suggest that 70 is quite enough from a safety point of view, OK in quiet areas 80 would be great but most Motorways seem to be full during most of the day.

 

So is 80 necessary or beneficial? Would a variable speed limit be better? Should weather and other factors be considered?

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

And has anybody ever driven from Exeter to Glasgow?

[12borejimbo]

I always do 80 on motorways, everyone else does, I'm more than comfortable doing that speed or more, but I do it to keep up with the flow, especially on the m25 ect!

[Richard.Hosgood]

Am in favour for it - not much does 70mph these days anyway, and what some seem to need to bear in mind is that its a maximum speed, not a target, so theres noting to stop you travelling slower should you feel the need!.

 

Oh - and I have done Edinburgh to Glasgow to Exeter on the motorways - must admit to driving at 70 ish just because I wasnt in a rush and was enjoying my new car! (was boring drive though, Kendal mint cake kept me buzzing for the main of it!)

Edited September 30, 2011 by Richard.Hosgood

[Spiderdude]

I personally think the scrapping of Motorway speed limits would be the best solution. They could then be controlled by variable speed limits at peak times and at times where problems have arisen such as accidents and poor weather. It seems that most of Europe alters its limits accordingly to the weather, so why not us!

 

There is no requirement to have a limit on the motorway in the early hours when it is empty, bar the odd sleeping lorry driver and bored copper.

 

JMHO.

[Imperfection]

I dont have a problem with the speed being increased to 80,but i do think there should be a greater degree of lane disipline to go along with it first.I meet far too many people crawling along at about 50mph in the outside lane with the worst recently being an elderly woman doing 45mph in lane 4 of the A1m between Peterborough and Huntingdon.

 

I think variable speed limits would work best controlled by the overhead gantrys because the highways agency can increase/decrease the top speed as per traffic and weather conditions.

[JR1960]

I regularly do a lot of motorway miles and cruise at 80-90 as its a comfortable speed to cruise at. If they up the limit I will still cruise at 80-90, the only thing that will change is I stand less chance of getting nicked.

[Dr W]

I like the French system where it's one speed if conditions are dry and another if it's wet.

 

I generally drive about 65-70mph because my old diesel Range Rover doesn't like doing much more and why waste the extra fuel when it's not really going to save me very much time.

 

There is research that shows in congestion if everyone travelled at a lower speed then the traffic moves more freely than when people people speed up and slow down causing phantom traffic jams.

 

Personally most people seem to travel at 80mph any way so no big deal but would this just give people an excuse to drive at 90mph?

 

I'm for it as the currrent limits are from a different age

[working dog]

Increase the speed limit and increase the penalties for exceeding the revised limit.

 

I may be wrong here but I think the speed limit was brought in for motorways when there was a fuel shortage and it never reverted back to no limit.

[JR1960]

I dont have a problem with the speed being increased to 80,but i do think there should be a greater degree of lane disipline to go along with it first.I meet far too many people crawling along at about 50mph in the outside lane with the worst recently being an elderly woman doing 45mph in lane 4 of the A1m between Peterborough and Huntingdon.

 

I think variable speed limits would work best controlled by the overhead gantrys because the highways agency can increase/decrease the top speed as per traffic and weather conditions.

Certainly agree with the first bit but NO WAY would I want the 'traffic wombles' controlling variable speed limits. Having recently been held up on a motorway for about 3 hours at crawling speed with all the gantrys set to 30/40mph for about 25 miles only to find nothing at the end of it and then speeding back up to more or less motorway speeds. I later found out they regularly do that sort of thing to reduce congestion!!!!!! Muppets..

[JR1960]

Increase the speed limit and increase the penalties for exceeding the revised limit.

 

I may be wrong here but I think the speed limit was brought in for motorways when there was a fuel shortage and it never reverted back to no limit.

Yes, that's exactly what happened. As with so many things, once you allow them to deny you something with promises of reverting back in the future it never happens and you lose another liberty for ever.

[AlistairB]

I love speed as much as the next man and in the rght conditions have been known to 'push' the national limit!

 

However, I travel up and down the A1 every day. About 2 years ago there was a stretch towards Stevenage that had a 50mph speed restriction monitored with average speed cameras - as a result, my journey time reduced by about 10 minutes because everything flowed at 45-50mph and there was no sudden stop start all the way.

 

Not suggesting that should be the case everywhere, but it's interesting and kinda blows a hole in the "80mph would be good for the economy because someone might be able to get another meeting in" arguement the bloke was quoting on the news this morning.

 

JM2PW

 

AB

[J@mes]

Certainly agree with the first bit but NO WAY would I want the 'traffic wombles' controlling variable speed limits. Having recently been held up on a motorway for about 3 hours at crawling speed with all the gantrys set to 30/40mph for about 25 miles only to find nothing at the end of it and then speeding back up to more or less motorway speeds. I later found out they regularly do that sort of thing to reduce congestion!!!!!! Muppets..

 

 

You will also find that they do this quite often in order to clear debris from the road. They set up "rolling road blocks" behind a police car, enforce a lower limit for a few miles and this give sufficient time to clear the road without actually bringing everyone to a standstill at the point of the problem

[JR1960]

You will also find that they do this quite often in order to clear debris from the road. They set up "rolling road blocks" behind a police car, enforce a lower limit for a few miles and this give sufficient time to clear the road without actually bringing everyone to a standstill at the point of the problem

Yes, and its a good idea, however in this particular instance I suspect it was because the hard shoulder was coned off for embankment brush cutting........

[mfletch]

Will it make any difference in a MK1 Land Rover

 

But yes to the 80 limit

Edited September 30, 2011 by mfletch

[Chard]

They should sack motorway speed limits altogether

 

But they should impose MASSIVE fines and bans for poor lane discipline, and I don't just mean dither****s hogging outside lanes. Most motorway accidents are caused by unnecessary lane changing, like the prissy ***** who weave in and out making a big show of the fact that they're not hogging outside lanes, swerving back into the inside lane, only to have to swerve back out to overtake the next car, and the next, and the next. Tossers

[JR1960]

Followed a pair of ****s in lorries on monday up the A11 as soon as one had passed the other, he then pulled out and overtook the first one again and so on for miles. Good job they didn't pull in to a petrol station there would have been a lynch mob, *******

[Dr W]

Majority of the time the overhead boards and speed reduction signs are wrong and whatever the intial cause has been removed ages ago and no one has bothered to switch them off.

 

If people actually bothered monitoring the roads and swtiched the signs off the second it was cleared I would be more inclined to believe them and abide by them.

 

I'd also ban lorries overtaking, there is no mirror, signal manoeuvre it's more like manoeuvre, signal and don't bother with the mirrors as everyone will have to get out of the way or be crushed.

Edited September 30, 2011 by Dr W

[JR1960]

Majority of the time the overhead boards and speed reduction signs are wrong and whatever the intial cause has been removed ages ago and no one has bothered to switch them off.

 

If people actually bothered monitoring the roads and swtiched the signs off the second it was cleared I would be more inclined to believe them and abide by them.

[Gordon R]

If they raise the limit to 80, you will find the world and his wife doing 90 or more. Travel at 70mph on a motorway and you will see the world pass you by. Drivers boast of better brakes on modern cars, conveniently omitting unimproved reaction times, aggression and intolerance, which seem to be an increasingly trend.

 

Having had a speeding ticket a couple of years ago, I stick to speed limits. I smile when I see posters stating that they do 80-90mph on a public forum. Hardly sits well with a firearms ticket.

 

When they do raise the limit, I sincerely hope that they enforce it a bit more rigidly, targeting also the cretins who tailgate, lane hop and undertake.

 

Whatever they do, many will see it as an excuse to do even more, because they are all brilliant drivers. :lol:

[Muggins.]

It won`t stop the 50 mph middle lane huggers though will it??

The law will still be looking to pull the quicker motorist but not the loiterers.

muggins.

[Fisherman Mike]

I think they should leave it as it is.

 

A good freind and neighbour worked regularly as a Motorway Patrol Policeman for Thames Valley. He reckons that 90% of serious motorway accidents are caused by...you guessed it...people driving too fast and too close.

 

70 is fine for me...go faster if you wish (I do from time to time) but accept the consequences If you get caught.

 

I do think that Lorry Drivers, and caravans should be confined to using the motorways between 7pm and 7am though because they are a bloody pain in the ****, and seem to completely disregard any regulations or even common sense.

 

Rather than a maximum speed limit there should be a minimum speed limit of 60 mph

 

All cars particularly the wrinklies should be fitted with a speed and time operated neuclear explosive device so that they are immediately vapourised when their speed averages 49 in the middle lane for over 5 minutes.

[ST3V3]

Increase the speed limit and increase the penalties for exceeding the revised limit.

 

I may be wrong here but I think the speed limit was brought in for motorways when there was a fuel shortage and it never reverted back to no limit.

 

The 70 mph National Speed Limit was introduced as a temporary measure in December 1965. It is often blamed on Barbara Castle, but at the time the Minister of Transport was Tom Fraser.

 

The reason given was a spate of serious accidents in foggy conditions, but it is often claimed that the MoT had been alarmed by AC Cars testing their latest Cobra on the M1 at speeds up to 180 mph.

 

It was confirmed as a permanent limit in 1967, by which time Barbara Castle (a non-driver) had become Minister of Transport.There was surprisingly little debate at the time: the fact that the average family car of the time could only just exceed 70 mph perhaps had something to do with this.

 

 

speed limits should be revised every where not only motorways

[JR1960]

 

Having had a speeding ticket a couple of years ago, I stick to speed limits. I smile when I see posters stating that they do 80-90mph on a public forum. Hardly sits well with a firearms ticket.

 

And what possible relevence does that have to anything??? Firstly it's anonymous and secondly if everyone on here with a speeding ticket was banned from having a gun there'd be a very small membership, including you.

[yates]

If they raise the limit to 80, you will find the world and his wife doing 90 or more. Travel at 70mph on a motorway and you will see the world pass you by. Drivers boast of better brakes on modern cars, conveniently omitting unimproved reaction times, aggression and intolerance, which seem to be an increasingly trend.

 

Having had a speeding ticket a couple of years ago, I stick to speed limits. I smile when I see posters stating that they do 80-90mph on a public forum. Hardly sits well with a firearms ticket.

 

When they do raise the limit, I sincerely hope that they enforce it a bit more rigidly, targeting also the cretins who tailgate, lane hop and undertake.

 

Whatever they do, many will see it as an excuse to do even more, because they are all brilliant drivers. :lol:

[Gordon R]

And what possible relevence does that have to anything??? Firstly it's anonymous and secondly if everyone on here with a speeding ticket was banned from having a gun there'd be a very small membership, including you.

 

JR1960 - I think I need to spell it out for the hard of thinking.

 

It is one thing to have a momentary lapse and get caught speeding - that's life. For someone to boast that they do 80-90 as a matter of course, shows a flagrant disregard for the law. In the trade, I think they are referred to as irresponsible idiots. :D

 

If you think that there is nothing wrong with your statement - trundle down to see your FEO and explain it to him / her. :no:

 

As for it being anonymous - dream on. :lol: