Why is speeding socially acceptable?

fred990

motorguy wrote: »

You mean like in Germany where they have inrestricted autobahns? Isnt the accident rate actually lower?

Totally different having lived there. Big difference is lane discipline, plus a flash of the headlights over there was no big deal as something came flying along well into three figure speeds.
Here the mentality is completely different......

Norman_Castle

motorguy wrote: »

Wouldnt you agree that when the speed limit was introduced on motorways @ 70MPH cars were running drum brakes, no airbags, no ABS and next to no safety features and little skinny tyres, whereas now cars are much safer? So why not increase the limit to say 80MPH?

Raising the limit to 80 would be viewed as legitimising 90mph driving as exceeding the limit by a small amount is apparently acceptable. On a crowded motorway I'd prefer drivers drove at 70, on a clear motorway I suspect you’d be unlucky to be stopped for doing close to 80.

Cars might be more capable but the roads are much busier than the 70s. What real benefit would there be to raising it? Motorways work well because of the limited speed difference between the 3 lanes of 60-80mph. The increased speed would also increase pollution and road noise.

Guerillatoker

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Motorways work well because of the limited speed difference between the 3 lanes of 60-80mph.

What do you mean here?

Norman_Castle

Guerillatoker wrote: »

What do you mean here?

HGVs doing an indicated 60 in lanes 1+2. 70mph cars sitting in lane 2 and lane 3 cars doing 70-80. Only a 20mph difference between the 3 lanes.

Car_54

motorguy wrote: »

You mean like in Germany where they have inrestricted autobahns? Isnt the accident rate actually lower?

A quick check on Google (yes, I know) suggests it's actually higher.

NBLondon

motorguy wrote: »

Some 1966 Ford Escort 1.1 driving flat at out 70MPH

Nerd point... if it's an Escort; it would be a 1968 at least; if it's 1966 then you mean a Ford Anglia (997cc) or Anglia Super (1200cc or so).

motorguy wrote: »

As i said, i live beside a primary school and its actually a 40MPH zone. Would it be appropriate to drive past that school at drop off time at 40MPH?

This is a great case for variable limits - 20mph during school hours, 40mph otherwise. And apart from the minority of idiots - that should be accepted by most drivers.

Here's a lesser example not far from me on the A20... Note the 40 limit. It used to be 50. It could still be 50 in the open stretch but go down to 40 when the housing restarts - head East a mile to see that happening. Result; most people drive it at 55 anyway and then panic when they see the speed cameras at either end.

Mercdriver

motorguy wrote: »

You mean like in Germany where they have inrestricted autobahns? Isnt the accident rate actually lower?

Wouldnt you agree that when the speed limit was introduced on motorways @ 70MPH cars were running drum brakes, no airbags, no ABS and next to no safety features and little skinny tyres, whereas now cars are much safer? So why not increase the limit to say 80MPH?

Who has the great risk of crashing? Some 1966 Ford Escort 1.1 driving flat at out 70MPH OR a new Ford Focus with all its safety features driving @ 80MPH on the same road?

The majority of Autobahn is restricted to 120kph. They also have laws about distance from the front which is enforced by camera.

Guerillatoker

Norman_Castle wrote: »

HGVs doing an indicated 60 in lanes 1+2. 70mph cars sitting in lane 2 and lane 3 cars doing 70-80. Only a 20mph difference between the 3 lanes.

This is not true though. Its 70mph for all lanes and people should be moving over to the left if they're not overtaking whether they're doing 10mph or 100mph.

luckyduck83

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

This was an empty motorway.

You can't guarantee any motorway is "empty". There's no telling what animal/person/debris might suddenly appear - especially in rural wiltshire. A deer hitting your car at 100mph is going to do a lot more damage than at 70mph. Your chance to react is greatly reduced, your chance of swerving and losing control/hitting a tree or oncoming traffic greatly increased.

I get your argument on a managed racetrack, but not on public roads.

Guerillatoker

luckyduck83 wrote: »

You can't guarantee any motorway is "empty". There's no telling what animal/person/debris might suddenly appear - especially in rural wiltshire. A deer hitting your car at 100mph is going to do a lot more damage than at 70mph. Your chance to react is greatly reduced, your chance of swerving and losing control/hitting a tree or oncoming traffic greatly increased.

I get your argument on a managed racetrack, but not on public roads.

I have to mention the time when, in normal morning traffic, I had to avoid a goose that was sitting in the right-hand lane of the M62.

Can't remember what speed I was doing, mind you.