Is it time to increase the speed limit from 70mph to 80mph?

AdrianC

2011 - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-proposes-80mph-motorway-speed-limit
(The consultation never happened)

2015 - https://www.highwaysindustry.com/uk-speed-limit-raised-80mph/

2017 - https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN00468/SN00468.pdf
(section 5)

Norman_Castle

unforeseen said:

TBH having a sensible minimum speed on motorways would do a lot to enhance safety

Explaining to the few drivers sticking to an indicated 56mph that they are actually doing about 52mph and that matching the speed of the hgv's would be far easier for everyone and would enhance safety.

unforeseen

Norman_Castle said:

unforeseen said:

TBH having a sensible minimum speed on motorways would do a lot to enhance safety

Explaining to the few drivers sticking to an indicated 56mph that they are actually doing about 52mph and that matching the speed of the hgv's would be far easier for everyone and would enhance safety.

Unless you know EXACTLY what the error is on your speedo then you will stick to an indicated 56 to ensure that the taco never records >56

Norman_Castle

unforeseen said:

Norman_Castle said:

unforeseen said:

TBH having a sensible minimum speed on motorways would do a lot to enhance safety

Explaining to the few drivers sticking to an indicated 56mph that they are actually doing about 52mph and that matching the speed of the hgv's would be far easier for everyone and would enhance safety.

Unless you know EXACTLY what the error is on your speedo then you will stick to an indicated 56 to ensure that the taco never records >56

Only if you're driving a hgv.

DoaM

Exactly. (The car doing an indicated 56 because the driver thinks "that's the optimal speed for best efficiency!"). If an HGV is having to overtake a car then it can cause massive tailbacks (especially on dual carriageways and 2 lane motorways) as the differential between them is usually relatively small so it takes quite some distance for the overtake to complete. And of course the car driver doesn't think to slow down a little to aid the HGV doing the overtake. 🙄

fred246

Stop HGVs overtaking. That's what they do in Germany.

DoaM

So if an eejit is sitting at 40 in lane 1 all HGVs must slow down to 40? Aye right.

AdrianC

fred246 said:

Stop HGVs overtaking. That's what they do in Germany.

Have you ever been to Germany?

BTW, they don't. Not as a blanket. There are some stretches, almost all two-lane, where there's localised bans. As there are on UK motorways...

facade

unforeseen said:

Norman_Castle said:

unforeseen said:

TBH having a sensible minimum speed on motorways would do a lot to enhance safety

Explaining to the few drivers sticking to an indicated 56mph that they are actually doing about 52mph and that matching the speed of the hgv's would be far easier for everyone and would enhance safety.

Unless you know EXACTLY what the error is on your speedo then you will stick to an indicated 56 to ensure that the taco never records >56

Why? The speed limit for HGVs is 60.    They are speed limited to 56 by some sort of Euro regs , but then you'd just drive on the limiter surely?

oldagetraveller1

[DELETED USER] said:

The difference in energy consumption between 70 mph and 80 mph is huge. Upping the limit will just make more pollution.

And I wonder what impact that would have on the range of an EV too? Which in turn would increase the pollution from a power station because a recharge is required more often! Added to a reduction in the useful life of the batteries.