Motorway Speed Limits Out Of Date?

bargepole

There have been several discussions here recently about speeding notices, the unfairness of the fixed penalty system, Magistrates' Court proceedings, etc, but one fundamental issue that rarely gets discussed, is the universal 70 mph limit on motorways.

The first motorways opened in Britain in the 1950s, when people drove cars like Morris Minors and Ford Populars, most of which struggled to even get up to 70, and which required the length of three airfield runways to brake to a halt on their tiny little drum brakes.

Most modern cars will do well over 100 comfortably, and stop in half the distances given in the Highway Code, and yet the 50-year-old speed limit still applies.

On any given motorway on any day, at least two thirds of the traffic is going above 70, and the odd police patrol vehicle will usually not even bat an eyelid unless you are getting well above 85. The trouble is, there aren't enough patrols, most of the liveried vehicles are now from the Highways Agency, and instead we get mobile vans sitting on bridges above the road filming traffic, and sending tickets to anyone doing 79 or over (10% + 2mph threshold).

Road safety or revenue collection? Certainly not the former, because these automatons don't catch any of the tailgaters, lane swervers, drunks and other general menaces behind the wheel.

So here's my suggestion: raise the motorway limit to 100, and set a minimum speed limit at 65 as well. Get rid of the Talivans, and get more proper traffic patrols back on the road, to properly enforce the limits (upper and lower), and also to enforce all the other aspects of driving which seem to have been overlooked in the mad rush for revenue.

goldspanners

bargepole wrote: »

So here's my suggestion: raise the motorway limit to 100, and set a minimum speed limit at 65 as well. Get rid of the Talivans, and get more proper traffic patrols back on the road, to properly enforce the limits (upper and lower), and also to enforce all the other aspects of driving which seem to have been overlooked in the mad rush for revenue.

i agree that some of our motorway speed limits are outdated (namely the m74 south of abington to the M6 around metal bridge area should be raised from 70 MPH,this is a free flowing motorway with nothing but hills for miles.
im sure there are lots more too.

however i dont understand the minimum at 65? all lorries are restricted to 56 MPH so how are they supposed to get to thier destinations? clog up back roads?

bargepole

goldspanners wrote: »

however i dont understand the minimum at 65? all lorries are restricted to 56 MPH so how are they supposed to get to thier destinations? clog up back roads?

The speed governor can easily be reset to a higher limit. Then UK registered trucks won't be at a disadvantage compared to all those Eastern European rigs which seem to go above 60 frequently.

Andybez38

I think there should be a lane for only 100mph and over.

spaceman5

Andybez38 wrote: »

I think there should be a lane for only 100mph and over.

surely that is asking for trouble, cars in 1 lane doing 100mph or more, cars in the next lane doing no more than 70mph(if driving legally) car in 100mph lane needs to move lanes which would no doubt cause problems,(i.e having to brake suddenly to get down to 70mph and probably end up with a car flying over the top of u, when he hits u).

Conor_3

bargepole wrote: »

The speed governor can easily be reset to a higher limit. Then UK registered trucks won't be at a disadvantage compared to all those Eastern European rigs which seem to go above 60 frequently.

Apart from the fact that fuel consumption rockets and most of these E.Europeans are running at a max 40 tonnes compared to the 44 tonnes in the UK.

balsingh

Unfortunately, things seems to go the other way. Over the years, I have seen most speed limits reduced ... many 60 & 50 mph roads being dropped to 40 etc etc.

I really cant ever see motorway speed limits moving upwards ... with the amount of traffic on our mototways, the average motorway speed has probably dropped.

Riq

The green compaigners will have a tantrum because of fuel economy and Gordon Brown wouldn't dare look like he isn't green.

robpw2

i thnk speed limits should be dropped to 50mph the faster you go the more chance of losing control ...........

spaceman5

robpw2 wrote: »

i thnk speed limits should be dropped to 50mph the faster you go the more chance of losing control ...........

i agree totally

Riq

robpw2 wrote: »

i thnk speed limits should be dropped to 50mph the faster you go the more chance of losing control ...........

Cars now have better handling, better brakes and are safer than they were when 70mph was set so why should it go any less.