M-way speed limit may rise to 80mph

[Tankus]

Britain's motorway speed limit of 70mph will be replaced with an 80mph 'variable' limit under plans being considered by the Department for Transport.

Government officials have told The Observer the blanket 70mph limit does little to educate drivers that safe driving does not only depend on speed but on road conditions.

The Transport Department is looking at whether variable limits, already in place along parts of the M25 around London and M42 in the Midlands, could be used to introduce an 80mph limit if con ditions are dry and the motorway is relatively traffic-free.

The Guardian

[-pops-]

Anyone who can even get near to 70 mph on the M25 is extremely lucky :rolleyes:

[Tankus]

I think its going to lose its status as an "M" , to be replaced with a P

[Devanski]

What's a speed limit?......No I didn't know that ....officer :huh:

I would like a car that could get to 80 on the flat :rolleyes:

0-80...in 6....minutes, with a downslope and wind assist :D

[Agent Smith]

They have been talking about this possibility for years. Both the AA and RAC have (I believe) been pushing for it for ages. I shall believe it when it happens.

Mind you, even if it gets raised to 80, everybody will then think it's OK to drive at 90.

I don't think the problem is with the speed limit, but with the general standard of a lot of drivers. In my opinion, there seems to be an enormous lack of awareness and courtesy to other drivers.

Mr. M.

[andsome]

They have been talking about this possibility for years. Both the AA and RAC have (I believe) been pushing for it for ages. I shall believe it when it happens.

Mind you, even if it gets raised to 80, everybody will then think it's OK to drive at 90.

I don't think the problem is with the speed limit, but with the general standard of a lot of drivers. In my opinion, there seems to be an enormous lack of awareness and courtesy to other drivers.

Mr. M.

Couldn't agree more

[Andy-2004]

Half the time its the slow drivers that cause the accidents...cause they are going too slow for the liking of the person behind them and when the person behind tryes to overtake in an unsuitable area it causes an accident :o

[Sparks]

I think it's a good idea to raise the motorway speed limit. The only reason i stick to 70mp is because I don't want to be pulled up for speeding, yes 80mph would do me fine. At last eh Andy. :thumbup:

[Besty]

It would be a good idea to get all the rubbish drivers off the roads and let all the good drivers drive at a speed they think is appropriate.

Too bad this will never happen

[Besty]

Good idea

[andsome]

Half the time its the slow drivers that cause the accidents...cause they are going too slow for the liking of the person behind them and when the person behind tryes to overtake in an unsuitable area it causes an accident :o

I don't advocate crawling along. Providing there is no reason NOT to do so, I always drive up to the legal limit.If however I have a man wearing a cap in front of me, or a timid woman with the wheel right under her chin, frustrating though it may be, this is NO excuse to overtake when it is dangerous to do so. Rather ten minutes late in this world, than early in the next one.

[andsome]

It would be a good idea to get all the rubbish drivers off the roads and let all the good drivers drive at a speed they think is appropriate. 

Too bad this will never happen

It depends entirely WHAT you think of as rubbish drivers. I too get irritated when stuck behind someone who is crawling along. I get even more irritated by idiots tailgating me especially when I am on the legal limit. There are times I agree when the legal limit may appear to be too slow, and even times when it is too high for the conditions. We have to have speed limits especially in built up area's, what makes you think that you prove that you are a good driver when you go tearing along risking killing innocent people? We have several notorious accident spots near to where I live. They are accident spots where more often than not teens and twenties kill there silly selves, and on occasion kill others, because they THINK they are good drivers. A good driver will show consideration to other road users, especially children or other vulnerable people.

[-pops-]

It would be a good idea to get all the rubbish drivers off the roads and let all the good drivers drive at a speed they think is appropriate. 

Too bad this will never happen

Unfortunately there are far too many rubbish drivers because of the way that they are taught to drive. Many driving instructors concentrate on teaching people to pass the driving test rather than the proper way of driving in real conditions. This, together with the exhuberance and high "macho" levels of many young drivers, accounts for a lot of the danger on the road.

So as not to be considered "reverse ageist" I should state that some of us oldies are extremely poor drivers. Either they consider that they've been driving so long they know everything or, they drive only on special occasions at a maximum of 25 mph, whatever the conditions. Worst of all, is the oldie driver who, by pure luck has never had as much as a scratch inflicted on his bodywork or even a parking fine think that "it can never happen to me", not appreciating that his whole bodily system is slowing with age, his reflexes are not as quick and is overall less able to do ANYTHING than he was ten years ago.

I can imagine getting some comments about my last statement but it is an essential fact that, after a certain age, the human body does not get any faster or more efficient. With some it is sooner rather than later.

(I use "he" in the above but my comments apply equally to "she")

I don't drive any more.

[r4may]

Mind you, even if it gets raised to 80, everybody will then think it's OK to drive at 90.

I thought most of them did anyway :ph34r:

So as not to be considered "reverse ageist" I should state that some of us oldies are extremely poor drivers. Either they consider that they've been driving so long they know everything or, they drive only on special occasions at a maximum of 25 mph, whatever the conditions. Worst of all, is the oldie driver who, by pure luck has never had as much as a scratch inflicted on his bodywork or even a parking fine think that "it can never happen to me", not appreciating that his whole bodily system is slowing with age, his reflexes are not as quick and is overall less able to do ANYTHING than he was ten years ago.

And the eyesight is not what it used to be :: :censored:

[Besty]

Rather ten minutes late in this world, than early in the next one.

Very wise andsome not just a pretty face after all

[andsome]

Rather ten minutes late in this world, than early in the next one.

Very wise andsome not just a pretty face after all

Very true

[Pilch]

One example was last nite for me m20 east bound, Clear road's, good visability, no traffic, 70mph. The driver was annoyed that basically that is the said speed limit, why not 90 maybe 100, so long as the car is deemed safe, IE clear guideline's that the car's head lights must be in order, tire's good, generally a safe car. If the police do see a car that isnt safe then they have to stick to 70 and if they go over they get pulled over and moaned by the police.

But for that too work though there MUST be clear guideline's on what is safe and what isnt.

The variable speed limit is a good way make it so it can go upto say 90 or more but you then do have camera that make note of each car's speed so if they are going too fast especially when it is bad condition's they get a ticket. I feel that most driver's would then learn to judge the right speed for the right condition.

Just my opinion of a 20 year old driver that has been driving for over 2 year's. I know i may not have the experience of some of the older driver's but i certainly know when it is safe to go fast and when it just aint worth risking unlike some (Notice the word some) driver's that just dont read the road and prepare for the un-expected.

[Sir Radfordin]

Why does everyone think that the speed limit is the speed at which you should drive at? It isn't that at all, it is the maximum speed considered safe for that road.

The people that annoy me most are those that drive at 40mph regardless of the road/speed limit. I'm very careful not to exceed limits in 20/30/40/50mph areas and tend to stick around 60mph on most A roads. Most of my m/way drivng does tend to be around the 75mph mark. Remembering that your speedo can be +10% to pass the MoT test.

In my first 5 years of driving I've had one accident (not by fault...so said the police car behind me!!!) and have a clean licence. I know the limit of my ability and the risks that I take.

Much rather than a change in speed limit I'd be in favour of a system where a speed was recommend but in ideal conditions that it may be exceed - say normal M/way is 70mph but clear/fine days up to 80mph is acceptable. If they just put the limit to 80mph people will drive 90+. I very much doubt the police have the resources at the moment to take action against every driver doing 70+ on the m/way.

Or a system say on the M'way you could be pulled over by the police for doing 70+ and given some friendly advice if they thought it were needed but not until you were doing 80+ would you be fined/points. I for one would hate speaking to a police officer (oh the shame!) and should I be given such advice would be more likely to watch my speed.

[djohn]

Most of us think we are good drivers but sadly this is not the case. Young/old male/female, just starting out on our driving career or being a professional driver of many years standing. We all make mistakes that go un-noticed by others or by ourselves even, unless we are really concentrating on the job in hand.

There are many factors to take into consideration when judging our ability to drive a vehicle on or off the public highway. The ability to control a vehicle at high speed is just one of these.

I've spent untold hours on "Skid-Pans" or artificial "skid induced" cars teaching people the finer points of rear driven or front wheel driven cars and how different they both react to a front-wheel lock, rear wheel-lock or all four wheels locked and sliding. Most, by the end of the course would understand the principle and how to regain control, very few though ever grasped the point I was teaching, "To avoid the locking of the wheels and the loss of control in the first instance".

Sat in the passenger seat I would ask the driver to tell me the instant he/she felt the car start to slide! I was always aware well before them in the early stages of the course but as we progressed most could "Call the point" in time with me.

Take into account that these drivers where already "Advanced" drivers holding the I. A. M. certificate before being allowed on the course and this will give some idea of the average motorist's awareness of vehicle control in adverse conditions.

Concentration/Anticipation/Awareness/Reaction time. All of these are important in seeing, accessing and reacting to a situation. I could talk for quite some time on these four components alone but I'm sure you all understand them and how outside influences can affect each or all of them. How many of us can remember the last road-sign we passed as we drive along or the colour/make of the car behind that has just turned left or right and is no longer in our rear view mirror?

How many of us realise that travelling at 70 miles per hour in rain each tyres' contact with the road is the size of a mans shoe-sole and shifting up to 1 gallon of water per second? Thats with good tyres' with a minimum of 4mm of tread, any less than that and your actually riding on the surface of the water and not in contact with the road! Hit your brakes hard and well, your not going to stop where you thought you was.

I take a fair bit of medication as some of you will know, I do not drive my car until the effects of this medication have worn off to the stage I feel competent to drive but even then I drive within my limitations knowing full well the effect of the medication, my advancing age, concentration and eyesight.

I first took the "Institute of advanced motorist" exam, [i.A.M.] when I was 18 years old. You are only required to take the test once to qualify for life! I have since taken the 2 hour examination on 10 occasions, even though I pass, the examiner will have at least a half a dozen points to address and take into consideration for future reference.

So, should we raise the speed limit on particular roads or invest more time and money in the education of our drivers first?

I'm not sure to the correct answer when friends ask my opinion regarding the speed limit on Motorways but I do feel with a passion that we should all be more aware not only of our capabilities and limitations but also of the car we are driving. Concentrate fully and show courtesy to all other road users. Anticipate the actions of people around you and be alert at all times to the possibility of the "Other" person making a mistake. :(

By your actions you can be the person that stops someone else from involving you in an accident.

I wish all of you a safe and enjoyable motoring future. j.

[andsome]

Much as I'd love to support the increase of the motorway speed limit, I thing that the authorities have to take into account the range of vehicles on the roads and the divergence in driver skills. While I think (perhaps arrogantly) that I happen to be part of a driver/car combo that could handle this. The prospect of seventeen year old kids in clapped out escorts convinced of their own immortality, scares the crud out of me. Giving them permission to go even faster needs a lot of careful consideration.

My feelings too

[Snec]

As someone who drives a minimum of 55,000 miles a year I believe quite a few of the speed limits are out-dated now depending on where they are of course. It's frustrating driving at 30 mph on a straight road with little or no traffic or any sign of life at 3 o'clock on a clear morning. Equally so at 70 on a motorway.

One of the things that I would change though is car-parking for Volvo driving pensioners. There should be special parking places set aside just for them to bang into each other without causing further damage to my car.

Is it just me or does it happen to everyone? Four times I've been clanged into by an old guy parking(??) a Volvo. Not the same one you understand -- in fact in four different towns. Is it them or is it the car? I know Volvo's don't work too well mostly. For instance the light switch seems a tad suspect with most of 'em.

[Smiffy99]

I was fortunate to be taught to drive by my father who held a Police "Class 1" licence (I beleive the highest standard taught by the force). He was employed on various tasks including looking after the PM when he was in Sussex. (Callahan)

He would get me to give a running narrative on what I could see, what I had seen, what risks I had recognised etc and when you are driving along concentrating on just about everything you can think of, including "correct" driving (Double Declutch was the "norm" despite syncromesh) and he suddenly aked what the last road sign thay you passed was you realise just how much there is to it all.

I digress, Yesterday I was following a Vectra, well, it stated behind me and then overtook at the first chance. I watched as every 100 yard it had to brake as it could not get passed the (French) car in front. I simply carried on as normal (Well within limit and giving a good gap to the car in front) despite him dissapearing into the distance and continued at below the speed limit and sure enough after some seven miles we came to a set of lights on the A27. I was in the nearside lane, he in the outside. Guess who got through the lights first? Yep, he had to overtake me all over again and still continued speeding and braking all the time.

For my part I would like to see a "black box" in cars, not of the same complexity as aircraft, but just a system that could record the last (say) 100 miles or so. With computers being the norm in cars now, this would record the spped, distance and such things as whether lights were on (also brake lights). If stopped by the PC Plod this info could be accessed to see what the driver has been up to as well as proving invaluable in the event of the all to regular fatal accident.

Cars these days are far far safer than they used to be (I remember my Mk1 RS 2000 - and Lancia Beta 2000Ie both very fast but compared to today, even a corsa has better stopping ability) but until we make drivers as safe as the cars we will not acheive any reduction in accidents.

[Sir Radfordin]

Having wasted 30 minutes of my life watching Learner Drivers on ITV2 last night I have to confess to being very scared at the prospect of some people ever holding a driving licence.

Snec is spot on about those older drivers...I thought the norm at a petrol station was to choose a lane, drive through and go out the other end. In Cheltenham the norm seems to be drive wherever you like across the court and pay as little attention as you can to everyone else.

I was also taught that when turning right at a roundabout you choose the right hand lane. Left hand for straight on/left turns. Round here you seem to choose any lane you like and then make sure you straddle all the lanes on the roundabout, regardless of hte fact that someone else may already be in it.

I'm starting to get scared...!

[-pops-]

It is for the reasons outlined by snec and re-iterated by Sir R that I decided to stop driving. I hadn't reached that stage of senility by any means but having cursed and sworn at so many of these wretched geriatrics trying to drive a car, I thought to myself that I would never be caught in anything like that.

Combined with my deteriorating physical health, I decided all in all that it would be better to rely on others to ferry me about - after all, others had been relying on me to do that same thing most of my driving life.

[andsome]

I agree about CERTAIN older drivers. However, probably the worst type of driver on the road is the young idiot showing off to a car load of friends, with megawatt speakers blasting out so loud that they can be heard ten cars away. I agree that on occasions the speed limit on a certain stretch of road may seem too low, but that does not give these idiots the right to tail gate other drivers who happen to be obeying the law, whether they agree with the law or not. I used to drive 30,000 miles a year, and these idiots used to and still do scare me more that any older person who is being far too over cautious. I too hate driving behind anyone doing 30 mph on a main road where the speed limit may be 60 or 70 mph, but would rather wait until it is perfectly safe to overtake, rather than cause an accident, by trying to impress everyone as to what a Schumacher I am.