Motorway Speed Limits

[TartanGirl1]

Our new PM apparently wants to scrap the 70mph speed limit on motorways.

Do you support this? Would you increase it or make it limitless?

Of course I don't support it. It's a bloody stupid idea and she's likely only said she might do it to lick arse to someone who wants it.

Countries with higher or no speed limits have very different road networks and a lot more space.

There is an abundance of speeding on the motorways with very very limited enforcement.

I would support a trial of an increase, with monitoring of volumes of deaths and serious injury. Assuming they don’t spike, then it’s a great way to bring in extra tax from those who like to drive fast - more speed = more fuel used

Great. We can make roads more dangerous as well as increase pollution. A twofer!
Motorways are designed to a certain speed, in terms of sightlines, length of merge/diverge lanes, size and location of signs, all kinds of safety features. I don't think this idea would get through the Department of Transport and I hope they don't waste money trying to bulldoze it through.

I do think it could probably do with increasing. No way would I go with limitless though. i don't really do enough motorway driving though.

I do find it very easy to go over 70 in a modern car - they make it so effortless. With my first car, you really noticed when you got to 70 - it was obvious without needing to check.

Has she said she will scrap it or put it up? I'd support a rise to 80mph as that has become a de facto standard, rightly or wrongly and it seems silly to me to have a limit which isn't enforced. I see people driving past traffic police traps at 80.

I regularly drive on the continent where the limit is more like 80mph and it doesn't feel any more dangerous.

I often say I'd be much more up for 80 but if you're over that's it.

Than this loose 70mph but you can have 10% plus 3mph etc etc.

Yes I'd support it. The motorway I regularly use (at the times I use it) has little traffic. I don't speed but for many years I e thought that you could go faster than seventy quite safely.

The speed limit needs to be reduced until we have gone electric

Most people don't know what speed they are traveling any way. Car speedos are not calibrated 100% and they generally are out showing a higher speed than you are physically traveling. I know for a fact that, when my car speedometer shows 75 I'm doing around 69mph.

For most modern cars the stopping distance is better so the speed limit could be raised and not lead to an increase in accidents but there is such a mix of technology on the road you can’t have some people driving at 90 and some driving at 60 and not expect collisions!

Teaching people how to drive safely on motorways needs to happen first.

Did 200 miles, mostly on the M25/M11/A14/A1 on Saturday. Numerous people changing lanes without warning, undertaking, middle lane hogging and even right hand lane hogging (60mph, when there was no one in the other two lanes... leading to undertaking, tailgating etc.). I saw a caravan on its side as well..

I've driven extensively on the Autobahn in Germany. The road surface is smoother, and a lot better etiquette. And... its not all unlimited. Just where its safe for faster speeds. Other bits have 100kph or 120kph limits. Also its only in good weather.

Some of newish bits of the UK could support 80mph, or even a bit faster. But not all of it!

Can they put the hard shoulder back first though? Don't fancy getting stranded on the inside lane with idiots doing any speed they fancy.

Mixed really. I'm a petrol head so would love to see an end to limits. However, economy and emissions increases exponentially with speed. So we've no chance of hitting green targets if we allow people to drive willy nilly.

Also lane discipline just isn't good enough to have autobahns here in the UK.

I'm not a huge fan of what Wales has done (50mph on motorways and 20mph around towns, but it works environmentally.

Yeah sure, energy crisis, let's encourage some people to burn up more fossil fuels as fast as possible! What genius idea. #sarcasm

My car (small engine) doesn't really like going over 60. I'm over in the lorry lane most the time. I get much hassle if I stay at 70 when overtaking, hassle from people who think that's outrageous I should keep to speed limit. I don't really want the

• extra hassle
• extra pollution
• extra noise
• extra deaths

that would come with higher average speeds

Any time I've been on the motorway recently I've been lucky to hit 70mph due to the volume of traffic.

No I don't support it. There's no point.

I drove a long way on the A14 yesterday, a large dual carriageway with a 70mph limit, so no different to a motorway really.. It was relatively early in the morning, 8.30-10ish, and fairly quiet. Most of the time I was doing 70 and I was one of the slowest on the road. I was constantly overtaken by endless other cars, vans and motorbikes, all of which were breaking the speed limit, mostly probably at about 80, some considerably faster than that.

Why do we need to increase the speed limit when so many people already ignore it anyway?

In any case, we need to conserve energy and reduce pollution, and that would necessitate a reduction in the speed limit, not increasing it.

Our new PM has already shown herself to be a blithering idiot. This is another crackpot idea.

Absolutely not. Some of the road surfaces you'd take off if you hit them at speed!

People need to stop driving like entitled wankers before I'd support allowing an increase in speed. And, as PP said, what a shit environmental outcome burning even more fuel.

Banning middle lane hoggers is a better idea.