[Billyray911]

The Government seem to be proposing an increase to an 80mph limit.
Is this a bid to increase their popularity with the vilified car user or a way of raising more coffers through increased consumption of fuel.
I don\'t think it will ever come to fruition-just carrot dangling.
Thoughts?

[no_ball]

thats a speed cut of 40mph!!

[dopper99]

It'll decrease the revenue from speed cameras.

[briers]

Would suit me but worries me as the m-ways are bad enough with people running cars with poorly maintained tyres, brakes and brains.

I look after my car but most don't and even innocent people like my sister... don't have a clue how dangerous worn tyres can be in the wet.

I was a passenger in a hire car with, unbeknown to me, on the wear marker, bald rear tyres. The bloke was doing about 80mph on the m6 toll, heavens suddenly opened, thrashed it down, the next thing the back end just went. 3 or 4 spins later and 2 central reservation impacts we luckily ended up pointing the right way off all 3 lanes.

I reckon if we were only doing 65 we would have been fine. Point being the faster you go the bigger the risk and as our m-ways are super busy i'm not sure a technically legal speedo 90mph is that good of a mix for everyone around me.

[Desmondo]

IF it even happens, I don't think it will actually change much. Plenty of people already drive faster than 70mph anyway so I don't think we'll see a huge increase in speeds. What they need to change is peoples driving habits and abilities....some of it is truly shocking.

[willhollin]

They need to spend more money teaching people how to actually driver properly first!

[KadeSdad]

Really, what is the point?

70/80/90mph if you are going to crash at these speeds then there is little or no difference in the outcome.

Raise it or keep, people are still going to speed regardless

[Baby Dave]

What ever the thieving bent, sorry MP 's decide it will always be the fault of the police when it goes badly wrong, for not enforcing the new limits correctly. As said before spend the money on driver training.

[creepy coupe]

Originally Posted by willhollin

They need to spend more money teaching people how to actually driver properly first!

Will for transport Secretary.

Start with teaching centre lane hogs; it’s got to an epidemic round here.

[TMP]

If they really start to enforce speeds over 80, that will be pants.

but if everybody can go 80, that will be fab - but mways are so busy, how often can you cruise at 80...more like 60-70.

I also thought they wanted to reduce car emissions...this will surely increase it

[Boyd1963]

I thought that 85 was the "unofficial" speed limit anyway. Rarely seen people driving much slower that that on the M3 when it is clear.

[mowflow]

It won't be introduced for a few years even if it does get passed so by that time we'll all be driving electric motors with a top speed of 50mph anyway.

[BanziBarn]

Would be a good thing. From my point of view, I drive at a speed that I feel is safe for the car I'm in (with the limiting factor being trying to avoid getting in trouble).

When was the 70 limit set? Years ago. Since the, cars have moved on and 80 will be much safer now, than 70 was then.

If it it raised to 80 it won't make me drive faster, it will just make me less worried about getting into trouble.

Then there is the variable speed limit thing, like in France. I seem to remember seeing (might be wrong) speed limit signs which indicated dry and wet weather speeds. This seems sensible.

But again, I wouldn't be surprised if a modern car could stop from 80 in the rain quicker than a Morris Minor could stop from 70 in the dry!

[- Paul -]

70 was set when most cars couldn't even go that fast.

[rsmallwo]

I think the speed limit will go upto 80mph but the "allowance" for enforcement will come down from (70mph +10% +2-3mph) to (80mph + 5%). So in affect the speed people travel at will move up from 80 to 85 to avoid enforcement.

There deffo needs to be a bigger push on people driving to conditions. Trouble is its difficult to enforce it.

[335iLondon]

I think its a great idea, there is some theory that by having a low speed limit which almost all driver exceed on regular basis devalues the law, and make criminals out of very respectable people, this leads to a moral confusion that if you can just get away breaking that law then why not a few others, tax fraud and the likes. So called white collar crime.
Not suggesting that it turns people into murderers but hopefully that makes some sort of sense.

And also maybe we can now drive along at 85 as most people do and spend less time studying the car behind for undercover coppers!

Ideally I would like a system that allowed competent drivers of well maintained cars to choose their speed according to common sense.
Massively impractical i know, but we can learn from those pesky germans!

[rogerxp]

Originally Posted by 335iLondon

And also maybe we can now drive along at 85 as most people do and spend less time studying the car behind for undercover coppers!

Absolutely. That's my thought too. I spend most of my time when on the motorway scanning slip-roads, bridges, cars I pass, cars coming up behind me when if this went through I can then simply concetrate on checking my e-mails, having a drink, eating the crisps between my knees and fiddling with my sat nav.

[E902717]

On my journey to work this morning M6 J14 to J11a no one was taking any bloody notice of the speed limit you had to do 90mph just to move past the middle lane traffic.

Can't see them ever changing the motorway speed limit. They should improve the standard of motorway driving because in the UK its awful at times.

[BanziBarn]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

Absolutely. That's my thought too. I spend most of my time when on the motorway scanning slip-roads, bridges, cars I pass, cars coming up behind me when if this went through I can then simply concetrate on checking my e-mails, having a drink, eating the crisps between my knees and fiddling with my sat nav.

[Dizzle]

Originally Posted by mowflow

It won't be introduced for a few years even if it does get passed so by that time we'll all be driving electric motors with a top speed of 50mph anyway.

LOL

Heard 2012 quoted a few times in terms of when such law is passed; dont think it will be a bad think but yes perhaps policing bad driving habbits, small fines at least would also be of interest.

[BanziBarn]

In my dreams there would be a separate lane on all motorways with forced gaps between cars where you'd have to drive at 155 to qualify.... i.e., you'd queue up at the starting toll booth and get released at set intervals.

[no_ball]

amazing how safe unlimited road speed in Germany feels and most are dual carriage way type. Just have to be sensible. If this was adopted, then things would settle down after a few years, just practice needed