New M'Way 80mph limit.

[Lutz]

Whilst that may, on the whole, be true in France, especially on toll roads, it hardly applies to Germany where, apart from domestic traffic, there is heavy transit movement as well (e.g. Holland to Italy, etc.).

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

Any increase in speed should be condition related, most of our motorways are now equipped with matrix information systems, and these are commonly triggered to reduce speed during busy periods, so I would advocate an increase in speed during the quieter times, and don't forget that an increase to 80mph, in reality equates to 90+, as in admission from the police, it is the drivers in excess of 80mph who they are more likely to target.

Myself as I said before with the current price of fuel, 2000rpm at 60mph suits me fine, I'm in no real rush, life passes by quick enough as it is

 

[JonnyG]

Is it not strange? spain are reducing their speed limit from 120km/h about 75mph to 110km/h about 68mph, because they say it will save them billions in oil purchase? and here we are thinking about doing the opposite!

 

[OmOnWeelz]

There are some of the usual nimby style comments here. Mulsy1, German trucks are not rocketing along in comparison to car speeds on unrestricted autobahn. "Fraught with danger" poppy ****

Spain has Bull fighting for sport, Pamplona bull run as entertainment and they let thousands build homes with officialdom and Government not noticing and now they persecute Brits and other buyers who bought and built in good faith whilst providing the Spanish economy with billions of extra Euro's. I would't take note of anything the Spanish come up with

We've had a few days away visiting friends in Germany, on the way we ran with ease at up to around 140mph on the autbahn, driving friends Panamera up to 300kph. No fuss, no problem and as speed increases your reactio times andbreaking distances alter with the conditions. There's no real reason why our motowy speed limits can't be increased for quieter times. If drivers in the UK became used to drivers passing at high speed like they have done for years in Germany we might end up with better drivers and less silly accidents here

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Is it not strange? spain are reducing their speed limit from 120km/h about 75mph to 110km/h about 68mph, because they say it will save them billions in oil purchase? and here we are thinking about doing the opposite!

I don't find it strange at all. Allow motorists to increase their speed to burn more fuel means more £s for the exchequer which will allow them to bring in their Fuel Price Stabiliser to replace the £s they will lose. Give with one hand while take with the other. Isn't that what they usually do?
Think like a politician and you will have the answer to your question

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

If drivers in the UK became used to drivers passing at high speed like they have done for years in Germany we might end up with better drivers and less silly accidents here

LMAOOOO best yet and pigs might fly

Despite the laws thousands still get done for drink/driving every year.
Tens of thousands still use mobile phones despite the consequences.
People still speed in hazardous conditions like fog, ice and torrential rain.
People still drive without lights when conditions require them.
Excessive speed is still endemic on suburban roads let alone A roads or motorways and I'm not talking of 10mph above the limit.
These are the very headbangers that will be driving at 90+ so by increasing the speed to 80 makes me wonder how you have such faith in our fellow citizens that it will make them become better drivers.
Just by coincidence I'd just read this and it happened on a caravan park, not a main road .....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-12622287

 

[OmOnWeelz]

When most drivers exceed and drive in excess of 70mph, raising the speed limit would leave the police free to tackle real driving problems rather than thos who just want to get from A to B quickly rather than persecuting and treating drivers as ATM's

 

[JonnyG]

When most drivers exceed and drive in excess of 70mph, raising the speed limit would leave the police free to tackle real driving problems rather than thos who just want to get from A to B quickly rather than persecuting and treating drivers as ATM's

Chris, the police already don't patrol m/ways like they used to,and besides if you haven't noticed[maybe driving a tad too fast]

there is plenty they could be doing on the m/ways right now to make them a safer pleasant place to drive on.
Lets face it those that already speed on the Mways, just so happen to be those that are in such a rush, they leave it late to exit,so chopping up traffic, when they need to leave the Mway and normally they also bully their way from the outside lane to the exit lane in heavy stop start traffic! clearly not able to see all the slow and stationary traffic on the inside! who have in advance taken the appropriate and curtious action of thinking ahead and moving over when its there exit.
And we all know of places where this occurs daily. for me junction 21 Leicester, cars que for almost a mile to get off in two lanes! but the outside two lanes still have cars flying past and at the last minute shooting across 2 or even 3 lanes, pushing and bullying everyone else!
at the end of the M1 going into London is the same and the abuse you get if you dare to hold your own! by not leaving room or stopping to let them in is shamefull!
No, the police need to have a presence at these places first, and nick the lot of them till they learn how do drive properly or loose their right to drive.
Then the police can start on lane hoggers, and inconsiderate drivers of all types lorries cars bikes whatever.
Clearly the speed limits already too high if you deem the police could be doing other things, when they should be sorting out these little things, cuzz you seem to have not been effected by these repeatable actions and offences of the Fewish

 

[drsorento]

I must be missing something as every Saturday I travel up the M1 joining at Cathorpe interchange up to junction 25 I do a quick turn around and come back again the same route, I have allways in the 4 years I have been doing this seen a good police presents on the Liecestershire and Nottinghamshire streaches of the M1.They are sometimes in unmarked cars these are usually the ones that have a motorist on the hard shoulder for what ever reason, Speeding maybe?

 

[JonnyG]

I must be missing something as every Saturday I travel up the M1 joining at Cathorpe interchange up to junction 25 I do a quick turn around and come back again the same route, I have allways in the 4 years I have been doing this seen a good police presents on the Liecestershire and Nottinghamshire streaches of the M1.They are sometimes in unmarked cars these are usually the ones that have a motorist on the hard shoulder for what ever reason, Speeding maybe?

Try it on a weekday.Although last saturday i clearly missed their regular and continued present driving from junction 24 of the M1 down to 21, and indeed back.
But all that still misses the piont, if they want to catch idiots enmass then the places i mentioned are perfect for seeing them be the dangers they clearly are to all other road uses.

 

[mullsy1]

Exactly LB.How many years and accidents qualify as experience.Too many drvers use our roads like the wacky racers as it is.I think thru the night on stretches of motorway ,speeds can be increased and the motorway network already has the technology in place.Bridges ect have traffic counters on them which alerts the powers that be of congestion,simply use it in reverse.I was on M6 northbound thru Cumbria in the early hours the other day and never had more than saw more than four cars in my vacinity the whole journey

 

[OmOnWeelz]

A lot of fast drivers drive very well. Many of the problems are caused by drivers dawdling along and hogging lanes instead of overtaking and switly returning to the left, And plenty of dawdlers should also remember to use there rear view mirrors and be fully aware that others are moving faster than them.. I wouldn't really like to judge as to who are the worst cuplrits for poor driving as I would say very many slower drivers are worse than the quick drivers.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Om you can have a given stretch of motorway where 100% of them are excellent drivers whether speeding or otherwise. How many of these people know when they will have a blow out or maybe a loose stone flies up and smashes their windscreen. There are many permutations of what construes an accident but I'd rather have a blow out at 60 than 80. Even so there's a good chance of there being a multiple collision with fatalities. Not all accidents are caused by speed, fast or slow. Excellent drivers are made of the same soft tissue as everyone else and are just as likely to die.
The last sentence could be debatable because I believe fast drivers, those who thrive on speed, also have hard tissue between their ears because they don't sense danger.
There, more people I've insulted ... heh! heh! heh!

I must keep up with the family motto.

 

[Dustydog]

Back in the early 60s we used to travel from London to Nuneaton on the Midland Motorway Express coach. The speedo needle pretty well sat on the 90 mark, it had an on board toilet and was half the cost of the train. Most cars then struggled to reach 70 so we were always one of the fastest vehicles on the road.
Traffic density was non existent.
Any fool can drive fast but are they safe?

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Any fool can drive fast but are they safe?

That's true DD and the problem is when deciding these issues idiots have to be factored into the equation because it is they who cause mayhem, destruction and death. The sad part is it's usually these 'hard tissue between the ears' types (see my previous post) that survive and some poor innocent who pays the price for their moronic behaviour.

 

[JonnyG]

1960s? buses doing 90 mph!!!!!! J...s perish the thought.

 

[Dustydog]

1960s? buses doing 90 mph!!!!!! J...s perish the thought.

Jonny
See this http://midlandred.net/fleet/bmmo/cm6/index.shtml

 

[JonnyG]

did they used to apply the brakes at Coventry and drift into Nuneaton brakes fully applied!

 

[Dustydog]

did they used to apply the brakes at Coventry and drift into Nuneaton brakes fully applied!

They did consider a rear parachute for slowing down but felt it may be a distraction for following vehicles.

 

[mullsy1]

Lane discipline on uk roads is a joke.The 4 lane section of the M6 around J31 sums up the problem,people just use it as an excuse to spread out.Whatever happened to 'keep left'

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Talking of speed merchants and headbangers I see Frank Lampard has just been done for speeding on the A3. He was doing 92mph in a 50mph zone

No doubt he thinks himself as an excellent driver. If he's let loose to do 92 in a 50 zone imagine what he'd be like on an 80mph motorway

 

[OmOnWeelz]

Om you can have a given stretch of motorway where 100% of them are excellent drivers whether speeding or otherwise. How many of these people know when they will have a blow out or maybe a loose stone flies up and smashes their windscreen. There are many permutations of what construes an accident but I'd rather have a blow out at 60 than 80. Even so there's a good chance of there being a multiple collision with fatalities. Not all accidents are caused by speed, fast or slow. Excellent drivers are made of the same soft tissue as everyone else and are just as likely to die.
The last sentence could be debatable because I believe fast drivers, those who thrive on speed, also have hard tissue between their ears because they don't sense danger.
There, more people I've insulted ... heh! heh! heh!

I must keep up with the family motto.

There are plenty of fast drivers with clean licenses and accident free long term driving records Lord B. I think you'll find that Germany's un-restricted autobahn sections are ot littered with blow outs and nor is the accident record to bad compared to the UK.
Even when busy French twin lane motorway drivers handle 80mph plus driving ok. If UK police concentrated on bad driving practices rather than speed UK roads would be a far better place.

I went on quite a lot of coaches in the 60's and my best pals uncle owned a coach company, my dads 1200 Cortina wasn't exactly a road racers dream andI don't remember it getting bown in to the weeds by any coaches either

From my memory of many uncomfotable hours on 60's coaches I think it just felt that they were doing 90 when they were doing 45

 

[Philspadders]

Om wrote "No fuss, no problem and as speed increases your reaction times and breaking distances alter with the conditions."

With practice and experience.
As we get older our reation times reduce and we take longer too make decisions. Its just the way it is.
I can just imagine a load of 70/ 80 year old driving at 140mph on the motorway, The resulting carnage would soon solve the ageing population issue.
Older folks have far fewer fatal / serious injury accidents than younger folks, mainly because they drive more slowly because there spatial arwareness skills have reduced, there reaction times have reduced, so they reduce their speed. If we all drove more slowly we would save fuel, have far fewer accidents and save on insurance.
Motorways should be limmited to 55mph for everyone,, urban roads should be 20mph ( to protect our cyclists, pedestrains and kids), dual carriage ways 40mph.
Lets all slow down a bit , set off earlier, take more timeand be more relaxed.
In fact " let the train take the strain".

 

[emmerson]

Om, in the 1960s, Midland Red were certainly a force to be reckoned with! Their coaches werer super luxury, and trust me, they used to sit at 80 - 90mph all the way.I regularly used to slip-stream them. Saved a lot of fuel that way.

 

[Dustydog]

Om said
"I went on quite a lot of coaches in the 60's and my best pals uncle owned a coach company, my dads 1200 Cortina wasn't exactly a road racers dream andI don't remember it getting bown in to the weeds by any coaches either"
Probably an old Leyland Tiger or Bedford Duple.

The Midland Red Motorway Express Coach was a brilliant piece of Midlands engineering designed and built for a very specific task. Shame all that talent has disappeared.