So they are thinking of reducing speed from 60 to 50 on major roads. Why don't they just fix the roads.
Scottish government at it again
- Thread starter borderbilly
- Start date
What’s not said is that the proposals out for consultation are also to allow HGV over 7.5 tonnes be limited to 50 mph on A roads as opposed to the present 40 mph. This picks up from experience in England where the increase for HGV limits has not had a detrimental effect. Trials on the A9 have also showed a safety benefit and reduced risky overtaking.
Be interesting to see the outcome. I suppose a blanket reduction for cars on A roads is cheaper than targeted reductions in higher risk areas.
Be interesting to see the outcome. I suppose a blanket reduction for cars on A roads is cheaper than targeted reductions in higher risk areas.
A 50 limit for cars will extend already long journey times as Scotland has a lot of single-carriageway roads to which this will apply - much of which has been upgraded as the traffic levels don't justify dualling.
I think it'll cause more accidents as cars will be unable to overtake HGVs without speeding, causing more driver frustration and/or suicidal overtakes.
What has the condition of the roads got to do with legal speed limits? If the roads are that bad they will keep speeds down anyway without the need for reducing the legal limits.
If everyone is sticking to the same legal limit there's no reason to overtake.
Some car drivers won't want to stick to a lowered speed limit and will overtake by speeding - Scottish roads are notorious for overtaking collisions.
But the drivers that you are referring to are going to overtake anyway, regardless of any speed limit. They don't feel bound by any speed limit, whatever it is.
In my experience travelling on A roads throughout the country if traffic is flowing at 50 mph even in a 60 mph limit the majority of drivers seem content to keep to the speed of the traffic stream. Slower than 50 mph and impatience begins to appear.
I think even more drivers will get frustrated and overtake illegally at 50 than do at 60 - I'd love to be wrong but I predict the numbers of Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) will go up if the car limit is reduced.
What had been the outcome on the A9 where I thought 50mph limits had been introduced, albeit it is a well enforced section of road.
We did the A9: twice this year between Stirling and Inverness.
Most of it is long sweeping single carriageway crying out for hyper speed! The 50 mph sat comfortably with me being my towing max on a single carriageway. Very few overtook. The old centre overtaking lanes , the madman’s centre lane , have been removed or coned off.
BTW, Scotland has an almost zero tolerance on D&D. Barely one half pint and you will lose your licence.
Most of it is long sweeping single carriageway crying out for hyper speed! The 50 mph sat comfortably with me being my towing max on a single carriageway. Very few overtook. The old centre overtaking lanes , the madman’s centre lane , have been removed or coned off.
BTW, Scotland has an almost zero tolerance on D&D. Barely one half pint and you will lose your licence.
France did this a few years back (reducing the speed limit from 90 down to 80kph) and are now rowing back on it!
I gather compared to this time in 2023 Scotland’s road fatality rate has increased 26% in 2024. But statistically you are 10 times more likely to have a fatal accident on single lane roads compared to motorways. But probably that’s not a lot different to accident rates on English B and rural routes compared to motorways.
I have no problem with very low or zero levels of alcohol for drivers. And increased police surveillance gets my vote every time, particularly since drugs too now feature in reducing driver performance.
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With all the in vehicle technology and telemetry potential we have could they not automatically detect when a vehicle goes over the speed limit tolerance, and simply use that to enforce the speed limit? 
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During a trial, the A9 between Perth and Inverness on single carriageway stretches were made 50 for HGV and retained the 60 for cars - the KSI rate dropped during the trial
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