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
I disagree on police surveillance as that does not prevent speeding and other motoring related offences. IMHO there should be more officers patrolling the roads and also more active speed traps that are actually manned and the vehicle stopped at the time of the offence. A much better deterrent and far more effective!
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All law-abiding people want more from our police, whether it's on the roads or any other type of crime - but politicians find it extremely hard to get voters support for higher taxation to fund better/additional services.I disagree on police surveillance as that does not prevent speeding. IMHO there should be more officers patrolling the roads and also more active speed traps that are actually manned and the vehicle stopped at the time of the offence. A much better deterrent and far more effective!
My comments in my second paragraphs were nothing to do with speeding they were in response to DD comments on drink driving limits in Scotland.I disagree on police surveillance as that does not prevent speeding. IMHO there should be more officers patrolling the roads and also more active speed traps that are actually manned and the vehicle stopped at the time of the offence. A much better deterrent and far more effective!
I would call manned speed traps surveillance, and more officers patrolling the roads would come into that category as they aren’t doing it just for the “pleasure” of seeing nice places in a nice car. Also when cars are stopped there’s often other misdemeanours discovered.
My granddaughter had an insurers black box fitted as a condition of her first policy at 17 yrs. It tracked her every journey, time and speeds. In her case there were no restrictions on time of use for driving. I understand that data collection is already being installed in new cars and the record is available for interrogation. But it’s principle benefits could be speed control of the car to stay within speed limits, and any future pay by the mile charges, and presumably at some stage in the not too distant future it may even allow the car to be controlled by a third party IE police, rather than the risks associated with high speed pursuits.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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I would certainly not like a car where the speed is controlled by an outside source as that could be frightening! Imagine in an emergency you need that extra oomph but are prevented and the result is an accident. Very rare, but there are occasions.
The thought of someone being able to follow my every move makes me shudder. Big brother is watching you. No thanks. Not for me.
It's the same with these supermarket apps where the supermarket can trace my purchasing habits. I find it awful. No way is an app like that going to come on my mobile phone.
It's the same with these supermarket apps where the supermarket can trace my purchasing habits. I find it awful. No way is an app like that going to come on my mobile phone.
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I think in reality the new in car speed controllers are controlling via GPS and documented speed limits and do give some leeway for extra oomph. But I know from my two different navs that there are occasions where a speed limit shown in the car is not the same as that signed on the road. So the driver must still take responsibility. I was just speculating that the technology is there and future uses could lead to external control if required in specific circumstances.
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