howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
not too sure on this one, the present speed limit although 70 mph it is accepted that 80 mph is ok.
i think that many would then think 90 mph is acceptable.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/29/speed-limit-raised-80mphBrian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
not a bad idea,seeing that some of them are doing 80 plus now.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
disagree brian, it would simply enc ourage people to drive even faster.
the other issue is about the lowering of the limit to 20 mph on certain side roads.
great in principle but how would it be enforced?
Guest 723- Registered: 12 Sep 2011
- Posts: 40
Car safety technology has moved on a lot since the speed limits were set. A limit increase is long overdue.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
howard,speed limets will allways be a hot topic,along with smoking,the euro,the eu etc etc.no two people will ever agree whats best for every one.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
technology has changed but reaction time has not.
there is no age limit for driving we hear every week about someone driving the wrong way up slip road or doing something eccentric on our motorways.
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
I don't personally have a problem with this though perhaps it should be set to 80 at different times of day (i.e. not at peak times). Hammond's arguments seem spurious to say the least and I'd like to see some hard evidence to back up his claims of benefits to the economy.
I agree with Nathan that car technology has moved on significantly but I would also like to see motorway driving form a compulsory section of driving lessons/tests.
If the speed limit is 70 then 70 it should be the same in our towns if its 20 or 30 then thats what we should be doing there are no police patrols on motorways any more has there trying to save on costs so motorist please them selfs what speed they do. In my younger days I was caught speeding on a motorway doing 90mph was told by the cooper we don't mind you doing 75 to 80 if the conditions allow but 90 no 3 points and £60 fine never did it again. In Europe its on the spot fine or your car taken if you don't pay maybe we should try that over here.
Guest 687- Registered: 2 Jun 2009
- Posts: 513
I am sure the reduction to 70mph was to conserve fuel not on safety grounds. I very rarely drive in the UK but on roads with an 80mph speed limit and in some instances no limit on some but not all roads(Germany).
France has the better idea,130kph(80mph) reducing to 110kph(68mph)in wet weather. I personally prefer the upper limit but then I do see what appears to be more serious accidents in Europe than in the UK.
My own contribution to road safety would be to restrict trucks(which I drive) to overtaking on certain roads or parts of roads, I would for instance ban it entirely on the whole of the M26.
The most sensible thing i have heard from a king of the road in years i drive in Europe a lot and there roads are built to drive on and I mean drive no pot holes or Bumbry bits but they have the space were as we smaller and more creamed in, but Mr Tranter is right in saying there Acc can be a lot worse than ours because of the high speed limit.I believe in Germany lorries have to stay in there lane when going up hills or slight inclines they tried that on the A20 Dover to Folkestone but lorries still kept overtaking and police would not ticket them so it was scraped.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
alan,it was only a 12 month trial.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
A 80mph limit is a more sensible one but they need to increase penalties for anyone going more than 5mph over the limit to balance it.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
agree with that barry, 80 m.p.h. is enough.
at present it is very rare that anyone is prosecuted for doing that speed.
most people like to go a bit faster than limits set so the present official limit works.
Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
I see the problem the 80 is pretty normal now so in the future 90 will be the norm.
Audere est facere.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
That depends on whether they enforce the 80 a little better than they enforced the 70.
The fact is that excess speed is a factor in many fatal accidents. But in the vast majority of cases, nobody was exceeding the limit. On a deserted M20, doing 100+ on a dry day in a capable car with an experienced driver is perfectly safe. In a freezing foggy morning rush hour, doing 50 would be criminally insane. It's going too fast for the conditions that causes accidents, not pure speed per se.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
The perils of driving at 70mph around Dover.
This photo from the Chicago Daily News dated 1931 is presently on eBay and bears the legend:
"Over the chalk cliffs of Dover at seventy miles an hour. A dummy chauffeur rode this motor car shown at the start of a 300 foot drop to put a thrill in an English motion picture."
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1931-White-Cliffs-Dover-England-Car-Chase-Stunt-End-Movie-Wire-Photo-/270824359715?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item3f0e63c723Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
There has been a big move away from enforcing speed limits, lack of staff and staff being better employed and cameras decomissioned. If the powers that be want to use the new speed limits as a cash cow then they will have to invest in staff and cameras to do it, both have been reduced a lot in recent times.
Audere est facere.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
having looked at that picture from ed it does explain why our vic walks with a limp today.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
The original 70 limit, as I remember, was imposed following outrage that the AC car company were testing the Cobra on the M1 at speeds up to 180mph in 1962 or thereabouts.
All motorways should eventually be fitted with the gear to impose and enforce variable speed limits like those on the M25 between the M3 and M40 junctions.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
