80mph on Motorways | Vital Football

80mph on Motorways

The Fear

The Fear

A Wise Man (once sat next to him)
About time in my humble opinion.

http://cars.aol.co.uk/2013/06/13/government-to-press-ahead-with-80mph-speed-limit/?ncid=webmail3

The Government is to start trials of the proposed 80mph national speed limit, road safety minister Stephen Hammond has confirmed.

Three sites have already been chosen to test out the raised limit, and if successful it could be introduced nationwide.

Click here

The announcement comes nearly two years after the Government first tabled the proposed changes back in 2011, but speaking to Auto Express magazine, Mr Hammond stated that the plans were very much ready to go.

"It is not dead. We are thinking about it. We are thinking about how we could trial it rather than go to a consultation," he said.

"It would be important to have a good evidence-based trial."

Mr Hammond went on to confirm that the speed trials could take place during 2014.
 
Good. Most are doing 80 anyway.

I heard someone on the radio the other day saying only 6% of accidents were caused by excessive speed. Most were caused by inattention and driver error. These are at lower speeds, say during a queue of traffic.

The only problem with excessive speed is that it makes the damage from accidents greater.
 
Sounds good to me. Bring it roughly in line with other countries like France which I believe is just shy of 80 if memory serves.
 
All I can remember is driving in France last year and trying to see the small number in the middle of my dashboard :17:
 
80mph is long over due, especially given that the vast majority of cars nowadays can cope with that speed with no problem. However, as soon as you put the official limit up, more people will then do 90... and how long before they clamour for that to be the official limit?
Speed isn't necessarily always the issue, the big problem on motorways goes back to another thread - tailgaters and middle lane hoggers.
 
They`re just as bad as us for breaking the speed limit in France.
I used to drive down to the south for our holidays.I`d be doing 80mph and they were flying past me.Not just one ,but there would be 3 and 4 together doing about 110,almost bumper to bumper.
Funny thing was in all the years i did that trip,i only ever saw one bad accident.
 
The limit was set when cars were soooo different so 80mph makes sense, especially as many do that anyway and the police can't cope trying to get everyone done over 70mph.

Cars are stronger, brakes are better these days.
 
Did I not read somewhere that most accidents are caused by the slower driver or on slow roads compaired to motorways.
 
when we ride as a group we tend to stick to around 85 to 90 mph and have no problems, even the police dont bother stopping us. the modern car and bike is totally different compared to a few years especially with the invention of a.b.s and disk braking compared to the original drums.

but i do still idiots on the motorway who think its smart to go over a 120 and weave in and out etc (i include bikes in that as well)
 
The weaving in and out does my head in badge, totally agree. They get 1 or 2 cars further on and then get stuck again. Arseholes.
 
On tone of those motorway police shows I remember a policeman saying they allow 70 mph + 10% over so its pretty much 80mph anyway.
 
I can't see the point of speed limits on motorways. Over here the official limit is 110kmph but nobody pays any attention to it.

It depends more on the car itself. I used to drive a Proton and the thing would freak out if I went over 130kmph. My Honda will do 150kmph very comfortably. The pick-up truck prefers 120kmph.
 
I agree, cars are much safer than the old days and comfortably handle 80 mph. You still have to be alert to the odd idiots driving them though.
 
When are they going to start pulling over the middle lane hoggers who just sit there not overtaking anybody doing 60mph. I despise these bastards cos I have to go out to the outside lane (which I don't like using unless I really have to) from the inside lane to pass them. And as I pass them I point to the inside lane shouting (God knows why cos they can't hear me). The wife says "Oh why don't you just pass on the inside" and I have to keep explaining to her that if I did and the prat decided to move to the inside lane as I was "undertaking" it would be me that gets done for it. I also have to remind her that the middle and outside lanes are for overtaking only.

I don't think I've ever stuck to the 70mph limit on the motorways but I drive according to conditions on the road, volume of traffic, weather conditions etc. But I can see the new 80mph being used as an excuse for some nutters to push closer to 100mph. I always say, its not so much the speed that kills, its the one person behind the wheel who isn't capable of handling their car at higher speeds either because they aren't paying full attention at all times or aren't experienced enough or just plain stupid, foolhardy muppet risk takers not mature enough to drive that fast.
 
sirdennis - 14/6/2013 14:41

On tone of those motorway police shows I remember a policeman saying they allow 70 mph + 10% over so its pretty much 80mph anyway.
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Trouble is the speed cameras don't!
 
BodyButter - 14/6/2013 15:45

I can't see the point of speed limits on motorways. Over here the official limit is 110kmph but nobody pays any attention to it.

It depends more on the car itself. I used to drive a Proton and the thing would freak out if I went over 130kmph. My Honda will do 150kmph very comfortably. The pick-up truck prefers 120kmph.
Click to expand...

I agree, its the same in Germany and the Isle of Man. Only in certain sections of motorways(busy areas) should any speed restrictions apply.
 
It's 120kph in ROI, ie around 75mph. That's quite quick enough for me but then I'm getting a bit older so my reflexes are probably not what they used to be.
 
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