Speed Limits?

Question

Motorway speed limits were set in the early sixties and as a result of the unstable unsafe cars on the road at that time.

Considering the advancement in safety do you think motorway and dual carriageway speed limits should be revised?

Answer 1

Much as I agree 100% with your logic (never mind speed limits, look at what a modern car's brakes can do in relation to the braking distances set out in the Highway Code!), I don't think raising the speed limit would necessarily be a good thing.

1; although cars have improved immensely in the last 40-odd years to the point where even the cheapest little supermini will cruise effortlessly well above the top speed of a 1960s Ford Cortina, driving skills on the whole haven't kept up.

2; there is usually too much traffic about to allow higher speeds.

3; since some people/vehicles can't or won't drive faster, the difference in speeds will increase hugely. In Gremany, I once has the experience of having a truck pull out in front of me at 130mph! Not something I'd ever want to repeat!

4; people don't concentrate on driving these days. It's bad enough sharing a road with some muppet who's yakking on his phone, drinking a cup of coffee and trying to programme his sat-nav at 70mph, never mind any faster.

5; even if they DID increase the limits, it'd only be to maybe 80, 85mph at most, which you'll get away with now if you're not driving like a plonker. If they increased the limit, you can be d**n sure they'd ENFORCE it, to the letter!

To be honest, in these days of PC, hammering the motorist, and eco-n***s, I think there's a better chance of them lowering the speed limits. Sad but true.

Answer 2

Yes definitivly! I live in Germany where we dont have speed limits on motorways and it doesnt seem more unsafe then anywhere else, besides it is really fun to test how fast your car is :D

Answer 3

i don't know, i think they are all pretty good.  i guess they could be faster though, because cars have improved

Answer 4

depends on the area, but i think yes!

Answer 5

Leave them as they are.70 mph is fast enough.

Answer 6

No i think they should stay as they are... they do help to prevent accidents. A faster speed, in my opinion would reduce space between vehicles.

It also in my view isn't all that fair on 'less confident' drivers.

Answer 7

For cars yes, but for HGV's and cars towing caravans and trailers no.

Answer 8

No, because when they were brought in, there was'nt the amount of car's on the roads as we have now.

Answer 9

They should be revised but they won't.

Answer 10

In metro areas, the speed limit should be lowered to 55 mph on the highways...Most of the time, one cannot go faster than that anyway - traffic won't allow it...I would like to see dual speed limits for day and night driving on rural highways - 65 or 70 during the day, 55 at night...Arizona used to have it and I don't know if they still have it...It's a great idea though...BTW, 55 is the optimum speed for most vehicles meaning that speed offers the best fuel economy.

Answer 11

I am advanced. I want to travel at the speed of light. I want to go so fast that everything is nothing but a watery rippling blur. I would love to go so fast that anything of normal duration and movement is but an illusion yet very real, going slow while I travel at the velocity of the speed of light, over one hunred and eighty thousand miles per second. I think nothing of motorways or race cars or fast bullets, I think in terms of fast, real fast, mega fast, super fast, so so fast that nothing on this earth could win or beat. And I promise that if I get to that point one day I will drop on by to give you a ride you'll never forget. I want to order a burger and have it eaten before I pay for it, I want to get on the freeway and drive my car before I fill up the tank with gas, and I want to go to work and get home long after I get my paycheck, and I want to avoid the bullet coming at me before the trigger is pulled. I believe I can master all of these abilities by applying the principle of the speed of light. I want to eat the jelly beans before I know how many I have chewed on, I want to catch the cat before he scratches my dog and chases it up a tree, not the cat but the cat chasing the dog up a tree, and I want to know why she loves me when she really doesn't after discovering that her smile is covered by the invisible veil.

Answer 12

no 70 is quick enough look at the autobans how many drivers die in accident

Answer 13

Motorway speed limits were higher during the 1960's.

Cars were NOT regarded as unsafe or unstable in 60's. In fact they were regarded as state of the art.

Modern cars, are still driven by similar people to those who were driving in the 60's.

Volume of traffic has since increased.

Answer 14

No, hasn't there been an advancement in vehicles that can kill you??  Not to mention dumber drivers....

Answer 15

no. driving is a privillage not a right. people will be killed much more often if they did that. i completley agree with where they are now.

Answer 16

.

Initially motorways did not have a speed limit. The speed limit was brought in due to the careless nature of the majority, and that, in an era with lighter traffic.

The speed limit, is therefore, in effect as useful tool to reduce accidents.

If speed limits were to be increased the disparity between slow moving vehicles and those moving faster would result in a higher accident rate.

However, I believe that an introduction of a further high performance test (as opposed to high speed test) should enable a driver to purchase a higher performance vehicle.

So, perhaps, a 100 bhp per ton maximum for the first test. Then, once proving ability via a high performance course, one could purchase a higher performance vehicle due to higher license ratings.

These tests however would have to be extremely stringent.

.

Answer 17

?YEAh  dude it sucks now so much traffic when it was high d**n you can get some where fast like h**l

Answer 18

the only limits ought to be how fast your car will go

Answer 19

If anything the speed limits on ALL roads should be lowered - to reduce accidents/injuries to those travelling and working on the road.