What is the actual motorway speed limit?

Question

Traffic police on the M11 have got me paranoid now. It doesn't feel right doing 70mph. To do that speed I'm better of in the slow lane.

I am confused. The other day I was driving behind under covers who were doing atleast 90MPH and there were about 3-4 cars infront of them doing the same and a few behind me.

They did eventually pull me over for indicating into the middle lane then slow then back into the middle then into the fast lane infront of them because they decided to slow down all of a sudden.

The officer said I would receive a letter in the post. Something about reckless driving. I don't see how using my indicators and pulling into lanes safely is careless driving.

Anyway I just want to totally avoid getting anymore points on my licence. It's just that when I drive on the M11 the majority of drivers are doing over 70mph.

Help

Answer 1

70mph

Answer 2

How dumb are you mate?

Answer 3

It's 70mph, but no one goes 70. When I was practising my driving it got on my nerves coz everyone would pass me, and I felt like I was going too slow, but I wasn't!

Answer 4

If you are not clever enough to understand what indicators are for then you really shouldn't be on the road at all.

Answer 5

70 but they wont stop you if your doing a steady 80 mph

Answer 6

motorway speed limits are always 70mph unless the boards tell you differently, left lane is for lorry's, middle lane is for cars to travel a maximum of 70mph, and right lane is for overtaking the middle lane if they are not doing 70mph. nowhere does it say that he speed limit is 90mph. unless the car was in pursuit, which i doubt.

Answer 7

You are confused, aren't you? If you don't know the national speed limit for a motorway, or understand what you did wrong by, it seems, cutting in front of a car (and a police car at that), you really need to review your drivng knowledge.

Answer 8

the speed limit on a motorway is 70 mph

there is no slow lane or fast lane

you should travail well over to the left ( left hand lane) unless you are overtaking. and then move back as soon as   its safe to do so

try reading the highway code

Answer 9

It's 70. Full stop.

I quote you - "indicating into the middle lane then slow then back into the middle then into the fast lane in front of them".

What was THAT all about? Why did you do all that? (Well, that's what you wrote.)

Trying to make sense of what you've written, it seems you were changing lane for no reason - that's why you were pulled.

I quote you again - "I'm better off in the slow lane". That's where you should be anyway, if you're not overtaking.

(Note to pedantics: yes, I know it's not the "slow" lane.)

Answer 10

it`s 70mph, read the Highway Code... .

b.t.w. your allowed + 10% tolerance, due to the analogue speedo in your car possible being incorrect, but really you should not go above 70mph.

buy a GPS Tom Tom unit it`ll tell you your exact speed.

Answer 11

The National Speed Limit in the United Kingdom is 70 mph, and this applies to all motorways, except where a lower limit applies. (For example, within the bounds of the City of Glasgow, the speed limit on the M8, M77 and M80 is never greater than 50mph, reducing to 40mph in places; the  M50/M5 junction has a lower speed limit; the elevated section of the M48 at PortTalbot has a lower speed limit; and so on)

Some Police Forces prefer to use the charge of "Reckless Driving" rather than "Exceeding the Speed Limit" because the former carries higher penalties than the latter on conviction. Moreover, it is difficult to raise a defence, because speeding is, a priori, a reckless act!

Personally, I would use the even more serious charge of "Careless Driving" for those who exceed 70mph, but, then, I am known for my liberal views!!

Answer 12

Maximum speed 70mph unless signs tell you differently.

Answer 13

the legal limit is 70 mph but you can have a bit of leway you will not get a ticket for doing 74mph

just because other people do more than that it doesnt make it right  speed kills

Answer 14

70 mph and thats that. if you want to drive carefully get in the 1st lane and stay in it behind a truck who can only go 56mph, that way no-one can harm you or give you a ticket, ignore the lunatics, keep a safe distance, 2 second rule here.

Answer 15

ON ANY MULTI  LANED ROAD IF THERE IS A CENRAL BARRIER IT'S 70 MPH. IF THERE IS NO BARRIER THEN IT'S THE NATIONAL SPEED LIMIT OF 60 MPH UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED.

Answer 16

I used to be a motorcycle courier in Brighton. Most of the work was to London.

I decided to conduct an experiment.

Firstly I drove as fast as I could, up to 50 or 60 in town and around 90 on the motorway & dual carriageways.

The next day I tried going a little slower.

The third day I kept within the speed limits. Either 30 or 40 in the towns, 60 on a single lane road and no more than 70 on the motorways.

I couldn't believe the results so tried it again and then a third time.

The difference in time between the fastest (when I was risking my life and driving licence and therefore my living) and the slowest (where not only did I not risk anything but saved myself a lot on fuel) over the 55 mile trip from the centre of Brighton to the centre of the City of London - was 10 minutes.

Answer 17

The limit is 70mph. You should also not undertake, but I see it everyday, people driving slowly in the middle or fast lane, forcing people to undertake them, people racing along at 100mph+ with no consequences. I am one!