Why the difference in attitude to speed limits on motoryways?

Question

Most people stick to 30/40 speed limits, but no-one bothers doing under 70 on a motorway, why?

Answer 1

its the way the road is built;

Answer 2

Because they are not in built up areas, they don't have pedestrians, children on bikes, animals or any of the other hazards that you could expect in a built up area.

Because they are usually fairly flat, wide and straight so you are afforded a much better view and therefore a longer reaction time.

Because they have less side roads.

Because on coming traffic is generally seperated by a central reservation.

Because on coming traffic will not turn across your path when making a right turn.

These are some reasons that come to mind but as to whether they justify speeding is a whole new debate.

Answer 3

Where in the country are you?!

NOONE around here sticks to 30 or 40 mph speed limits - always get people overtaking or driving REALLY close behind me, as I never drive over the speed limit. Yet when you get on the by-pass or the motorway there is an endless succession of cars doing 50 and less!

Please tell me where you live as I would love to move there!!

Answer 4

for more information please visit http://www.theory-test.co.uk.

Answer 5

The 70 mph limits were set in the 1960s (yes really).At this time the cars that were around were the Ford Anglias, Austin A40s, Morris 1000s etc who's top speed was around 90mph (with a following wind) and which would take ages to stop.These cars would be dangerous at high speed so a 70mph limit was sensible then.By today, cars are much safer, can travel at more than 140mph and can stop in half the distance that the old cars took. Go on any motorway in the UK today and the majority of cars will be driven at around 80-90 mph...are these drivers mad or suicidal??...of course not.No-one wants to kill themselves, or others or even damage their cars but they know that 80-90 is a safe speed for their modern cars. I think the limit should be 100mph, as then these 85% of drivers would be driving legally.Granted, you'd get some racers driving at over 100 but they do that now.The vast majority would still drive at their comfort speed of 80-90 but they would be doing it legally.

Answer 6

Human nature proves to outweigh common sense.. sometimes people drive faster than the speed limit simply because they know they can... and get by with it..

Personally I have no problem driving the limit, providing that everyone in front of me does the same thing.. but as you know.. they don't..

There is always someone who will drive slower than the limit and cause lots of other drivers to get a little hacked...

When traveling, I find the comfortable speed that everyone else is traveling and it suits me..

If it suits the cops.. then I am okay with it too.. now of course there are others who think that the speed limits are not meant for them.. to those people a speed limit is a nuisance and they are not going to drive it..

They are what I call lane darters.. you have seen them, everyone has.. and we all wonder where are the cops?.. well thats just it.. they are hard to find..

Unfortunately there are not enough of them to stop everyone who drives reckless or too fast..

I think about the only thing we can do about them is to not trust them and watch out for them..drive defensively and be safer.. speeders will speed.. theres not much we can do about them.

Answer 7

It's to do with speed cameras - everyone knows that speed cameras & vans 'hide' in 30, 40 & 50mph limit areas to deliberately catch people, regardless of whether it's safe to speed there or not.

Everyone also knows that you'll never get stopped below 80mph on a motorway - if you drive at 70mph, you'll be the slowest thing on the road.

As with the previous comment, I do notice a speight of people lately doing 56mph everywhere - I think they've looked at their car handbook, seen the mpg figure quoted at 56 & are convinced that's the car's 'optimum' speed for economy - I've seen several answers quoting 56mph as the 'magic' economy figure on several occasions.

And speed alone is rarely the cause of accidents - speed cameras don't catch tailgaters, overtaking on bends, being on the phone, reading maps, arguing with the kids.......

Answer 8

To be honest, modern motorways are straight, wide and have excellent surfaces. Modern cars are safer, faster and have better brakes. You are less likely to get done for speeding at 80 to 85 on a motorway then you are at doing 35 in a 30 zone.

I admit that I rarely speed in town or built up areas but rarely drive under 80mph on a motorway!

Crazy but true.

Answer 9

Are they limits I thought they were targets