Will we in the UK ever see.?

Question

A reasonable increase in our motorway speed limit..??

I use the motorways in Britain frequently, seldom do I see drivers sticking to the limit...The average seems to be around 80 mph, is it time therefore to increase the limits..

Bearing in mind that the Association of Chief Police Officers recommended the increase 2 years ago and were ignored, by the then Home Secretary..

Answer 1

Just a suggestion, but now that the U.K. is connected by the underwater tunnel...why not add a couple of lanes and connect it to the Autobonn...where there's virtually NO speed limit...and, just to help, we Americans could send all of our "brain(less) drivers who hold the passing lane while letting everyone else passes on the opposite lane...you know, so THEY won't be disturbed while either talking on their cell phones and/or texting...  I already know you guys will say no, but cut us a break, we MUST RID OURSELVES OF THESE POTENTIAL MURDERERS before they kill even more people..the brainless twits...

Answer 2

Would you want your 75yr old neighbour doing 80mph? I know I wouldn't.

Answer 3

A current urban myth is that speed limits were arbritarily decided on. However, they were scientifically analysed using crash and response time data - no matter how good a car is, the person's response time does not improve - 70 is there for safety reasons, as is 30, 20, 50 - and these are applied to roads where it makes sense to have these limits (buildings, likelihood of pedestrians etc). Increase it to 80 and the chances of crashing increase.

Police want it increased as they get frustrated at writing tickets to so many people - get rid of the criminals by eliminating the crime. I've noticed the police turn a lot of "blind eyes" to speeders on the motorway - but they should prosecute them, the speed is there for saftey - and the biggers danger in a car is the driver, not the car.

Answer 4

The 70mph speed limit may have been appropriate when it was set, 40 years ago.

Anyone who says "The 70mph speed limit is there for a reason", evidently doesn't know the truth.  The 70mph limit was a wholly arbitrary figure, set without any basis in science or safety.  It was basically a 'guesstimate' for the maximum speed by the then Ministry of Transport Safety Committee.

Cars had drum brakes, cross-ply tyres, steel dashboards, solid steering wheels, no crumple zones, no ABS, no airbags and there was no legal requirement to wear seat-belts when that 70mph limit was set.

Here we are in 2008 - vehicle safety has progressed, but our speed limits haven't.

Answer 5

Speed limits on motorways should be increased, but not until the idiots who hog lanes 2 and 3 are sorted out. They slow the traffic down, cause queues and accidents.

Answer 6

The speed limit is there for a reason. I really like the way you Brits use your motor ways slow traffic to outside faster on inside, wish I could say the same for here. But in my travels on vacation I saw an accident on the motor way almost every day which created chaos.

The speed limit is meant to save lives and reduce accidents.

Answer 7

I doubt it very much as it would prove very contentious.

Personally, I think it could work, - provided that those unwilling or unable to go above 60mph are not allowed to use lanes 2 or 3...

Answer 8

I doubt it. too big a money spinner.

Congrats on same Q 3 times --  in 3 different sections!!!!

Answer 9

No, it's not time to increase the limit.  If it were 80mph, people would go 90mph.  You see some real idiots on motorways as it is - tearing down the fast lane doing well in excess of the speed limit and getting angry with those drivers who do stick to the speed limit.  They're a danger both to themselves and to other motorway users - all it takes is one blowout at that speed and not only are you dead (or maimed), but other people are too because of your stupidity.

Answer 10

Everyone breaks the speed limit. Increase it to 80mph and everyone will do 90 minimum. Also magnetic P plates stating it is a new driver under moterway tuition can come off over 70 mph

Answer 11

To conserve fuel, it should be set at a maximum of 55 MPH.