80mph Motorway limit looks to be coming this summer

[johny5_uk]

Hopefully it will be passed in July....

"Ministers hope to get the 80mph measure through Parliament before MPs break up for their own holidays in July."

M-way speed limit set to be raised to 80 this summer - Politics - News - People.co.uk

 

[Alfie]

Hopefully it will be passed in July....

"Ministers hope to get the 80mph measure through Parliament before MPs break up for their own holidays in July."

M-way speed limit set to be raised to 80 this summer - Politics - News - People.co.uk

Excellent news. Now all we need is a minimum speed on the motorway plus a complete ban on all coaches and lorries from the outside two lanes.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Asinine journalism though - "But the higher limit could hit already hard-pressed drivers as doing 80 uses 20 per cent more fuel than at 70"

It is a limit not an obligation.

 

[moonloops]

Well if anyone thinks I am going to slow down to 80 they have another thing coming

 

[finisterre]

So all of a sudden I will not be a criminal idiot attempting to murder the environment and wilfully endangering teeny babies?

That is good news.

 

[steve333]

Asinine journalism though - "But the higher limit could hit already hard-pressed drivers as doing 80 uses 20 per cent more fuel than at 70"

It is a limit not an obligation.

Maybe true for smaller engine cars but a v8 certainly doesn't use 20% more fuel when doing 80mph as opposed to 70mph!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Maybe true for smaller engine cars but a v8 certainly doesn't use 20% more fuel when doing 80mph as opposed to 70mph!

Required power is not the same as fuel consumed, but it's a useful indicator as there's a correlation...

Taking a C63 AMG as an example (V8), it requires 33.9 bhp to maintain a steady 70 mph, and 44.2 bhp to maintain 80mph, that's 30% more power!

It requires 57.0 bhp to maintain a steady 90 mph, which is 68% more power than holding 70 mph.

And 100 mph requires 72.2 bhp, which is 113% more than 70 mph!!

 

[GordonTarling]

Not so sure it's a good idea - a large amount of traffic is already doing 80+, so speeds will creep up and so will the carnage in an accident. They'd be better off educating middle lane hogs!

 

[steve333]

Not so sure it's a good idea - a large amount of traffic is already doing 80+, so speeds will creep up and so will the carnage in an accident. They'd be better off educating middle lane hogs!

So why are Germanys autobahns some of the safest motorways in europe?(Agree that lane discepline etc would be a major factor in accidents if speed limits were increased on our motorways though)

 

[steve333]

Required power is not the same as fuel consumed, but it's a useful indicator as there's a correlation...

Taking a C63 AMG as an example (V8), it requires 33.9 bhp to maintain a steady 70 mph, and 44.2 bhp to maintain 80mph, that's 30% more power!

It requires 57.0 bhp to maintain a steady 90 mph, which is 68% more power than holding 70 mph.

And 100 mph requires 72.2 bhp, which is 113% more than 70 mph!!

That still leaves around 450bhp to play with

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

That still leaves around 450bhp to play with

With all 451 horses in action it's good for a theoretical top speed of 190 mph!!

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

Increasing the speed limit will increase fuel used, which blindingly obviously will increase the money in the governments coffers, cynic? me?

 

[Charles Morgan]

I love the autobahns, I believe from the little research I can find the German transport ministry states the unrestricted sections have no worse accident rate than the restricted, but I don't know how that compares with the rest of Europe. However, on a recent trip, I found the only unrestricted autobahns I could make safe progress on were those with very little traffic. Everywhere else was so congested even 130kmh was a pipe dream, and the restricted sections did not allow lorries into the outer lane, whereas the unrestricted ones did. So in practice, I much preferred the restricted sections of heavier traffic roads for safe progress.

 

[steve333]

Increasing the speed limit will increase fuel used, which blindingly obviously will increase the money in the governments coffers, cynic? me?

See where you are coming from but just because the limit is increased doesn't mean everyone is obliged to drive at it,you will still get the same people holding on for dear life at 60mph in the middle lane whatever the speed limit is raised to!

 

[st4]

Increasing the speed limit will increase fuel used, which blindingly obviously will increase the money in the governments coffers, cynic? me?

So what? no one will make you drive at 80 as opposed to 70. It means that those who want to make a little more progress, can if they wish to legally.

It also means the government can cut fuel duty as they'll get the same return for us going faster.

What is there NOT to like.

 

[MOCAŠ]

See where you are coming from but just because the limit is increased doesn't mean everyone is obliged to drive at it,you will still get the same people holding on for dear life at 60mph in the middle lane whatever the speed limit is raised to!

In effect, the new limit (if introduced) will be obligatory due to limited lane capacity. In most places there are only three lanes. Those who currently use lane 1 to maintain a steady 50mph (or so) will continue to do so, and this is precisely why so few drivers overall tend to pull into the left hand lane when not overtaking - they're worried about getting hemmed in later on when they come across a slower driver (or are just too lazy to keep indicating and switching).

Those drivers will still pootle along at 50mph, and those who choose to do 60-65mph will still do that, predominently in the middle lane. Leaving only the outside lane for those who want to travel at the national limit. If that is full of drivers staunchly doing 70mph, what's left for those wanting to do 80mph or more?

NB: This is not a call for more lanes on motorways. It's all about getting drivers to use them properly, but the three-lane arrangement can only realistically cater for two steady speeds, which will probably be 50mph (or 60mph) and 80mph.

 

[A160DSB]

Excellent news. Now all we need is a minimum speed on the motorway plus a complete ban on all coaches and lorries from the outside two lanes.

Coaches and lorries are banned from using lane 3. Lane 2 is full of lane hoggers that sit at 50mph anyway, and the only reason coaches and lorries use lane 2 is to overtake a coach or lorry. But I see your point, watching a lorry overtake a lorry is frustrating when you know its going to take them 10 minutes to do so.

 

[steve333]

In effect, the new limit (if introduced) will be obligatory due to limited lane capacity. In most places there are only three lanes. Those who currently use lane 1 to maintain a steady 50mph (or so) will continue to do so, and this is precisely why so few drivers overall tend to pull into the left hand lane when not overtaking - they're worried about getting hemmed in later on when they come across a slower driver (or are just too lazy to keep indicating and switching).

Those drivers will still pootle along at 50mph, and those who choose to do 60-65mph will still do that, predominently in the middle lane. Leaving only the outside lane for those who want to travel at the national limit. If that is full of drivers staunchly doing 70mph, what's left for those wanting to do 80mph or more?

NB: This is not a call for more lanes on motorways. It's all about getting drivers to use them properly, but the three-lane arrangement can only realistically cater for two steady speeds, which will probably be 50mph (or 60mph) and 80mph.

Agreed so the only real answer is to have a minimum speed limit say 60mph in good weather/traffic flow if the maximum speed limit on motorways is raised to 80mph.

 

[MOCAŠ]

Now all we need is a minimum speed on the motorway plus a complete ban on all coaches and lorries from the outside two lanes.

Minimum speed - worth having at, say, 50mph (with exceptions for roadworks, adverse weather, etc, of course)

Restricting coaches and lorries to lane 1 on a 3-lane motorway - disastrous idea!

 

[Apial]

Minimum speed - worth having at, say, 50mph (with exceptions for roadworks, adverse weather, etc, of course)

Restricting coaches and lorries to lane 1 on a 3-lane motorway - disastrous idea!

There should be no minimum. My lorry just manages 50mph. I know some lorries that are 45 mph flat out.