80mph speed limits, Pah

[st4]

I was going through old pics of a holiday

Was in Germany

How good would this be to have

100 being in MPH obviously.

Discuss the merits of a 100mph motorway speed limit, if we all kept a safe distance 100mph I feel work work fine.

 

[Red C220]

Carnage would ensue, deaths would increase as all the idiots that genuinely think this is safe speed to travel at 8am on the M25 all check in for their free Darwin awards.

80mph is ok at certain times of the day in certain conditions, anything above that is not viable on UK roads which are not designed for the purpose.

 

[MOCAŠ]

100mph is already pretty much the default speed on the M40 (when the traffic's moving).

 

[st4]

On quiet sections of motorway (they do exist north of watford gap) a ton would be fine. Honestly. Motorway speed limits need to be variable, but some quiet bits of the northerly M6, 74, M40 etc all have visibility that would permit 100mph driving.

 

[ringway]

100mph is already pretty much the default speed on the M40 (when the traffic's moving).

Agreed. In the evening in the summer months with not many vehicles around, the pace is probably the quickest I have encountered.

 

[davidjpowell]

Agreed. In the evening in the summer months with not many vehicles around, the pace is probably the quickest I have encountered.

Wacky races = M40 south of Oxford.

 

[bedwards1966]

In many situations 100mph or more can be perfectly safe, depending on the conditions. To say there would be carnage is silly.
The trouble is, deciding the conditions. I'm quite happy that my MB which is pretty much the same as the 4.3ltr model which is limited to 155 will be perfectly safe at 120mph, and getting a blow-out at those speeds would probably not result in an accident.
But what about the 17 year old who has just passed his test who goes out in the pouring rain and fog and does that kind of speed in his Corsa/Fiesta/Micra/Focus etc. If something happens then it's likely to be trip to the graveyard.
I can't see it being possible to implement a system where (in good conditions obviously) only experienced drivers can drive faster, in cars that are designed to handle that speed. For that reason it could be a problem.
I'd still rather see it though, would it matter if a few people manage to earn themselves a Darwin award because they can't figure out that their Corsa loses what little safety it has at 70, not 100? Provided they miss me when they flip over on the motorway, I'll be better off and will actually enjoy driving and get there faster with less frustration.

 

[mct_cars]

On quiet sections of motorway (they do exist north of watford gap) a ton would be fine. Honestly. Motorway speed limits need to be variable, but some quiet bits of the northerly M6, 74, M40 etc all have visibility that would permit 100mph driving.

I travel the M6 from the M62 to the A69 often, and there's never anything on it. They built the three lane motorway on the wrong side of the Pennines!

 

[janner]

This how it should look...

 

[renault12ts]

In many situations 100mph or more can be perfectly safe, depending on the conditions. To say there would be carnage is silly.
The trouble is, deciding the conditions. I'm quite happy that my MB which is pretty much the same as the 4.3ltr model which is limited to 155 will be perfectly safe at 120mph, and getting a blow-out at those speeds would probably not result in an accident.
But what about the 17 year old who has just passed his test who goes out in the pouring rain and fog and does that kind of speed in his Corsa/Fiesta/Micra/Focus etc. If something happens then it's likely to be trip to the graveyard.
I can't see it being possible to implement a system where (in good conditions obviously) only experienced drivers can drive faster, in cars that are designed to handle that speed. For that reason it could be a problem.
I'd still rather see it though, would it matter if a few people manage to earn themselves a Darwin award because they can't figure out that their Corsa loses what little safety it has at 70, not 100? Provided they miss me when they flip over on the motorway, I'll be better off and will actually enjoy driving and get there faster with less frustration.

As someone said above, when the de facto limit is already above 70 in many places, conditions allowing, then why raise it.

To believe that your MB is safe at 100mph should you have a blow out is at best a little deluded (and I mean no offence whatsoever).

If an MB has a 4.3 litre engine, is it inherently safe at 120. Of course not...in a crash at that speed it will fall a part as much as any car...especially if its 13 years old.

The idea that the Corsa or other small car is nothing but a death trap is also less than true.

The argument for increased speed limits will never get very far, because roads have so many different users. And because the average UK motorway driver is useless. You may be the best driver in the world...but in company of the useless you are no safer than anyone else.

If lane discipline was to significantly improve over night, then the argument might get somewhere. But it wont...so the limits will stay where they are. So, yes it would be nice to have a higher limit, but the arguments put forward so far will not carry mush water.

 

[SavMan]

I thought we had the safest motorways in Europe and in addition the busiest motorways in Europe?

If you want to risk your lives and those around you why don't you do what many do and take it to a track/airfield/strip where you are in a controlled environment.

 

[renault12ts]

I thought we had the safest motorways in Europe and in addition the busiest motorways in Europe?

If you want to risk your lives and those around you why don't you do what many do and take it to a track/airfield/strip where you are in a controlled environment.

I don't know about safest...but compared to driving in say France...we have the most ill disciplined.

The attitude across the channel is that you lose face if you hold up a fast driver, so they tend to overtake and get back to the inner lanes immediately. Whereas the attitude here is, no way hosay, you're not getting past me.

 

[Olivier]

I hate those who stay on the right lane and not even moving at 70mph and this without cars on the left...

 

[MOCAŠ]

I hate those who stay on the right lane and not even moving at 70mph and this without cars on the left...

We all do.

 

[grober]

100 mph newer well maintained performance cars are easily capable of safely exceeding such speeds --- however very few or their owners/drivers are [ despite their delusions to the contrary] And the fate of even those "chosen few" is in the hands of their fellow drivers of lesser ability with whom they share the road. Take a look at any F1 Grand Prix race to see what carnage ensues when you stick a high density of cars of varying performance and driver ability in close proximity on a road together.

 

[acej]

My 2p.

A sensible introduction of variable speed limits based on flow, time of day and road conditions would work best.

A jump from 70 to 100 maybe a big ask for drivers as well as lobiests but 80 seems fine as a 1st step with 90 on some stretches of road at off off peak once the right tech is in place.

A minimum speed lane would be good off peak too but I am sure that would be to much for some drivers to comprehend!

 

[Spinal]

This is a debate I've always found funny...

if 70mph is "safer" than 80/100mph on the motorway - and we agree that all cars/drivers should be "safer" rather than using common sense and judgement of conditions to decide of their own accord what is "safe enough"; then surely we want everyone to be "safer", right?

So, (stay with me) if 70 is safer than 100, and 60 is safer than 70 - why don't we lower motorway speed limits to 60? Surely the 17 year old in a gWizz will be safer at 60?

At that point, why not be "safer" and lower it to 50, 40, 30 - heck - why have motorways at all; let's force everyone to walk! That's a lot "safer"!

At the end of the day, all activities involve a degree of risk. The day we have no deaths on the roads will be the day that roads are shut down.

It is up to the individual in control of the vehicle to conclude how much risk they are willing to take; and what they feel is a safe speed and driving stance.

We do have a "driving without due care and attention" or "dangerous driving" law - but it's hard to enforce. So; it's easier to use speed limits to enforce something similar - and pass it off as safety.

We've missed the point entirely. While speed contributes to a dangerous driver - at the end of the day, the prevailing conditions and the driver him/herself are the causes of risk.

Rant over

M.

 

[Colin_b]

As someone said above, when the de facto limit is already above 70 in many places, conditions allowing, then why raise it.

To believe that your MB is safe at 100mph should you have a blow out is at best a little deluded (and I mean no offence whatsoever).

If an MB has a 4.3 litre engine, is it inherently safe at 120. Of course not...in a crash at that speed it will fall a part as much as any car...especially if its 13 years old.

The idea that the Corsa or other small car is nothing but a death trap is also less than true.

The argument for increased speed limits will never get very far, because roads have so many different users. And because the average UK motorway driver is useless. You may be the best driver in the world...but in company of the useless you are no safer than anyone else.

If lane discipline was to significantly improve over night, then the argument might get somewhere. But it wont...so the limits will stay where they are. So, yes it would be nice to have a higher limit, but the arguments put forward so far will not carry mush water.

The problem with this is that too many drivers now think that any thing above the speed limit will result in carnage, but sticking blindly to the limit is completely safe.

Thus they set their mental cruise control to 70mph on the motorway and go to sleep, regardless of conditions.

Should I ever become dictator, I would scrap speed cameras, and convert them to bad driving cameras (which would include inappropriate speed).

 

[MOCAŠ]

We do have a "driving without due car and attention" .

Now, that could be very unsafe indeed.

 

[bedwards1966]

As someone said above, when the de facto limit is already above 70 in many places, conditions allowing, then why raise it.
Driving above 70 is illegal, the fact that many do so does not mean I can do so without breaking the law. I'd like it raising so I can legally drive faster.

To believe that your MB is safe at 100mph should you have a blow out is at best a little deluded (and I mean no offence whatsoever).
I'm not guaranteeing that a blow-out at speed is safe, but in a car designed to handle well in all conditions and designed to be very safe gives a very good chance of remaining safe and stable if a tyre pops.

If an MB has a 4.3 litre engine, is it inherently safe at 120. Of course not...in a crash at that speed it will fall a part as much as any car...especially if its 13 years old.
I think you've got it completely wrong. I was using my Merc as an example, it's basically the same car that's designed to safely do speeds in excess of 155mph. Driving it at say 120 is well within it's safe design capabilities. Taking a car that is well maintained and not rusty, the age of it is frankly irrelevant.

The idea that the Corsa or other small car is nothing but a death trap is also less than true.
OK, take a German car (which are the best engineered cars available) which is designed to travel at say 160mph. Then take a Corsa that is just about capable of reaching 105mph.
Which is safer at 100mph? The car at a low percentage of it's maximum speed, or the car that's at the very limit?
Which is also safer at 70mph?
Could it not be the one that is designed to handle safely both in normal driving and if crashed at high speeds is safer?

The argument for increased speed limits will never get very far, because roads have so many different users. And because the average UK motorway driver is useless. You may be the best driver in the world...but in company of the useless you are no safer than anyone else.
I can't agree that the average motorway driver is useless - I'd agree if you said most of them. Driving standards are very poor.

If lane discipline was to significantly improve over night, then the argument might get somewhere. But it wont...so the limits will stay where they are. So, yes it would be nice to have a higher limit, but the arguments put forward so far will not carry mush water.

I can't actually see any argument really getting anywhere, there are far too many crying 'it'll be carnage', 'think of the children' and other such ill-informed nonsense whenever something gets suggested that they don't like.

I hate those who stay on the right lane and not even moving at 70mph and this without cars on the left...

This seems to annoy everybody (except perhaps those that do it - presumably they don't mind it when they get a taste of their own medicine?). Personally I'm not convinced that there is anything wrong with undertaking - it works very well in other countries. Though admittedly in most countries drivers probably are much more observant of their surroundings than most UK drivers.