Increase Speed Limits - Online Petition

[MoAMG]

Duplicate post.

 

[MoAMG]

It's the law black and white. Love it or hate it there have to be rules.

Indeed. That is precisely why I'm proposing a reform to bring this part of our legislation in to the 21st century. Albeit some people are still struggling to grasp the fact that we are no longer riding horses and carriages on motorways...

 

[Dryce]

Your patronising, condescending and sarcastic manner has been duly noted.

For what purpose?

Is my name also to go on the list along with Pike's?

Correct me if I'm wrong here but aren't emissions relative to engine load? Arguably, an engine is under more load on city roads rather than motorways. So unless you are a qualified fellow, I do not see how your opinion should be regarded. What makes you think that you are older than me anyway?

The issue with speed limits is drag. At a steady cruise on a flat surface in still conditions and engine will basically be working to do two things. Overcome friction and overcome drag.

Drag increases geometrically in proportion to speed. As speeds go up it becomes the dominant factor that the engine has to work against. In general terms increasing speed from 50 to 60 is a 20% increase in speed - but drag would go up over 70%. 60 to 80 is a 33% increase in speed but 137% increase in drag.

 

[renault12ts]

I'd like to see some facts and figures as to how vehicle emissions "increase" with increased carriageway speeds.

If your CLS63 achieves, say, 25mpg at 50 mph, and,say,15mpg at 100mph (didn't want to say 90)...doesn't that mean that more fuel has been burnt over a given distance...and therefore, an increase in emissions?

Given that fuel consumption decreases as speed increases...is that not all the evidence you require that speed affects emissions?

Anyway...I would like to see 120kph ...as it is in Ireland. When British drivers learn how to be courteous on motorways I see no point in a higher limit than that.

BTW I also have a B.Sc...but I don't do chemistry, physics, comp. science etc.

 

[Dryce]

It's almost as ironic as how everyone that has opposed this motion so far happens to drive an oil burner...

Some of our oil burners are stunningly quick.

 

[renault12ts]

It's almost as ironic as how everyone that has opposed this motion so far happens to drive an oil burner...

I drive an oil burner, and a petrol...so I'm a halfway house?

 

[MoAMG]

Some of our oil burners are stunningly quick.

I have absolutely no reason to doubt that.

 

[developer]

I drive an oil burner, and a petrol...so I'm a halfway house?

I prefer swing both ways C .

I'd like to see 80mph on motorways - 70mph is a snails pace these days with even the most basic cars having improved in all relevant areas significantly since the "old days".

I recall that there were some musings about the economy benefitting from a raised speed limit recently.

 

[fab1975]

Does anyone know how the 70 Mph speed limit got introduced on British motorways? Has it always been like that? Any why 70 Mph rather than 60 or even 50 Mph?

I am asking a genuine question here, as I do not actually know the answer, so please forgive my ignorance.

 

[Dryce]

Does anyone know how the 70 Mph speed limit got introduced on British motorways? Has it always been like that? Any why 70 Mph rather than 60 or even 50 Mph?

Google will be a better friend than me.

When motorways were first built there were no restrictions. In 1965 the 70 limit was introduced as a temporary measure - which became permanent in 1967.

In he 70s there were temporary reductions in limits due to the oil crisis.

 

[MancMike]

I thought it was because the AC Cobra did a "scary speed" and so they thought a limit would be appropriate?

 

[renault12ts]

I thought it was because the AC Cobra did a "scary speed" and so they thought a limit would be appropriate?

I thought it was an E type...but you could be right.

 

[MancMike]

I thought it was an E type...but you could be right.

Nope, I'm wrong. A bit. It did do a fast run, but that wasn't the reason, maybe a contributor.

An AC Cobra Coupe was calculated to have done 186 mph (299 km/h) on the M1 motorway in 1964, driven by Jack Sears and Peter Bolton during shakedown tests prior to that year's Le Mans 24h race.[8] A common misconception is that this incident persuaded the British Government to introduce the 70 mph (110 km/h) maximum speed limit on UK motorways, which up until that year had no speed restrictions, although government officials have cited the increasing accident death rate in the early 1960s as the principal motivation, the exploits of the AC Cars team merely highlighting the issue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Cobra

 

[219]

The core issue here is how the Highway Code was concocted. For those who do not know, it was based on what the government thought was a safe speed given the average stopping distances at the time. These have, since, improved significantly. Perhaps an increase in the speed limit coupled with stricter fines? In any case, a major reform of this piece of legislation is way overdue IMHO.

The limiting factor remains not the vehicles but 'the nut behind the steering wheel' and , sadly , the performance of the Mk I Homo Sapien has not improved noticeably since the automobile was first introduced 100+ years ago .

Speed limits are based on various factors - the presence of hazards and the capabilities of the poorest drivers being taken into consideration , in many cases the 85 percentile rule ( the speed adopted by 85% of road users ) being used as a starting point for determination of a safe speed .

Sadly , all too many drivers daily prove themselves incapable of driving safely at the existing limits for there to be any chance of seeing an increase .

 

[219]

You've lost me. The "fact" is stated at the top of the piece and the subsequent perhaps' are merely suggestions. Nevertheless, your input is valued and your annotations have been taken on board.

What you claimed to be a fact , is quite clearly false .

Fact is , the vast majority of motorists are compliant with speed limits and only a tiny minority speed : I drive around within the posted limits and find that the vast majority of other road users are doing the same - this applies in equal measure to urban roads , country roads and motorways .

 

[219]

if that were the case then the autobahn would have been shut down a while ago. As far as I am aware, EU emissions legislation only effect the way engines are manufactured; reduced displacement, use of catalytic converters, etc.

The fact that Germany continues to have sections of unrestricted Autobahnen is largely due to the powerful political and economic influence of Germany's motor manufacturing industry ; otherwise the Green party over there would have put paid to them years ago .

 

[219]

Who said anything about 90mph? I'm merely campaigning for a review of outdated legislation. As a petrolhead and keen AMG fanatic, this petition was never intended to address any other prevailing issues. Nor do I believe that one petition could ever change the world. As for your assertions around decreased fuel economy, as suggested, if the speed limit is increased proportionally, I doubt you would see any significant drops in fuel economy.

Simple physics dictates that the faster you go the more energy it takes to accelerate the mass of the vehicle to any given speed in the first place and , secondly , the more energy is used to displace air faster and overcome increased wind resistance .

 

[219]

I was on the M62 today and decided I'd drive at 65-70mph.

I sat in the inside lane and, over the distance of around eight miles, was overtaken by everyone, I knew it was time to shuffle when I had a lorry up my jacksie...

I've just driven about 100 miles home from Galashiels on A roads , through villages with 30 mph limits , up the M74 then along the M8 ( 70 limits in places and 50's at points ) through Glasgow city centre , and down the A737 to my home at all times keeping to the limits .

Out of the hundreds , if not thousands , of other vehicles I encountered on my journey , only a handful were speeding , and a good many were driving below the limits .

 

[219]

The first thing I notice is how old the article is. Which renders this article irrelevant. We can all play bash the OP here but you seem to be missing the point. I am campaigning for a review of the Highway Code and accompanying statues, period. If an increase in motorway speed is agreed, then so be it.

The laws of physics haven't changed , so the points made remain relevant .

If no increase is agreed - so be it .

 

[John Jones Jr]

Sadly , all too many drivers daily prove themselves incapable of driving safely at the existing limits for there to be any chance of seeing an increase .

I find I'm far,far more attentive while driving at say 90-100 rather than 70. I'm more alert, I'm reading the road better and braking less (really). I don't usually mind having to slow down as I know I'll be making good progress when the obstruction is cleared. Now, I'm not saying the limit in the U.K. should be raised to 100 mph but I do think there's substance in my point