Plans To Reduce National Speed Limit To 50mph

[Anees]

Still can't believe they're doing this! :(

Anyone found a petition yet???

How about just teaching people to drive to the conditions?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article5864847.ece

Really hope it doesn't go ahead!

[Rory]

petition or no petition, who keeps to the current 60?

[dave1]

One of the problems is that this could be applied indiscriminately and affect roads which could be safe at a higher speed if the driver is competant. With some of the drivers on the road nowadays a limit of 20mph(enforced) would still be too high.

Forget the speed /"safety" cameras, what we need is more properly trained traffic police on the road who can use their discretion. A sensible speed restriction in appropriate locations...schools etc....would not be a problem to most motorists but silly blanket limits on roads will alienate drivers. Employ more "traffic cops" and cameras will not be needed.

[Andy-R]

I think speed limits should be determined by conditions, time of day volume of traffic things like that, if it's a nice clear day with little traffic on a certain road then the limit for that road should be higher than if it was raining and busy, this would obviously never happen because of cost. The new limit if it happens and the averaging camera's is just another way of getting more money out of already skint car owners, fair enough there's going to be people saying "if your not speeding then you have nothing to worry about" but I really don't think it's about trying to save lives it's more about trying to make money.

[Parthiban]

I can't see anything like this actually happening in the short term unless they want to guarantee they lose the next election.

Everyone's already so :tsktsk: off about the financial crisis, I'm sure they're not going to do anything to push the public any further..........

[jsj24uk]

This seems to be trying to sort out a problem by dealing with the effect rather than the cause. Driver education is the only way you will reduce casualties on the roads. By introducing compulsary driving courses for everybody regardless of how long they have been driving, then this will help to reduce fatalaties. What the government is trying to do is to stop the general public from killing themselves by removing the need to think behind the wheel. Lowering the speed limit reduces the chances of people loosing controll of vehicles on more dangerous roads.

How about, removing incompitant people from our roads and education for everybody. People forget that driving is a privilage and not a right. Driving is somthing that must be done to the best of everyones ability and as soon as this government wakes upto the fact that they can't wrap everyone in cotton woll to save them from each other, the better.

Lower speed limits are not the way forward, education is the way to get these dangerous people to drive more compitantly.

[Steve]

i believe in the theory "go with the flow" speed... safest you could ever be.

[Parthiban]

i believe in the theory "go with the flow" speed... safest you could ever be.

Same here, as long as everyone keeps a safe distance, this way no one's worried about checking their speedo so they don't get done by a speed camera, and your eyes stay on the road.........

[Yeldarb]

This seems to be trying to sort out a problem by dealing with the effect rather than the cause. Driver education is the only way you will reduce casualties on the roads. By introducing compulsary driving courses for everybody regardless of how long they have been driving, then this will help to reduce fatalaties. What the government is trying to do is to stop the general public from killing themselves by removing the need to think behind the wheel. Lowering the speed limit reduces the chances of people loosing controll of vehicles on more dangerous roads.

How about, removing incompitant people from our roads and education for everybody. People forget that driving is a privilage and not a right. Driving is somthing that must be done to the best of everyones ability and as soon as this government wakes upto the fact that they can't wrap everyone in cotton woll to save them from each other, the better.

Lower speed limits are not the way forward, education is the way to get these dangerous people to drive more compitantly.

With you on these points.

I hold every license available, I have not driven a Class 1 for 8 years and there is nothing at all stopping me jumping in one and driving it. Surely a refresher course should be mandatory? Even worse I could buy a cab and trailer and teach people to drive them without any form of extra training unlike the car instructors who have to pass a series of tests and update their training. LGV and PSV instructors can voluntary register with DVLA thats about it.

The laws on British roads are so tight in some circumstances and others completely lackadaisical.

[Noel]

this idea was mentioned over here as well but the reasoning behind it was to cut down of emissions and fuel consumption as Ireland is still way over the kyoto allowance ... apparently they said cars travelling around 50mph use a third less than cars doing 70 -ish ...IIRC

wonder if thats the reasoning behind the UK as well as the fines for being over the quota are hefty.....

[VVProtocolVV]

Can't see this having any effect, like as mentioned, people who r going to speed will speed regardless what the speed limit for the current condition/road is. People are so used to the set speed for the roads even if they introduce it, it will take a whole generation before they are used to the set speed. People who get caught speeding already faces losing points/pay more insurance cost and imprisonment etc, so whats changing the speed limit going to do? This is just another ploy the goverment wants to introduce with stupid excuses like "its greener". You really think they care? As far as they're concerned the slower you drive the less fuel you use and more time for them to put the price of petrol before it runs out. As with all goverment scheme its all about getting themselves as much income as possible, they have million of excuses in their sleeves, and if they don't have one, they will make one out either using a publicity stunt etc. Hate politics, but theres noway of getting away from it. We are all sheeps.

[Parthiban]

Hate politics, but theres noway of getting away from it. We are all sheeps.

There is one solution, buy your own island and then make your own rules!

Funny thing though, is that with the way fuel prices are, people do drive a lot slower than they used to - motorways are just crawling nowadays (which is really annoying for those that don't care!)

[sparkystav]

petition or no petition, who keeps to the current 70?

Erm no one cause it's 60!

But i agree its a stupid idea to reduce it again, line the goverments pockets again

[Rory]

o yeh lol, didn't consider central reservations or lack of them, in which case, will carriageways with central reservations stay at 70?

[sparkystav]

If you read the link it says they will.

[dave1]

o yeh lol, didn't consider central reservations or lack of them, in which case, will carriageways with central reservations stay at 70?

These proposals only affect single carriageway roads. There are single carriageway roads which have central reservations on all or part of them but they would be restricted to 50mph instead of the current 60mph. These limits already apply for certain vehicles and have done for years.

[Rory]

so its not that big a deal really then

[Parthiban]

so its not that big a deal really then

In some senses yes (probably safer not to be doing more than 50mph on most of these roads) but also no - starting to drop speed limits is a bad sign for the future. Also aggressive, more widespread usage of average speed cameras is no good thing either.

At the end of the day they need to stop stupid 17 yr olds from passing their tests and then stacking it the next day on one of these roads (I know that's a sweeping generalisation, but in most cases quite an accurate one) and this isn't the answer as they'll still do it anyway..........

[Rich OB]

I agree with Parthiban, most accidents on these roads are caused by drivers aged between 17-24. As soon as they see the National speed limit sign, they think it gives them the rights to travel along the whole stretch of road at exactly 60mph, regardless of bends and other hazards.

More education is needed for these people which the goverment will not invest in, instead they ruin it for everyone especially for people who can drive according to the road conditions and not just at the maximum speed limit.

A good idea would be to seperate the driving test into catogories and a set pass mark for each part, a bit like a compulsary Pass Plus. Then after they have passed all this they should attend a course where a real life fatal accident is acted out and the consequence shown with life like dummies. I've seen this on TV before and it works! Shock tactics!

These things will never work on everyone but its about cutting the stats down as i doubt very much you can ever cut them out!

[colbecoz]

What is wrong with this country? We are indeed living in a "nanny stae". Someone with nothing better to do than think of yet another way to put down the normal everyday hardworking Brit' has come up with another totally hairbrained or is that air brained scheme. It is ill thought through and unacceptable. If they reduce the speed limits to 50mph, people will still drive at what they deem as safe speeds for them (excluding the tossers who are just plain idiots and over confident.). I sat the IAM test and passed 1st time, and yes it did teach me to be a better, more observant driver, and to drive within my limits, weather conditions, car limits and so on. Why keep bashing the sensible motorist over the head with these unecessary controls. So, go ahead and reduce the limit... I WILL drive at the speed that I feel confident at, and, NOT endanger other road users by travelling too slow and causing aggravation and a possible accidents. Oh, and maybe the smart arse who thought this up was a bean counter rubbing his hands in glee in expectation of yet MORE speeding fines....... Sh@t, tha's me off the soap box!!

Col... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Still can't believe they're doing this! :(

Anyone found a petition yet???

How about just teaching people to drive to the conditions?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article5864847.ece

Really hope it doesn't go ahead!

[Rich OB]

Colbecoz, i agree with that! Driving slow can have a more lethel consequences than driving too fast. But the thing is once the average speed camera's go up you really have no choice but to stick to the speed limit! It is of course another way to get money.

In some places they're removing speed humps to replace them with specs! In 20mph zones!!

[Chris.S]

Isnt this just for rural A roads where the 60mph limit aplies.

[dave1]

Isnt this just for rural A roads where the 60mph limit aplies.

Yes. "A" roads would be subject to a MAXIMUM speed limit if 50mph, so as is the case now, some "A" roads would still have a lower limit.

[dave1]

In some places they're removing speed humps to replace them with specs! In 20mph zones!!

I'd rather have the specs camera on a 20mph than speed humps which cause untold damage to cars. The signs that tell you to slow down if you are above the speed restriction are probably more effective though.

[colbecoz]

Colbecoz, i agree with that! Driving slow can have a more lethel consequences than driving too fast. But the thing is once the average speed camera's go up you really have no choice but to stick to the speed limit! It is of course another way to get money.

In some places they're removing speed humps to replace them with specs! In 20mph zones!!

They slapped 20MPH zones all over Aberdeen. Result...Nope.... The Police say they don't have enough plods to enforce it. Whata waste of time and effort eh!?? Nobody gives a blind Fek about the limit. (even old codgers.. lol)

Colin