80mph Limit

[Kilps]

If people would stop driving like [insert your favourite expletive here]s, the speed increase would be a good thing. I very much doubt they will.

 

When I drove in France, I was amazed at how they all use the inside lane ('slow' lane/lane 1/whatever you want to call it) properly. This was pretty much without exception (well, except for the 25 odd Supra's overtaking everything... ). I know this is only one point, but it made a massive difference to motorway driving. I get the impression the general standard of driving throughout a lot of Europe is better than it is here.

 

The biggest factor (in my humble opinion) of motorway congestion/safety is people driving like idiots. Undertaking, sitting in the middle/outside lane overtaking nothing, weaving around traffic, changing lane in traffic with no warning... I could go on all day. If people used the overtaking lanes to overtake and moved left again afterwards, it would reduce congestion and journey times a lot more than a 10mph speed increase will.

 

If they can do it, surely we can?! Obviously not so far though...

[Dnk]

As rightly said the standard of driving in this country is shocking especially on motorways and it would make a

differance if most drove on them as they were intended too but i think the biggest problem is too many vehicles

per mile of motorway.

 

I would think there is a much smaller number of vehicles per mile on the autoroutes in France than we

have here

[Tyson]

4 lane double decker motorways is what we need. Slow traffic on the bottom with a 70MPH speed limit and fast moving traffic on top with 100MPH speed limit and a min speed of 70 MPH

[stevie_b]

The biggest factor (in my humble opinion) of motorway congestion/safety is people driving like idiots. Undertaking, sitting in the middle/outside lane overtaking nothing, weaving around traffic, changing lane in traffic with no warning... I could go on all day. If people used the overtaking lanes to overtake and moved left again afterwards, it would reduce congestion and journey times a lot more than a 10mph speed increase will.

Very good point. Various governments have spent millions on road-widening schemes, and what happens? The inside lanes are deserted, because people just cruise in the middle lanes.

 

I've heard from people on here that drivers sometimes regard the middle lane of a 3-lane motorway as being the safest lane, hence why people cruise for miles in the middle lane. Why? What's that all about?

 

10-yearly compulsory re-take of driving tests FTW! (to include a bit of motorway driving for those who have already got a license) I should start a campaign about this!

[sideexitsupra]

I think it might purely be for 2 reasons

 

1: it will be a vote winner

2: I drive large distances weekly and have noticed over the past 6 months that people have slowed down. Previously at 80 you would be constantly overtaken and only be overtaking large vans and trucks. At the same speed now, far less overtakes me and lots of cars seem to have slowed. The additional fuel economy by slowing down 10 mph is considerable. About 10 mpg in my car. This will be having a big effect on fuel duty revenues!

[Ian C]

I think the reason for #2 is because most people now have points on their licence

[Havard]

This is lunacy. Poor drivers travelling a legally higher speeds are a recipe for disaster.

 

I also thought that we were meant to be cleaning up the environment and using less fuel? This is going to massively increase the amount of CO2 used and cost people a small fortune in fuel.

 

H.

[Ian C]

and cost people a small fortune in fuel.

 

H.

 

Tadaaaa, you've found out the real reason the govt finally want to up the limit. Seems like all their bleating about how going 1mph over some arbitrary number causes you to veer instantly off the road into a playground and explode, is now firmly out the window because they are short on cash Remember folks, safety second!

 

But seriously, suits me, the Supra comes alive at 80mph upwards on the dual carriageways Most poor drivers will be doing 95+mph in the wet anyway. In their BMW. And a poor driver crashing at 70mph is probably going to be about as bad as a poor driver crashing at 80mph. How come a poor driver is safe at 70mph but at 80mph it's a recipe for disaster? I've never understood that magic trigger speed, I don't appear to have encountered it personally.

[RobD]

I think it's good in a way and bad in others as said before, I loved a quiet motorway at night in the supra, but in rush hours or busy roads like the M25 etc it will cause accidents I think

[Tyson]

Rather than raising the limit they should make it mandatory to travel 50+ MPH on the motorway.

[RedM]

2: I drive large distances weekly and have noticed over the past 6 months that people have slowed down. Previously at 80 you would be constantly overtaken and only be overtaking large vans and trucks. At the same speed now, far less overtakes me and lots of cars seem to have slowed. The additional fuel economy by slowing down 10 mph is considerable. About 10 mpg in my car. This will be having a big effect on fuel duty revenues!

 

I agree. I knew something was up when I realised me and my 306 were often the fastest car on my route to and from work. Not looking forward to the shame of being caught spending in that heap o' junk.

[Havard]

Tadaaaa, you've found out the real reason the govt finally want to up the limit. Seems like all their bleating about how going 1mph over some arbitrary number causes you to veer instantly off the road into a playground and explode, is now firmly out the window because they are short on cash Remember folks, safety second!

 

But seriously, suits me, the Supra comes alive at 80mph upwards on the dual carriageways Most poor drivers will be doing 95+mph in the wet anyway. In their BMW. And a poor driver crashing at 70mph is probably going to be about as bad as a poor driver crashing at 80mph. How come a poor driver is safe at 70mph but at 80mph it's a recipe for disaster? I've never understood that magic trigger speed, I don't appear to have encountered it personally.

 

I really can't see that being the reason behind the possible increase. They would have a 100 Mph limit in that case?

 

On the crashing front. After spending most days running up and down the motorway in the Audi lane, I have noticed that a number of people have no concept of tyhe speed at which a car is going to pass them. they thnik nothing of pulling out and making you brake. I have always driven with the philosophy that as long as you don't make another motorist change direction or speed you can't really do much wrong..!!

 

H.

[Abz]

I really can't see that being the reason behind the possible increase. They would have a 100 Mph limit in that case?

 

On the crashing front. After spending most days running up and down the motorway in the Audi lane, I have noticed that a number of people have no concept of tyhe speed at which a car is going to pass them. they thnik nothing of pulling out and making you brake. I have always driven with the philosophy that as long as you don't make another motorist change direction or speed you can't really do much wrong..!!

 

H.

 

That's how I was taught, if other people are braking because you have pulled out then you are driving poorly & have a bad sense of judgement. Some people make mistakes & pull out, understandable as long as they signal to you they were sorry but some people have no motorway manners!

 

Where's my motorway license thread?