clarke Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Looks like the govt is finally doing something useful and considering raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph -- long overdue IMHO... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15116064 Now if they can only sort out the useless drivers who sit in the middle lane...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEV Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "There are good reasons for making 80 the new 70, and good reasons not to. Drivers travelling that 10mph quicker might reach their destination sooner but will use about 20% more fuel and emit 20% more CO2. Heres how I see it,, take a mean of the fuel bills each week for car owners say £50.00 + 20% = +£10.00 = £60 total uk car ownership,30 million cars, say 3 million per week use the maxspeed limit of 80 mph, = 3,000,000x £10= £30,000,000 govt takes 80% fuel tax = £24,000,000 x 52 = £ 1, 248 000 000 extra going into the coffers, ker-bloody-ching I say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarke Posted September 30, 2011 Author Share Posted September 30, 2011 True, true. I'm in no doubt the motivation behind this is to raise more money & they can do so with the (unknowing) support of the public, but a lot people drive at 80 anyway and they could have gone the other way and enforced a strict 70mph or you get a fine (imagine a network of average speed cameras along the lenght of the motorway... that'll be next & eventually they'll be used for charges/tolls on the motorway) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Bad move in my view. Faster traffic needs more space between vehicles. More space reqd means more congestion. Emmissions will rise, which will lead to more environmental taxes to deal with it Stop start driving conditions will prevail as the inner two lanes will be filled with HGV traffic and caravans Twats hurtling down the slip roads at 80 and expect every bugger else to clear out of their way rather than filter in as they should Soon after, the campaign to remove "old" vehicles from the roads to ease congestion will start, and encourage us to buy new. 20% vat on every new car sale. Easy money for HM Govt As has just been said, its all about raising revenue I'm sure I heard the govt minister right today on the radio."Clearly, many thousands of people break the law on a daily basis, so by doing this, we are bringing them back onto the right side of the law". Whats next then? Burglary, mobile phones whilst driving, drug abuse His statement is hardly sufficient justification to warrant this action, but I expect that it will split opinion hugely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1949 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I know this won't mean much unless you live in Chippenham, but we are on the M4 corridor between London and Bristol. On the M4 the legal speed limit is 70MPH. Come off the M4 at junction 17 an head into Chippenham town centre and you travel along a dual carriageway for four miles. On this dual carriageway the speed limit is 70MPH. BUT. On this stretch of dual carriageway there are approx seven places where you can get in the outside lane and execute a U turn to go back to the motorway. If not a U turn at least cross the opposite carriageway. What am I trying to say? If 70MPH is OK in this situation, surely then motorways are more safer to do above 70MPH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarke Posted September 30, 2011 Author Share Posted September 30, 2011 It doesn't make any sense that a 3 lane motorway should have the same speed limit as a 2 lane dual carriageway... It's a fact of life that a lot of people do 80mph anyway and the police don't act until you hit 90mph. If the police still enforce the 90mph 'limit' then I don't really see any difference in this change other than we won't see people slamming on brakes everytime they see a police car or speed camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 The Highways Agency add extra lanes and widen motorways to increase capacity and reduce congestion, the number of lanes is irrelavant. The more traffic travelling faster, the more space it takes up. The Govt knows it, the Highways Agency knows it. Congestion and pollution is inevitable, as are the additional taxes that wil be raised as a result. Carbon offsets/emissions trading etc etc. Apparently its also designed to bring us into line with the EU, yes thats right, that gopvt body over the water currently sinking faster than a lead balloon because its bankrupt, and hasn't been able to get anyone to sign of its accounts for 15 years because its so corrupt. Yep, the same people behind the proposed changes that many of us are currently concerned about regarding forthcoming motorcycling legislation. Consutation: The period between a decision being taken and the decision being implemented. Sorry chaps, I have a particularly low opinion of politicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1949 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Maybe I'm shooting myself in the foot here, but after I finished work at 12 noon I went for a ride along the Fosseway. The road I was on was not even a B road, more of a country lane without any road markings. But because the Romans built their roads so straight I was doing 75MPH for about three miles, but because I was the only vehicle on that stretch of road I felt perfectly safe, more than if I were on the motorway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator DirtyDT Posted October 1, 2011 Moderator Share Posted October 1, 2011 Nev - Not sure about the maths. The 20% increase will be the cost of doing the difference between 70 and 80 (assuming you do 70 now and will and want to do 80 in the future. If you vehicle does 30MPG @ 70MPH, fuel costs £6.50 a gallon and duty is 80%, for every mile you do 80 instead of 70 you are paying the government another 4.3 recurring pence in duty . I agree with fining all the middle and outer lane hoggers. Shooting them would be better, but fining would do as a start. I travel around the Nottingham ringroad as part of my commute. 2 lanes, 40mph average speed cameras. 50% of cars just sit in the outside lane. On a bad day I would guess I have to undertake coming close to 100 cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarke Posted October 1, 2011 Author Share Posted October 1, 2011 I bet if the police saw you undertaking they'd pull you for that rather than deal with those causing you to undertake. I honestly believe middle lane hoggers plodding along at 65mph cause much of the congestion we face as it essentially changes the 3 lane motorway into 2 lanes. I'm also seeing more and more cars sit in the outside lane around here who don't even move over for ambulances with lights on until its right up their a$$. Makes me mad!! I think if road conditions are good and its safe to do so then driving/riding at a higher speed is ok, but it depends on conditions... unfortunately some see the speed LIMIT as a minimum speed (regardless of weather or other road users) whilst others just ignore changes in speed limits and go 35mph in 60 zones - all need to be taught how to drive properly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 having just got home after coming down the M1 and M6 most drivers already do 80mph and more. sadly i am old enough to remember when the motorways were built there was no speed limit the biggest problem was most of the cars couldnt do 80,but was great to try and get the ton out of my bonnie,now i get some arsehole in a merc right up my backside flashing his lights on the M1 trying to get past at well over the ton,didnt manage it as there was a prat in front held everybody up doing 60 in the outside lane for over 4 miles,before he pulled over letting every one pass. it seems unreal that the goverment only introduced the 70mph limit as an experiment in december 1965 and it was only made law in 1967. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ttaskmaster Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Would you believe the British motorway was designed to permit vehicles travelling up to 230MPH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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