Enforced Speed Limits...thoughts?

[DaBeeeenster]

They're figures that have been quoted from a study, I don't see how you could possibly take the figures as gospel without reading the full text of the study for yourself.
After all, one sure fire way to reduce road deaths and injuries would be to cover all road traffic in 2 feet of cotton wool, you could even prove it with a limited study, but that doesn't mean that the figures would translate, or it would ever work in the real world..

Of course not, but that's because it is a ludicrous, utterly unworkable suggestion. I have not seen a single valid argument with regards to the scheme presented in the article.

You've never seen a pointless speed limit, or a badly placed one in your life?
How about a large section of dual carriageway limited to 40MPH for no reason, other than the fact that it's on one side of a county boundry where they like making money from traffic cameras?

Or a nice long straight country road limited to 40 for no reason at all (no houses, very little traffic etc etc), but with a gatso hidden behind a large bush?

I am not a traffic analyst, and wouldnt have the faintest idea whether a speed limit is "pointless" or not. Are you?

All the cameras in London are bright yellow and highly visible. My suggestion, if you dont appreciate "hidden" gatsos, is simply not to speed.

[Stoo]

Well, when one bit is in one county and is deemed to be okay up to the national speed limit, then just after you cross into the next county the limit is imposed, it gives the impression that the limit has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with revenue generation..

Are you being awkward for the sake of it?

[Big RICHARD]

Well, if you are all going at the same speed you won't be able to start overtaking to start with, or even won't need to 99% of the time, so you won't have to accelerate to fit into a closing gap. However, there will still be those drivers who drive at 40 in a 60 zone for no good reason.

What about those malicious bastards who do 40 in a 60 and then accelerate from 40 when you try to pass them, pushing you to 80 (or more) to get past?

I've had that done to me several times! And it amounts to no less than attempted murder in my opinion.

Still, they are sure to think about doing it twice next time if you hammer the anchors on in front of them when you get past.

[Big RICHARD]

But no-one is suggesting that the scheme would eliminate road accidents, are they?

So what's the point of the scheme, just to slow traffic for the sake of it?

[DaBeeeenster]

So what's the point of the scheme, just to slow traffic for the sake of it?

Come on mate, you can do better than that

[jon bda]

That half brained idea sucks eggs, big time...simple as that...

[Big RICHARD]

Come on mate, you can do better than that

No, really, what's the point of the scheme if it isn't to cut accidents?

[DaBeeeenster]

Well, when one bit is in one county and is deemed to be okay up to the national speed limit, then just after you cross into the next county the limit is imposed, it gives the impression that the limit has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with revenue generation..

Are you being awkward for the sake of it?

I'm not being awkward, no. I dont really see what this has to do with the subject of the thread tho?

If you think there is some sort of illuminatus style conspiracy going on with respect to speed limits in Britain, maybe that's another thread? I'd say that there is probably a far more dull, beaurocratic reason as to why there is a difference in limits between counties, but to label them "pointless" is a bit silly IMHO.

Just a hypothetical question. If the experiment carried out by the university was extended, and it was proven beyond doubt that such a scheme would be responsible for a large reduction in road accidents, would you still be against it?

[DaBeeeenster]

That half brained idea sucks eggs, big time...simple as that...

A stunning deconstruction. Thanks for that

[DaBeeeenster]

No, really, what's the point of the scheme if it isn't to cut accidents?

Are you on a wind up?

I said "But no-one is suggesting that the scheme would eliminate road accidents, " I.e. no one is suggesting they would cease to exist, What people are saying is that they would be greatly reduced.

[Big RICHARD]

Are you on a wind up?

I said "But no-one is suggesting that the scheme would eliminate road accidents, " I.e. no one is suggesting they would cease to exist, What people are saying is that they would be greatly reduced.

Ah, ok, sorry. Wasn't on a wind up, just couldn't see the point and I misread what you had said!

[jon bda]

A stunning deconstruction. Thanks for that

But ask the people in here if they agree with my statement...why mince about when a simple sentence will give you an idea of my thoughts of the scheme...

[Big RICHARD]

The result of so much speed enforcement publicity, is that the inattentive drivers[1] are often unsure of what the speed limit is, and so drive everywhere at 40-45mph. If a system were implimented as above, these drivers will simply drive everywhere with their foot on the floor, paying even less attention, happy in the knowledge that they are now 'safe' drivers.
Better driver education is the answer to saving lives on our roads. Mandatory retesting would be the cheapest way to accomplish this. People need to learn that speed limits are limits, not targets.

[1] A DoT study found inattention to be the greatest cause of accidents, 25.8% compared with 12.5% for excessive speed.

Agree with this....

[nichomach]

The stats are showing up, DB, but I'd suggest that Monbiot's never been in the position of having a bad driver nearly t-bone him by failing to give way to the right on a roundabout and had to apply a hefty burst of acceleration to esacpe. Of course, Monbiot's magic box wouldn't have prevented the idiot in question killing me or my wife, but would have prevented our escaping. His supercilious and patronising remark concerning some alleged confusion over pedals evinces nothing more than the view of someone who doesn't drive and doesn't have to drive (because he lives in London, within a bike ride of his "job"), is utterly ignorant of motoring, and hates anyone who does drive. I firmly support heavily enforced speed limits in populated areas, and living close to a couple of schools am glad that there are cameras there to enforce those (I believe that in fact limits outside schools should be further dropped from 30 to 20). I applaud the use of cameras at accident blackspots (although the coincidence of the two seems tenuous at times). I don't think that removing control of the vehicle from the driver is a good, or for that matter safe, idea.

[[GSV]Trig]

Even if it saves lives?

Who says it saves lives, oh they have some nice statistic that says it'll cut road deaths and accidents, erm no, teaching people to drive properly will cut road accidents, thats a fact not a bloody %'age
I dont believe statistics they can be twisted to say anything you want them too, look at the Cash Camera stats, they can say things like cameras saves lives or cause accidents..

[dkmech]

I think we should approach this idea with an understanding that our driving habbits will have to change if it is ever introduced and that some of our concerns will no longer be valid. For example situations where you'd want to accelerate out of danger are not going to come up nearly as often as they may be doing now.

I think that it may be more difficult to concentrate if all thats required of you is steering and occasional braking. Obviously too many tasks for the driver will distract him from concentrating on the road but turning them into a mindless drone (i know this is an exxageration, no need to say that people are not actually going to turn to mindless drones) will make concentrating more of a problem. Think of the train drivers who have problems with falling asleep. All they do is stare into the distance and adjust the throttle/brake occasionally.

There are issues with the proposed system, but it may come to it yet. I just hope we will still have an option to do track days and there will still be cars worth taking to those days.