Speeding

[chrislusty]

I dont think there should be no speed limit as such, however an increase to 80mph would do no harm.
Modern cars have far more stopping power and are far more safer than anything that was built back then when the speed limits were set. So an increase in the speed limit would be ok.

However driver training NEEDS to be improved, and learner drivers need to go on a motorway at speed limits, not 60mph and understand what happens at these speeds, and how quickly they are travelling etc.

[dangel]

However driver training NEEDS to be improved, and learner drivers need to go on a motorway at speed limits, not 60mph and understand what happens at these speeds, and how quickly they are travelling etc.

I agree with that to an extent - driver education is really important (hence i'd rather be pulled by a copper than flashed by a camera..) but do remember learner drivers can (and do) drive on dual carriageways which share the same 70mph limit. Round here the A14 might as well be called the M14 as it's a motorway in all but name.

[chrislusty]

Yeah I know they go on dual carriageways, but all of the learners i have seen are doing under 70mph, my sis is learning and the instructor told her to stay around 60mph.

Motorways do generaly have more traffic on them, travelling at a higher speed though, so I would prefer them to have a lesson or two on them.

[Koolpc]

A London girl was driving down the M4 when her car phone rang. It was her boyfriend, urgently warning her, "Alright Sharon? I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on the M4. Please be careful!"

"It's not just one car!" said the London girl, "There's hundreds of them!"

[dangel]

Yeah I know they go on dual carriageways, but all of the learners i have seen are doing under 70mph, my sis is learning and the instructor told her to stay around 60mph.

Motorways do generaly have more traffic on them, travelling at a higher speed though, so I would prefer them to have a lesson or two on them.

>Shrugs< My missus is learning as she's doing 70mph on a dual carraigeway (A14). I always thought part of the test was to demonstrate you could drive at speed..

[J4MES]

if the speed limit on m/ways was increased to 8/90mph, they'd have to enforce it to justify the change - as it is, the fuzz won't bother you if you're going <90mph, so it's a little academic...

[Lowe]

On my first driving lessons ever I hit 80mph on a dual carridgeway lol Not a good start I guess

[chrislusty]

>Shrugs< My missus is learning as she's doing 70mph on a dual carraigeway (A14). I always thought part of the test was to demonstrate you could drive at speed..

I was always told to do 70mph too, we have used the same instructor, but for what ever reasons he has said to her to stay around 60mph.

I cant believe it either, but all of the learners around here are doing this speed.

[5lab]

there are a few troubles with upping the mway limit - which means i dont think it'll ever happen

1) higher speed means you can fit less cars in - doesnt seem to make sence, but it does, which is why the m25 reduces speeds at peak times even if theres not an accident

2) higher speeds means more pollution, more fuel used. there was an attempt to put a europe-wide 65 (i think) limit in as an attempt to curb pollution.

3) higher speeds means a greater gap between users of the same road. lorries are limited to 56mph - if you upped the limit to (say) 90, you'd have people doing 85 (or so) in the middle lane and people doing 100 in the fast lane. it'd only take one lorry to pull out and overtake another, suddenly people are approaching the back of a lorry with a closing speed of 30mph, they brake, pull into the fast lane, and suddenly you have somone doing 70 in a lane full of 100mph'ers. its a big accident waiting to happen

4) motorway crash barriers were designed to hold 1 tonne cars doing 70mph. a 2 tonne 4x4 doing 100 will go *straight* through it.

[dangel]

1) higher speed means you can fit less cars in - doesnt seem to make sence, but it does, which is why the m25 reduces speeds at peak times even if theres not an accident

Variable speed limits.. now there's an idea. Isn't the priciple idea of peak-time speed reduction one of safety tho - due to shear number of cars? I don't think the M25 is a great example tho - it's pretty much a car park

3) higher speeds means a greater gap between users of the same road. lorries are limited to 56mph - if you upped the limit to (say) 90, you'd have people doing 85 (or so) in the middle lane and people doing 100 in the fast lane. it'd only take one lorry to pull out and overtake another, suddenly people are approaching the back of a lorry with a closing speed of 30mph, they brake, pull into the fast lane, and suddenly you have somone doing 70 in a lane full of 100mph'ers. its a big accident waiting to happen

..and yet people manage both here (illegally) and in Germany (legally) with such situations. However, in the UK it's important to note that _everybody_ is in the middle lane anyway

4) motorway crash barriers were designed to hold 1 tonne cars doing 70mph. a 2 tonne 4x4 doing 100 will go *straight* through it.

That doesn't ring true for me - perhaps for a 'head on' full impact but otherwise for the vast majority of cars it wouldn't work at all - considering your average family car weighs circa 1300-1400kg thesedays. I thought the main idea of them is deflection, rather than all-out absorbtion, which keeps you from plummeting onto the other side of the motorway.

Edit: found this..
"Safety barriers are tested to European Standard EN1317, which is a standardised performance test. A barrier designed for normal containment would be tested with a vehicle of 1.5tons (an average car) hitting the barrier at an angle of 20 degrees at a speed of 70mph. High containment barriers would be tested with a heavy commercial vehicle, up to 38 tons, travelling at 40mph, hitting the barrier at an angle of 20 degrees"

(http://www.brake.org.uk/index.php?p=585)