80mph Speed limit? Options

[cornflake]

From what I can tell, the main reason for doing this is to hide the fact that they are going to be making "many" roads in built up areas 20mph.

They are hiding underneath a blanket of the motorways being our transportation veins and the fact that a lot of people routinely brake the 70mph limit already. Saying this though surely points towards an idea that people will be routinely breaking the 80mph limit when they get used to it?
Fair enough they mentioned that vehicles are a lot safer than they were 50 years ago when this speed limit was activated but I'm not sure that a new 80mph limit will be of much use especially considering a lot of heavy goods vehicles are limited to 50 anyway!

The 20mph limit is aggravating considering the 30mph limit all the way through Thatcham. I would rather take the roads around thatcham than go straight through it as at least then I'm constantly on the move. Imagine that being 20! In fact a lot of roads around Newbury would suffer the 20 limit and I personally think that the rush hour would be made so much worse because of it.

Just wondering what everyone else was thinking about this?

[JeffG]

In fact a lot of roads around Newbury would suffer the 20 limit and I personally think that the rush hour would be made so much worse because of it.

If you drive to work through Newbury during the rush hour (and if you don't, the above isn't relevant to you anyway), just divide the distance from your home to your workplace by the time it takes you to get there.

Please then let us know what your average speed is.

[cornflake]

I try my darndest not to, and no matter what that speed is, if some of the limits were lowered it will take longer.

Anyway, why are you making this personal? I just want to know people's opinions on this

[Bloggo]

If you drive to work through Newbury during the rush hour (and if you don't, the above isn't relevant to you anyway), just divide the distance from your home to your workplace by the time it takes you to get there.

Please then let us know what your average speed is.

You're right, my average speed is about 24mph.
I think raising the speed limit to 80 mph is fine. I can't see it having a detrimental effect on safety at all.
I am inclined to think that in general single track lanes and roads should have their speed limit reduced to 20mph however you will find that people drive to their perceived conditions of the road that they are on regardless of what the law states.

[Andy Capp]

If you drive to work through Newbury during the rush hour (and if you don't, the above isn't relevant to you anyway), just divide the distance from your home to your workplace by the time it takes you to get there.

Please then let us know what your average speed is.

What is the point you are making?

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

From what I can tell, the main reason for doing this is to hide the fact that they are going to be making "many" roads in built up areas 20mph.

They are hiding underneath a blanket of the motorways being our transportation veins and the fact that a lot of people routinely brake the 70mph limit already. Saying this though surely points towards an idea that people will be routinely breaking the 80mph limit when they get used to it?
Fair enough they mentioned that vehicles are a lot safer than they were 50 years ago when this speed limit was activated but I'm not sure that a new 80mph limit will be of much use especially considering a lot of heavy goods vehicles are limited to 50 anyway!

The 20mph limit is aggravating considering the 30mph limit all the way through Thatcham. I would rather take the roads around thatcham than go straight through it as at least then I'm constantly on the move. Imagine that being 20! In fact a lot of roads around Newbury would suffer the 20 limit and I personally think that the rush hour would be made so much worse because of it.

Just wondering what everyone else was thinking about this?

Aside from Station Road, Thatcham high street, the bit along henwick...all either 20mph or 40.. There are suitable 20mph limit areas in Newbury and I have no problems with any of the other speed limits around the area. I think there are 20's where there need to be (as in near the schools and town centre) and the main, wide open streets (A4) are 30. And I don't think they will drop the A4 to a 20 limit as it just wouldn't wash.

Bloggo you raise an interesting point, many of these single narrow track roads have a national limit! Now, no-one is likely to do a national speed down one of these roads but having a 20-30mph may just help remind people that these can be quite dangerous roads to go hurtling down...

[Blake]

I think 80mph would be a disaster.

A vehicle burns something like 30% more gas at 70mph than 50mph so emissions and fuel consumption would go through the roof at a time when the country is seeking to cut CO2 emissions and the world is running out of oil.

I actually think a 55mph speed limit would be far better. It would cut emissions and fuel use. Accidents would also be reduced in their severity.

[Bloggo]

Aside from Station Road, Thatcham high street, the bit along henwick...all either 20mph or 40.. There are suitable 20mph limit areas in Newbury and I have no problems with any of the other speed limits around the area. I think there are 20's where there need to be (as in near the schools and town centre) and the main, wide open streets (A4) are 30. And I don't think they will drop the A4 to a 20 limit as it just wouldn't wash.

Bloggo you raise an interesting point, many of these single narrow track roads have a national limit! Now, no-one is likely to do a national speed down one of these roads but having a 20-30mph may just help remind people that these can be quite dangerous roads to go hurtling down...

Exactly my point however you would have thought that any competent and experienced driver would have worked out for themselves that they should exercise a little caution on these narrow roads.

[cornflake]

Around schools and town centres and residential areas is fine, I have absolutely no problem with that. I don't know exactly which roads are being discussed to take down to twenty but as these roads already are 20 then which roads will be going down?
Most likely not the A4 but I do wonder which ones will be being considered.


Hmm the single track roads, the country lanes and such having a national limit are a bit silly and would be a lot safer to go down, but not to 20!

[stewiegriffin]

A rise in the motorway limit is long overdue. The 70mph limit was brought in when cars had hopeless drum brakes and zero safety features.

I drove down through Germany on the unrestricted autobahns a few weeks ago and saw nothing resembling a problem. Speed never killed anyone. Only bad driving and poorly maintained cars do that. I think there is a case for derestricting the quiter motorways in Britain such as the northern end of the M6 and the M9.

20mph is a good idea in residential streets and near schools etc, but 30 in town is fine otherwise. There are so many artificially low limits on some roads nowadays. I used to drive through Ascot a lot on a 60mph road that went to a 40 limit overnight, despite there never being an accident there. Too much meddling from tin pot bureaucrats I reckon.

It's about time we saw more traffic police on the roads to fine the bad drivers, not just 'taxing' people with so called safety cameras. Fine the halfwit tailgating on the motorway at 60mph, not the guy doing 90mph on an empty road.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

I think 80mph would be a disaster.

A vehicle burns something like 30% more gas at 70mph than 50mph so emissions and fuel consumption would go through the roof at a time when the country is seeking to cut CO2 emissions and the world is running out of oil.

I actually think a 55mph speed limit would be far better. It would cut emissions and fuel use. Accidents would also be reduced in their severity.

Depends on what car you have, don't just blindly quote figures you read from the Telegraph. At 70mph, my car does about 60mpg. At 80mph it does about 56-57. So over a whole tank (about 600 miles on the motorway) I'll use , roughly, a gallon more yet arrive an hour and a half earlier!

Oil is still in good supply for the next century despite what some may tell you; there are lots of new reserves being discovered and the only reason it's going up in price is because they could charge £500 a litre and people would still buy it.

55mph is a complete step backwards, people would still do their current speed and it would increase frustration on the motorways and dual carridgeways. It pees me off so much when there's some dweeb doing 45mph in a national road and then I have to "waste fuel and overtake". 80mph brings the UK into line with the rest of europe. If you are the type of person who does 55mph on the motorway you shouldn't be driving!!

It's about time we saw more traffic police on the roads to fine the bad drivers, not just 'taxing' people with so called safety cameras. Fine the halfwit tailgating on the motorway at 60mph, not the guy doing 90mph on an empty road.

Completely agree! A camera would fine a 90mph driver regardless of condition but the tailgaters, and lane-dodgers, the ones who are actually dangerous, would get away scott-free! The old Top Gear anecdote of how Osama Bin Laden was in the UK and remainded undetected by sticking to the speed limit comes into play here! Not that a GATSO could ever be said to fight terrorism..

[Blake]

True, your gas mileage depends on what gearbox you have but generally, most vehicles are most fuel efficient at 50-60mph.

We still need to slash Co2 emissions though regardless. Those breaking the speed limits could be caught and prosecuted by more cameras. I'd like to see almost the whole motorway network under camera to eliminate speeding.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

I have a 5 speed manual.

Nice to see you have such a popular opinion. Not to mention the fact that a) camera's are not a safety feature nor will they reduce cfuel consumption* Everyone will do 85 between the cameras and 70 past them, the extra acceleration between them will mean they use more fuel than if they just did 85. and the cost of implementing and maintaining them!!

Also while yes there is more CO2 than before this is mainly due the the earths natural cycle as proven by scientists (not the journalists in white coats the government use to claim their figures) and you're forgetting the low emissions vs longer running scenario.

[Turin Machine]

I think the argument re consumption is slightly spurious, you won't be forced to do 80, you can still choose to do 70 if you wish.

[spartacus]

...........you won't be forced to do 80, you can still choose to do 70 if you wish.

Hmm the single track roads, the country lanes and such having a national limit are a bit silly and would be a lot safer to go down, but not to 20!

As above, just because a 'country lane' is subject to the National Speed Limit it doesn't mean you HAVE to drive at 60mph.... A bit of common sense would tell you to slow down for bends, slow down if it's narrow and there's something coming the other way... ie - keep to speed that's appropriate for the road conditions and characteristics.....

Define every single road and lane across the country with specific speed limits and you'd end up with a forest of posts and speed limit signs. Called 'sign clutter' and it's something that DfT should be positively avoiding

[Biker1]

I'm all for it.
I will soon be able to crank my 1000cc motorcycle up to 80mph rather than be restricted to the 70 that I have had to do up 'till now!

CO2 and the environment?
Keeping to 70?
Just watching one episode of "Top Gear" will soon dispel the myth that many care.

[Andy Capp]

After a week of travelling to Reading via the A4, I'd like to see a minimum speed threshold. The amount of drivers doing 40 odd mph (in a 60) is incredible, if it wasn't infuriating.

[Biker1]

After a week of travelling to Reading via the A4, I'd like to see a minimum speed threshold. The amount of drivers doing 40 odd mph is incredible, if it wasn't infuriating.

That's right.
45mph seems to be the unwritten law on that road doesn't it?

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

After a week of travelling to Reading via the A4, I'd like to see a minimum speed threshold. The amount of drivers doing 40 odd mph (in a 60) is incredible, if it wasn't infuriating.

270lb ft of torque takes care of the 40mph problem But I completely agree, these people are a menace! That's a simply unsafe speed to go. A closing speed of 20mph on a single lane carridgeway is disaster waiting to happen.

Another pet hate of mine are the people who won't move over, for example outside the pub on the A4 (as you're heading to reading, not the first big one, but the smaller one). They will turn right to head off to Aldermaston but won't move out of the carridgeway!! Kick them up the bums!!

I'm all for it.
I will soon be able to crank my 1000cc motorcycle up to 80mph rather than be restricted to the 70 that I have had to do up 'till now!

What you riding mate? Some sort of R1 or Fireblade jobby I'd hope. I had a Street R a while back, it was fully loaded with every option from the spec list lol, best bi was the quickshifter! baarrrrr *pop* barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...she was my baby and unfortunately had to sell it. Still paying finance for another 4 years! Had many good times going faster than strictly necessary. It's hard 'cause I miss bikes so much. The acceleration was awesome. Everyone should be forced to ride a bike at some point.

[dannyboy]

Depends on what car you have, don't just blindly quote figures you read from the Telegraph. At 70mph, my car does about 60mpg. At 80mph it does about 56-57.

Really? Or are you just blindly quoting figures?