80mph motorways?

[superjohnmcginlay]

It'd be nice to actually do 70mph on the motorways never mind 80 or 90. At least two hours every day of my life is wasted crawling slowly along the motorways at an average speed of about 20mph.

Thats just what I was thinking. Just about every weekday the M62 between Wakefield and Bradford turns into a massive car park.

[communistworkethic]

Ditch speed limits

Make the offence 'driving like a dick'

And if 20 is too fast, get em in court

this is spot on.

I've lost count of the number of times I've been driving within the speed limit and been caused to take evasive action due to some nice person driving at speeds associated with Shifnall Street visitors - usuall some old giffer in a hat. And let's not forget the 60mph middle lane of the motorway wankers.

The analogy of the blow at at 80mph is irrelvant, it's a very rare incident and given the poster hasn't got a parallel experience at 70mph as a comparison they are unable to say it's any more dangerous. The stats quoted are also a bit of a nonsense because if you just quote fatalities as a raw figure then why not ban air flight, cycling and crossing the road too. In terms of miles driven, less people die or are injured on motorways than high streets, where the limit is only 30mph. It isn't speed that's the issue it's poor driving.

I'll go back to the original point cars now stop faster and corner quickler than when the laws were set. Laws should reflect the current situation, they don't. And before some smart arse popints out that "thinking distance" increases with the speed and remains constant with the Highway Code guidelines, it matters not as the overall stopping distance has fallen considerably.




IMHO.

[Gertie]

Not for me 80 mph on a motorway.

Some cars may have got better but people haven't and to be frank I wouldn't trust 95% of drivers on the motorway not to be complete nobends. This is not directed at anyone on this site who are nearly all men and men are all very good drivers and I'm a female ergo, a rubbish driver.

I personally wouldn't be happy to increase the speed limit because you need to keep things for the lowest common ability or car on the road. Fair enough a Porsche can stop quicker than I can blink, but how many of those cars on are on the roads, how many people still drive older cars without flashy breaking systems, and with just about road legal tyres and how many people just simply don't have a clue or experience?? Or even worse, think that they do but don't???

I was driving on the M65 at the weekend a really quiet motorway, probably because it goes past Blackburn and who would want to do that?? And some car lost it's exhaust, the whole caboodle and everyone cakked themselves stamped on the brakes swerved madly and it was all a bit crazy, now there weren't many of us on the road and I would estimate that most people were doing around 70mph, not much higher and no-one got hit. Factor in another 10+mph I dunno what may have happened.

What with reps dabbing away at their satnav systems making bluetooth phone calls not really paying attention, 17 year old kids recently passed their test that month thinking they're Lewis Bloommin Hamilton in cars held together by rust and Max Power articles, mums with white knuckles and the steering wheel rubbing agains their noses as they have to sit sooo close to to the steering wheel, with a look of sheer terror in there eyes. I just don't think they are natural travel companions. So for every competent person who could handle 80 mph - but may squeeze it up to 86mph just because well, you get a bit of leeway I say NO due to the 100s of othes who can't.

The best thing that anyone could do would be to teach some bloomin lane discipline. I can't bear it when nobends come off the motorway slip road and zoom straight to (what my dad calls it), the overtaking lane it's like to even be in the 1st lane means that they are a granny and can't be seen there otherwise their life would be meaningless. Even worse those in the middle lane no matter what come what may that's their natural position and when they want to exit the motorway they'll head for the slip road at the last possible second and becuase everyone else, thanks to technology, has the brakes of a 911 Porsche Turbo so why not let you try them out???

I drove to the South of France in September and the lanes on their motorways were amazing until you get up to near Calais on the the Rue Anglais where it's all British volvos hogging the overtaking lane.

My final NOoooo for this is that given I'm paying over £1 a litre for my fuel and because I foolishly drive a ridiculously thirsty petrol car that I'm sure secretly showers itself in Shell Unleaded when I'm not looking, it makes no financial sense for me to burn the fuel at 80mph getting me to my destination 45 seconds quicker on average but £200 worst off (I've made up this figures and it isn't an accurate argument).

Please dismiss for talking about driving as a female I know nothing, that is why there aren't any women in competitive motorsport and men present Top Gear (to quote my dad).

Mummy, if you do get the law changed through your facebook group I'd love to know, as I recently joined the "Make Jason Orange Prime Minister because he has a lovely chest group". Perhaps we could have the same success as you.

[BWFC_Insane]

Not for me 80 mph on a motorway.

Some cars may have got better but people haven't and to be frank I wouldn't trust 95% of drivers on the motorway not to be complete nobends. This is not directed at anyone on this site who are nearly all men and men are all very good drivers and I'm a female ergo, a rubbish driver.

I personally wouldn't be happy to increase the speed limit because you need to keep things for the lowest common ability or car on the road. Fair enough a Porsche can stop quicker than I can blink, but how many of those cars on are on the roads, how many people still drive older cars without flashy breaking systems, and with just about road legal tyres and how many people just simply don't have a clue or experience?? Or even worse, think that they do but don't???

I was driving on the M65 at the weekend a really quiet motorway, probably because it goes past Blackburn and who would want to do that?? And some car lost it's exhaust, the whole caboodle and everyone cakked themselves stamped on the brakes swerved madly and it was all a bit crazy, now there weren't many of us on the road and I would estimate that most people were doing around 70mph, not much higher and no-one got hit. Factor in another 10+mph I dunno what may have happened.

What with reps dabbing away at their satnav systems making bluetooth phone calls not really paying attention, 17 year old kids recently passed their test that month thinking they're Lewis Bloommin Hamilton in cars held together by rust and Max Power articles, mums with white knuckles and the steering wheel rubbing agains their noses as they have to sit sooo close to to the steering wheel, with a look of sheer terror in there eyes. I just don't think they are natural travel companions. So for every competent person who could handle 80 mph - but may squeeze it up to 86mph just because well, you get a bit of leeway I say NO due to the 100s of othes who can't.

The best thing that anyone could do would be to teach some bloomin lane discipline. I can't bear it when nobends come off the motorway slip road and zoom straight to (what my dad calls it), the overtaking lane it's like to even be in the 1st lane means that they are a granny and can't be seen there otherwise their life would be meaningless. Even worse those in the middle lane no matter what come what may that's their natural position and when they want to exit the motorway they'll head for the slip road at the last possible second and becuase everyone else, thanks to technology, has the brakes of a 911 Porsche Turbo so why not let you try them out???

I drove to the South of France in September and the lanes on their motorways were amazing until you get up to near Calais on the the Rue Anglais where it's all British volvos hogging the overtaking lane.

My final NOoooo for this is that given I'm paying over £1 a litre for my fuel and because I foolishly drive a ridiculously thirsty petrol car that I'm sure secretly showers itself in Shell Unleaded when I'm not looking, it makes no financial sense for me to burn the fuel at 80mph getting me to my destination 45 seconds quicker on average but £200 worst off (I've made up this figures and it isn't an accurate argument).

Please dismiss for talking about driving as a female I know nothing, that is why there aren't any women in competitive motorsport and men present Top Gear (to quote my dad).

Mummy, if you do get the law changed through your facebook group I'd love to know, as I recently joined the "Make Jason Orange Prime Minister because he has a lovely chest group". Perhaps we could have the same success as you.

Point is the majority of drivers drive at something close to 80MPH now. Go ont Motorway and drive at 75MPH and see how many go past you....

So the point is, should we make it 80MPH and enforce it more strictly?

What we need is some data to show WHETHER speed on motorways is directly linked to accidents or not. I'd hazard a guess that it probably IS NOT!

[communistworkethic]

gertie - I think you've actually demonstrated in that that it is the drivers not the speed that's the issue. Obviously, you'd never catch me with anything less than my full attention on the road, both hands on the wheel and not fiddling about with something while driving, no not me...

Can't say I've sen your driving though I've seen you trying to park and if ever there was evidence that speed isn't the issue ....

On cars - even a beetle can stop much quicker than a ford anglia could, inspite of it weighing more than the moon and having a vase.


And your facebook page has no chance as I'm currently running a "Jason Orange is the great Satan" page.

[TANGODANCER]

[
I've lost count of the number of times I've been driving within the speed limit and been caused to take evasive action due to some tw*t driving at speeds associated with Shifnall Street visitors - usuall some old giffer in a hat. And let's not forget the 60mph middle lane of the motorway wankers. IMHO.

If just typing about it puts you in a rage, how does that equate to your law-abiding, upright citizen image on the road? It isn't the old giffers in hats who are guilty of slicing you up, tailgating, horblowing road rage, that's usually the 18-40's er, "gentlemen of the road", at least in my experience. Oh for a perfect world.

[BWFC_Insane]

[
I've lost count of the number of times I've been driving within the speed limit and been caused to take evasive action due to some tw*t driving at speeds associated with Shifnall Street visitors - usuall some old giffer in a hat. And let's not forget the 60mph middle lane of the motorway wankers. IMHO.

If just typing about it puts you in a rage, how does that equate to your law-abiding, upright citizen image on the road? It isn't the old giffers in hats who are guilty of slicing you up, tailgating, horblowing road rage, that's usually the 18-40's er, "gentlemen of the road", at least in my experience. Oh for a perfect world.

In my experience older drivers cause far more trouble than younger ones.

Driving at 30mph on a 60mph single track road for no reason is as bad as doing 120mph on a motorway.

[superjohnmcginlay]

[
I've lost count of the number of times I've been driving within the speed limit and been caused to take evasive action due to some tw*t driving at speeds associated with Shifnall Street visitors - usuall some old giffer in a hat. And let's not forget the 60mph middle lane of the motorway wankers. IMHO.

If just typing about it puts you in a rage, how does that equate to your law-abiding, upright citizen image on the road? It isn't the old giffers in hats who are guilty of slicing you up, tailgating, horblowing road rage, that's usually the 18-40's er, "gentlemen of the road", at least in my experience. Oh for a perfect world.

In my experience older drivers cause far more trouble than younger ones.

Driving at 30mph on a 60mph single track road for no reason is as bad as doing 120mph on a motorway.

Spot on. Its infuriating - you get it a lot round where I live.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Point is the majority of drivers drive at something close to 80MPH now. Go ont Motorway and drive at 75MPH and see how many go past you....

So the point is, should we make it 80MPH and enforce it more strictly?

What we need is some data to show WHETHER speed on motorways is directly linked to accidents or not. I'd hazard a guess that it probably IS NOT!

Exactly - I honestly think that a more realistic limit of 80mph would be much more respected, and, especially if we enforce it more strictly, we would have fewer 90mph+ speeds, and generally a culture of more respect for speed limits, the real benefits of which would be seen away from motorways, where the vast majority of road fatalities occur.


The kind of data you speak of are very hard to find, because 'speed' to whatever degree is involved in every accident. Perhaps the most revealing data we can look at are those which demonstrate the experience on German autobahns, where there has traditionally been no speed limit, higher average speeds, but no more accidents per 1000 cars on the road, or per 1000 miles driven.

[Gertie]

gertie - I think you've actually demonstrated in that that it is the drivers not the speed that's the issue. Obviously, you'd never catch me with anything less than my full attention on the road, both hands on the wheel and not fiddling about with something while driving, no not me...

Can't say I've sen your driving though I've seen you trying to park and if ever there was evidence that speed isn't the issue ....

On cars - even a beetle can stop much quicker than a ford anglia could, inspite of it weighing more than the moon and having a vase.


And your facebook page has no chance as I'm currently running a "Jason Orange is the great Satan" page.

ROFLMAO

You got me at the parking It's soo tricky, straight lines and I can't see where my front ends.

More importantly these new fangled cars have rubbish suspension. I'm overdue, fed up and looking for a bit of help in the delivery department... So I'm told get driving on a bumpy road. I set off yesterday down (is it Lostock Lane???) all cobbly and bumpy. Bloomin new car suspension not even a ripple of my flower petals was had... and here I am sat as round as an overripe peach and the likelihood of a christmas day birth draws ever closer.

Anyways, hope you didn't get mixed up with the facebook group, "Jason Orange is the great Santa" - it's very seasonable.

[communistworkethic]

I'm overdue, fed up and looking for a bit of help in the delivery department... So I'm told get driving on a bumpy road. I set off yesterday down (is it Lostock Lane???) all cobbly and bumpy. Bloomin new car suspension not even a ripple of my flower petals was had... and here I am sat as round as an overripe peach and the likelihood of a christmas day birth draws ever closer.

I've heard of a way of bringing on childbirth but even I wouldn't make that suggestion!! Well maybe by PM.

[BWFC_Insane]

Point is the majority of drivers drive at something close to 80MPH now. Go ont Motorway and drive at 75MPH and see how many go past you....

So the point is, should we make it 80MPH and enforce it more strictly?

What we need is some data to show WHETHER speed on motorways is directly linked to accidents or not. I'd hazard a guess that it probably IS NOT!

Exactly - I honestly think that a more realistic limit of 80mph would be much more respected, and, especially if we enforce it more strictly, we would have fewer 90mph+ speeds, and generally a culture of more respect for speed limits, the real benefits of which would be seen away from motorways, where the vast majority of road fatalities occur.


The kind of data you speak of are very hard to find, because 'speed' to whatever degree is involved in every accident. Perhaps the most revealing data we can look at are those which demonstrate the experience on German autobahns, where there has traditionally been no speed limit, higher average speeds, but no more accidents per 1000 cars on the road, or per 1000 miles driven.

Well we just need to know at what speed accidents happen on a particular stretch of motorway to see if there is a correlation or not.

ie if you plot no of accidents vs speed does the line increase at higher speeds, my gut feeling is it doesn't.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm overdue, fed up and looking for a bit of help in the delivery department... So I'm told get driving on a bumpy road. I set off yesterday down (is it Lostock Lane???) all cobbly and bumpy. Bloomin new car suspension not even a ripple of my flower petals was had... and here I am sat as round as an overripe peach and the likelihood of a christmas day birth draws ever closer.

Good luck Gerts. Don't do the curry thing, old wives' tale so our doctors told us, more likely to make things painful than swift.

[enfieldwhite]

gertie - I think you've actually demonstrated in that that it is the drivers not the speed that's the issue. Obviously, you'd never catch me with anything less than my full attention on the road, both hands on the wheel and not fiddling about with something while driving, no not me...

Can't say I've sen your driving though I've seen you trying to park and if ever there was evidence that speed isn't the issue ....

On cars - even a beetle can stop much quicker than a ford anglia could, inspite of it weighing more than the moon and having a vase.


And your facebook page has no chance as I'm currently running a "Jason Orange is the great Satan" page.

ROFLMAO

You got me at the parking It's soo tricky, straight lines and I can't see where my front ends.

More importantly these new fangled cars have rubbish suspension. I'm overdue, fed up and looking for a bit of help in the delivery department... So I'm told get driving on a bumpy road. I set off yesterday down (is it Lostock Lane???) all cobbly and bumpy. Bloomin new car suspension not even a ripple of my flower petals was had... and here I am sat as round as an overripe peach and the likelihood of a christmas day birth draws ever closer.

Anyways, hope you didn't get mixed up with the facebook group, "Jason Orange is the great Santa" - it's very seasonable.

That'll be the baby!

[Worthy4England]

gertie - I think you've actually demonstrated in that that it is the drivers not the speed that's the issue. Obviously, you'd never catch me with anything less than my full attention on the road, both hands on the wheel and not fiddling about with something while driving, no not me...

Can't say I've sen your driving though I've seen you trying to park and if ever there was evidence that speed isn't the issue ....

On cars - even a beetle can stop much quicker than a ford anglia could, inspite of it weighing more than the moon and having a vase.


And your facebook page has no chance as I'm currently running a "Jason Orange is the great Satan" page.

ROFLMAO

You got me at the parking It's soo tricky, straight lines and I can't see where my front ends.

More importantly these new fangled cars have rubbish suspension. I'm overdue, fed up and looking for a bit of help in the delivery department... So I'm told get driving on a bumpy road. I set off yesterday down (is it Lostock Lane???) all cobbly and bumpy. Bloomin new car suspension not even a ripple of my flower petals was had... and here I am sat as round as an overripe peach and the likelihood of a christmas day birth draws ever closer.

Anyways, hope you didn't get mixed up with the facebook group, "Jason Orange is the great Santa" - it's very seasonable.

No wonder you're having trouble parking Gertie, you appear to have a car full of "overripe peach" and "flower petals"???

[communistworkethic]

and how many accidents on motorways are caussed by muppets slowing down to rubberneck at one on the other carriageway??

[keveh]

I'm not too bothered about the speed limit, people will always break it, I break it all the time on the motorways. I'm bothered about peoples abilities.

The main difference is that I'm like commie, I pay attention all the time, looking in mirrors just to check etc etc.

I am sure everybody else thinks like this, but sometimes it seems like I'm the only one who's thinking on the road. The amount of people you get sitting in the middle lane still amazes me. I just start flashing me lights at them till they move.

Their lack of common sense ends up driving me mad and makes me a danger to other drivers.

There are plenty of solutions I can think, such as testing people every 10 years. Another one is clamping down on younger drivers a bit more, ban them for a month for dangerous driving. A copper telling them to be more careful isn't going to mean shit to them.

[enfieldwhite]

I'm overdue, fed up and looking for a bit of help in the delivery department... So I'm told get driving on a bumpy road. I set off yesterday down (is it Lostock Lane???) all cobbly and bumpy. Bloomin new car suspension not even a ripple of my flower petals was had... and here I am sat as round as an overripe peach and the likelihood of a christmas day birth draws ever closer.

Good luck Gerts. Don't do the curry thing, old wives' tale so our doctors told us, more likely to make things painful than swift.

Agreed, might also make you poo when you push!

My wife was introduced by the midwife to a technique called a 'Stretch and Sweep' for overdue mothers. It worked, but I don't think the details are suitable for a family forum.

[superjohnmcginlay]

I'm overdue, fed up and looking for a bit of help in the delivery department... So I'm told get driving on a bumpy road. I set off yesterday down (is it Lostock Lane???) all cobbly and bumpy. Bloomin new car suspension not even a ripple of my flower petals was had... and here I am sat as round as an overripe peach and the likelihood of a christmas day birth draws ever closer.

Good luck Gerts. Don't do the curry thing, old wives' tale so our doctors told us, more likely to make things painful than swift.

Agreed, might also make you poo when you push!

My wife was introduced by the midwife to a technique called a 'Stretch and Sweep' for overdue mothers. It worked, but I don't think the details are suitable for a family forum.

Will you lot stop it? Its been a heavy weekend and youre making me feel ill.

[Worthy4England]

I'm overdue, fed up and looking for a bit of help in the delivery department... So I'm told get driving on a bumpy road. I set off yesterday down (is it Lostock Lane???) all cobbly and bumpy. Bloomin new car suspension not even a ripple of my flower petals was had... and here I am sat as round as an overripe peach and the likelihood of a christmas day birth draws ever closer.

Good luck Gerts. Don't do the curry thing, old wives' tale so our doctors told us, more likely to make things painful than swift.

Agreed, might also make you poo when you push!

My wife was introduced by the midwife to a technique called a 'Stretch and Sweep' for overdue mothers. It worked, but I don't think the details are suitable for a family forum.

Will you lot stop it? Its been a heavy weekend and youre making me feel ill.

Know where you're coming from - I'm just having lunch...on stretch and sweep, I can prolly work out the "stretch" bit, but wouldn't "sweep" leave a slug trail?