I followed a car down the M4 last week. By the time I noticed him and clocked the milage, it was at least 25 miles he spent in the middle lane, but I’d been aware of him well before that, so probably 40+ miles. All in the middle lane.
Thing is, he was doing roughly the speed I wanted to do, 65-ish, but he couldn’t maintain his speed either, so every time I passed him he passed me back, then slowed down 1/2 mile up the road. It was then hard to re-pass becasue he had a permenant blockade of cars stuck behind him that I got caught up in. So in the end I decided to match his speed from in front, just to keep out of the way. I sat about 400 yards in front of him, in the inside lane unless I was overtaking. The amount of cars that passed him and pulled into the inside lane behind me was astonishing. He never took the hint….. 🙄

Should also be a MIN limit to reduce the speed differential too

1. Min limit would be downright dangerous. What about adverse weather conditions. I’ve been on M’ways where the traffic has been travelling at at 10mph because of tempestuous rain. Not much traffic but virtually no visibility. Having an arbitory cut off point for good and bad conditions would be dependant on vehicle type, conditions, driving skill (perceived or otherwise…!) and personal appraisal of the conditions. This could potentially lead to greater disparity of speeds.

2. My opinion is that the 70mph limit that we have appears to work. The Police have a greater scope for discretion with our current limit. I know a M’way traffic officer from the Mersyside force. He intemated that in normal conditions they wouldn’t bother with anyone travelling at 80mph. Those travelling at 85mph + were much more likely to attract attention. However, should the road conditions be such that 80 is dangerous, they will happily feel the appropriate collar. Quite right too if you ask me. Increasing the limit would remove that option and thus impeed the eductation of drivers engaging in unsafe driving.

From todays Daily Mash:

The move to raise the speed limit is designed to help commuters get more quickly to jobs that won’t exist in six months’ time, as well as allowing them to feel a tiny bit like Lewis Hamilton for the nine seconds per week the motorways are actually empty enough to reach 80mph.

🙂

What makes you think we won’t have exactly the same thing only 10mph faster?

Heard of 85th percentile speed? I’d suggest that in the absence of any speed limits, most drivers wouldn’t go over 80mph.

I’d suggest that in the absence of any speed limits, most drivers wouldn’t go over 80mph.

Based on? The 85th percentile is an interesting rule, but it you need a baseline to measure it from. It could be that 85% of UK drivers want to do 100mph+, but are currently prevented from doing so by the law and their own conscience.

“Heard of 85th percentile speed? I’d suggest that in the absence of any speed limits, most drivers wouldn’t go over 80mph. “

My experience of driving in Europe suggests that you are wrong.

Theres no rational justification behind it, he just thinks the speed limit should be 80mph … Why not 90? 60?

I was going to mention the 85th percentile, but others have beaten me to it. There’s some biased but interesting reading over at http://www.safespeed.org.uk/speedlimits.html

he’s just picked a number out of the air.

What’s wrong with that? It’s how the current 70mph NSL was set.

Should also be a MIN limit to reduce the speed differential too

I had it in my head that whilst there isn’t a minimum speed limit, your vehicle has to be capable of at least a certain speed. I’m having difficulties in finding anything to back that up though, other than “certain slow moving vehicles” being prohibited as per the Highway Code.

had it in my head that whilst there isn’t a minimum speed limit, your vehicle has to be capable of at least a certain speed. I’m having difficulties in finding anything to back that up though, other than “certain slow moving vehicles” being prohibited as per the Highway Code.

I’m not certain but I believe any vehicle using a motorway must be capable of 50mph. Everything that prohibited from using the motorway generally falls below this speed

For me the main issue with speed limit enforcement isn’t how fast you are actually going, it’s speed differentials. If you had everyone going at the same speed it’d be much safer and easier to drive, even if everyone was doing 80mph. That’s why I think enforcement is important.

Human reaction times don’t change though, and braking distances increase.

True, but differences in traffic speed cause lots of lane changes which ultimately cause many accidents I feel.

However I’m not in favour of upping the speed limit on environmental grounds, and on the grounds that if people think 70 is too slow they need to mtfu and deal with it.

For me the main issue with speed limit enforcement isn’t how fast you are actually going, it’s speed differentials. If you had everyone going at the same speed it’d be much safer and easier to drive, even if everyone was doing 80mph. That’s why I think enforcement is important.

HGVs will still be doing 60mph. So the 80mph thing will make the differential worse.

I don’t particularly want to go much faster than 70, so I presume that as I overtake people going less than this I will have to put up with even more irate **** who want to drive at 80+10% charging up behind me lights flashing inches from my rear bumper.

Only if you’re incapable of pulling back in again after you’ve finished.

Only if you’re incapable of pulling back in again after you’ve finished.

Experience suggests this is not the case. They want you pulled in as you’re alongside the other car.

TBF,

Driving at the speed limit on a motorway is pretty hard, cos no-one does it. You’re constantly either overtaking stuff or being overtaken. It’s far easier to drive at 60 or 80 than it is at 70.

What they need to do is take the speed limiters of the trucks so they can get past each other and save the tail backs, I drive in the US a lot and never have issues with 2 trucks causing tail backs, and we need more cops on the road enforcing the law, drivers in the US obay the law as there are cops hidding on freeways and they will pull you and fine you, I do think we should do away with the points system.

What they need to do is take the speed limiters of the make it illegal for the trucks so they can to try and get past each other with a 1mph speed differential and save the tail backs

FTFY

I regularly do an indicated 80-90 on motorways, and around 70 on dual carriageways. That’s indicated, which is what most people go by. Now, most vehicle speedo’s are set to read 10% fast, so an indicated 90 = 81mph and 80 = 72mph. I know those figures are correct for my old Puma, as it had a true reading digital speedo, and I’ve checked my Octavia’s speed against GPS. anyone have an issue with drivers doing an indicated 90 on that basis?

Now, most vehicle speedo’s are set to read 10% fast… anyone have an issue with drivers doing an indicated 90 on that basis?

Yes – because I wouldn’t rely on that 10%. IIRC 10% is the maximum allowable over-read, mine only over-reads by 2-3%.

Can’t find a linky, but on the Midlands News right now they have a motorway police bloke suggesting 80mph limit is a good idea (predictably followed up by a RoSPA bloke spouting all the usual strawmen).

http://www.facebook.com/midlandstoday

On wednesday, I drove over 500 miles through France – Annecy to Calais

I spent most of my journey at 80mph, didn’t die, and I have to say, the driving was a bloody pleasure – open roads, light traffic, two lanes only with hardly any overtaking wagons causing tailbacks, lovely

What UK roads need, is fewer junctions, and more use of cruise control!

What they need is half the population density they currently have and very long distances between population centres, like France. So we kill half the people and move all the cities around.

Comparing the UK to other countries on face value is a bit daft innit.