…or 10mph more vrooom at any rate:

The government is to raise the speed limit to 80mph from 70mph in a victory for the transport secretary, Philip Hammond.

Hammond will announce the change at the Tory party conference in Manchester this weekend.

The new policy is part of a determined bid to shift the government on to the side of the motorists after successive governments appeared keen to discourage driving.

Hammond is expected to couple the increase with an expansion of 20mph limits in many urban areas.

It represents the end of a drawn-out Whitehall battle with Hammond having to fend off the concerns of the climate change secretary, Chris Huhne, and the health secretary, Andrew Lansley.

……

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/29/speed-limit-raised-80mph

Best news in AGES!

*itches self*

Don’t folks do 80ish anyways?

In which case, won’t they now do 90ish?

* worries that not much has been achieved here *

now means you can do nearly 90 before beign more than 10% over the limit and thus stopped.

I can’t see this being a win for either CO2 emissions or road safety, tbh.

It’ll go down well at the Tory conference though, which is the main thing.

Sex-wee time.

Looks like somebody’s got the strangest boner right now… or am I mistaken?

Do you think they’ll rebate my 3 points on the motorway I got back in 2002?

Stupid idea IMO. I doubt it’s going to have much of an impact on safety but it will be terrible for emissions.

The new policy is part of a determined bid to shift the government on to the side of the motorists

Everything is already massively on the side of motorists.

In which case, won’t they now do 90ish?

No disrespect, but if you’ve worked that one out, don’t you think the legislators will have worked it out too? 💡

No disrespect, but if you’ve worked that one out, don’t you think the legislators will have worked it out too?

Yes.

* worries that not much has been achieved here *

I’ll still do 70-ish – a nice trundling speed

It will increase fuel consumption, emissions and congestion. Genius.

I’m not really seeing how it will increase congestion, logic says it will lower it.

Fuel consumption? 80mph is the maximum limit, not the minimum. Do whatever speed you want.

Trucks and stuff are still going to be trundling along at 65mph or whatever.

like nickf I shall still be sticking the cruise control on at 70mph and letting all the tailgaiting, aggressive **** enjoy themselves in the other two lanes

the faster you go the quicker you catch up with what ever is going slower in front, so you just waste fuel

the other two lanes

http://www.lum.co.uk/mloc/

I’m not really seeing how it will increase congestion, logic says it will lower it.

No. The carrying capacity of any road is reduced with a higher speed limit.

Ten years ago I would have been fully in favour of this however I think things have changed.

Fuel prices are a big consideration for most people and consumption increases a lot at that speed range. Additionally congestion is usually the limiting factor and when the motorway is running smoothly congestion will probably build up more in the conurbations. Big accidents will be more likely but Jeremy Clarkson will be singing Tory praises every week on Top Gear for the next five years.

wonder how much it will cost to replace all the signs.

Hammond is expected to couple the increase with an expansion of 20mph limits in many urban areas.

You’ve all missed this, which is good news 🙂

Great idea IMO.

wonder how much it will cost to replace all the signs

The national speed limit signs? They won’t need changing will they?

wonder how much it will cost to replace all the signs.

It cost Spain €250.000 earlier this year to change the signs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12663092

wonder how much it will cost to replace all the signs.

You only see (70) signs in rural backwaters, like Wales. Pretty much everywhere else uses NSL signage.

wonder how much it will cost to replace all the signs.

If you can find a single sign with 70 on it on an English motorway I will eat my bike.

If you can find a single sign with 70 on it on a motorway I will eat my bike.

All over the M7, off the top of my head.

It will increase fuel consumption, emissions and congestion. Genius.

+1

I wonder if they are going to increase the limit for HGVs, Towing etc, otherwise there is going to be a significant difference in speed between vehicles which’ll be fun 🙄

Bl00dy Tories!

Pretty much everywhere else uses NSL signage.

Except Scotland!

I wonder. I reckon that some will instantly add 10mph but I reckon that a lot will stick to 80-85 that they were already doing. IME faster than that feels quite a lot faster because of the slower traffic that will alway go at that speed.

Except Scotland!

I believe I covered that in the other half of the post you’re quoting.

I wonder if they are going to increase the limit for HGVs, Towing etc, otherwise there is going to be a significant difference in speed between vehicles which’ll be fun

they are – they’ll be allowed to do 90 8)

This is a consultation, no?

I believe I covered that in the other half of the post you’re quoting.

😈 I feared that’s what you meant!