60mph Speed Limit on Motorways, your thoughts?

[SJStuart]

So apparently, this "bleed the public dry" government is toying with the idea of reducing the national speed on motorways to 60mph, and as always they're blaming the EU.

Anyway, since this forum represents a diverse (albeit with one or two things in common) cross section of society, I figured I'd see what you guys think of this.

Personally... well, they'd probably arrest me on some "anti-terrorism" nonesense if I said what I really think!

 

[Ecoman]

Don't get me started!!!!!!:tapedshut

 

[Andy BB]

I think about China's massive investment in new coal-fired power stations (annually these new stations alone exceed the UK's total emissions), and I think "!"£$%^&*()_+"

 

[sandbender]

Reducing the speed limit means they can spend less money on road maintenance, nothing to do with safety I think.

I drive in Germany on the motorways, it all seems quite safe, however the roads and other infrastructure are well maintained and the road users are mostly German and thus drive like adults and not children sat in front of a games machine.

 

[Andy T]

Perhaps the idea behind this is to try and encourage people to use the new HS2 so it doesn't look as big a waste of time and money that we all know it will be.

 

[Kerne]

I always drive at 60mph on the motorway. In the middle lane. I thought it was already the law...

 

[bopdude]

Madness, one minute they're saying they're thinking of upping the limit to 80 mph then the next this, as has been said, rip off Britain the extra revenue will line someone's pockets, the speed decrease will bump up times and blood pressure of getting from a - b increasing the costs, because there are always implications ?

I really can't wait to see the chaos, if this ever comes in.

 

[Coldfeet]

I thought this was going to be a "no end date planned" trial on the M1 (similar to the current speed limit as it happens) for "emission reasons" source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25619914

In my mind it's just the first step in a bigger plan which is yet to be announced. How will they police the new limit? Can't be by Police, that would mean spending money employing people; more likely to be via existing technology, for instance average speed cameras. This then sets the standard for, and gets the public used to, using these cameras outside of the current norm of roadworks, etc. Perhaps paving the way for average speed cameras to be deployed throughout the motorway network (then the A roads, etc.)

As stated by other people, the reason of "emissions" doesn't make sense as on a global scale it wont make a difference, however this would probably be accepted by the general public as they are accustomed to the terminology already.

 

[Headshed]

Warwickshire council have already lowered nearly all NSL's to 50mph already & have stated they intend to change the remainder within this year. From there statistics this has had the following effects : a marginal change in safety (on already safe roads ie a change within the seasonal variation and therefore no real change), but where a significant change was encountered it was for the worse ie personal injury accidents up from 1/year to 5. The pollution levels became slightly worse, due, I think, mostly by people driving in 4th gear and not 5th/6th. So what did they achieve apart from spoiling the countryside with multiple 50 repeaters, which have cost a significant amount and making several roads significantly more dangerous? I can only assume it allows them to spend less on road maintenance and reduces there risk of being sued for not applying a labour guideline, that was revoked by the present government in 2011. I'm all for speed reduction where it is proved to improve safety and air quality, but I fail to see how the uk's improvement in air quality will help on a global level! Sorry rant over.

 

[789987]

doesnt really matter - they already have plans to remove the human element from the transport network

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25230483

 

[ozzy1977]

I don't care in the in slightest

 

[Coldfeet]

and why is that Ozzy?

 

[SJStuart]

and why is that Ozzy?

Because he's being a contrarian... if nobody else cared, he would.
No point arguing with him, that's just what he wants.

 

[ozzy1977]

I don't use motor ways, simple as that

 

[mountainm]

to be honest can't say it bothers me either - the m62 is mostly 50 nowadays and it seems to flow much better. It'd only bother me if there was also a "Rich lane" where for a fee you could go 80.

 

[ozzy1977]

Simon do not make this personal.

 

[Coldfeet]

to be honest can't say it bothers me either - the m62 is mostly 50 nowadays and it seems to flow much better. It'd only bother me if there was also a "Rich lane" where for a fee you could go 80.

For god sake don't give them any ideas!

 

[Coldfeet]

I don't use motor ways, simple as that

Furry muff.

 

[mountainm]

For god sake don't give them any ideas!

I'm afraid it's already out there...

 

[SJStuart]

Simon do not make this personal.

I'm not making anything personal, just as I'm not the one baiting threads to turn them into "flame wars". If you don't care about a subject, then you've no reason to comment on it. The fact that you did suggests you were looking for an argument, and that only when "called out" did you choose to qualify what you said with a reason rather than a baited non sequitur.
I'm the OP, and I'm not going to allow this thread to be derailed. It's not personal, it's pragmatic.