# Raising the speed limit from 70mph to 80mph



## ADW (Aug 8, 2010)

If your in support of the goverment backed proposed change in raising the speed limit on UK motorways from 70 to 80 mph, then please visit the link below:

http://www.support80mph.com/


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## Derbyshire-stig (Dec 22, 2010)

Now I know the limit is 70 but in these Police Tv shows that have popped up most officers have admitted they dont bother up to 80, and maybe a little higher if they arent doing anything daft, so is this really as big an issues as was made anyway ?
Im all for raising the speeds at the right time, no use at all of a 100 mph speed limit at 8/9/10 am anyway as most UK roads cant cope with the traffic load,
now after say 10pm until 6am if they were to raise the 70mph limit to 100 mph then that would actually make a difference imo,

and then make all drivers take a refresher/awareness course every 7 or 10 years, the standard of driving is as much a danger then 10 mph excess speeders.


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## anthonyh90 (Mar 30, 2011)

i think i would only support that if they were to enforce other driving rules a bit more rigorously, like using a phone while driving, some daft bint nearly wiped me out this morning on the motorway as she was too busy texting to concentrate on what lane she was in. 

i think i would be a bit more supportive of Derbyshire stigs idea of increasing the speed limit at certain times when traffic is at a minimum.


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## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

Derbyshire-stig said:


> Now I know the limit is 70 but in these Police Tv shows that have popped up most officers have admitted they dont bother up to 80, and maybe a little higher if they arent doing anything daft, so is this really as big an issues as was made anyway ?
> Im all for raising the speeds at the right time, no use at all of a 100 mph speed limit at 8/9/10 am anyway as most UK roads cant cope with the traffic load,
> now after say 10pm until 6am if they were to raise the 70mph limit to 100 mph then that would actually make a difference imo,
> 
> and then make all drivers take a refresher/awareness course every 7 or 10 years, the standard of driving is as much a danger then 10 mph excess speeders.


Spot on, especially the very last sentence, poor driving is a danger at any speed and standards seem to be dropping all the time.

I can't see it happening to be honest, the Climate Bunnies and general tree huggers, along with the speed kills brigade have got plenty to say about it, and their voices are strong ones unfortunately. But also if it were to be introduced it shouldn't be a blanket all motorways at all times limit. As mentioned, it should be either certain times of the day or night, or only on certain stretches of Motorway, or both.


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

I personally think that the limits should be raised further at times when there is virtually no traffic such as in the middle of the night. I've driven along motorways at 11pm quite a few times and sometimes I can count the number of other cars I've seen on my fingers. At times like that I wonder why I still have to do 70mph when it would be perfectly safe for me to do quite a bit more. Also I think we should adopt the European approach where they have a speed limit for good weather and one for bad, the last thing we need is people zooming along at 80mph when it's really hammering with rain or when it's really foggy.


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## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

should stay as it is at 70mph people will take advantage and think 85-90 is ok when it's not.seeing a car wiped out and with the looks every body would have been killed made me think twice.another on m1 where the driver in a van was crushed and only his arm sticking out and a helicopter on motorway makes you think what we in so much of a rush for.kill your speed not your self or others


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## Brazo (Oct 27, 2005)

Given the current price of fuel I think a ten MPH reduction would be more appropriate!


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## Coops (Apr 26, 2008)

Derbyshire-stig said:


> Now I know the limit is 70 but in these Police Tv shows that have popped up most officers have admitted they dont bother up to 80, and maybe a little higher if they arent doing anything daft, so is this really as big an issues as was made anyway ?
> Im all for raising the speeds at the right time, no use at all of a 100 mph speed limit at 8/9/10 am anyway as most UK roads cant cope with the traffic load,
> now after say 10pm until 6am if they were to raise the 70mph limit to 100 mph then that would actually make a difference imo,
> 
> and then make all drivers take a refresher/awareness course every 7 or 10 years, the standard of driving is as much a danger then 10 mph excess speeders.


I think you're right, the Police seem more interested in stopping those with no insurance or with "markers" on them rather than those touching 80mph. Obviously if you are doing silly speeds then it's a different matter.

If the limit was to be raised then some additional mandatory training should be introduced with regular review/retest.



Laurie.J.M said:


> Also I think we should adopt the European approach where they have a speed limit for good weather and one for bad, the last thing we need is people zooming along at 80mph when it's really hammering with rain or when it's really foggy.


Don't know how this works on the continent, but guess it would take some investment in additional signage to advise drivers what the "current" speed limit was. As my interpretation of "really bad fog" or "heavy rain" is different to other drivers, and vice versa. The Highways Agency can't cope with getting the signs right at present - case in point the other morning, bright sunshine, not a cloud in a sky, M1 signs say "FOG - SLOW DOWN". Yes it was foggy early in the morning but this was 11am!


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## Guest (Mar 6, 2012)

Speed limits are a crude method of controlling stopping distances. Trouble is too many drivers don't worry about always being able to stop, they just worry about getting somewhere quickly. Until there is a change in driving attitude, I think our speed limits are high enough.


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

I think the best signs around here are just after the m53/a55 where going down below the bridge has signs for flooding? I don't think variable speed limits would work lol 


Sent from a fat fingered Jobsian phone user.


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## toomanycitroens (Jan 14, 2011)

Leave it as it is.:thumb:
As stated, they leave you alone up to about 80 anyway (conditions permitting).
No need to rock the boat with this at all.


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

IMHO, leave it as it is.

Yes, cars have got safer etc, however, peoples abilities in how to drive have not.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Brazo said:


> Given the current price of fuel I think a ten MPH reduction would be more appropriate!


this is a good point.... from the sprees some people drive at the moment, they obviously don't think the price of fuel is an issue!! :lol:

:thumb:


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

The offset for raising the speed limit to 80MPH on a motorway will be a drop to 20MPH in a built up area.

Which just happen to be 130KPH and 30KPH (ish). Suspiciously like the speed limits abroad.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


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## SurGie (Aug 6, 2010)

Most of them are executive cars that dont care about the fuel.

One problem i see is this making the roads get more bottle neck jams, going faster would mean they are more likely to brake more thus causing bottle necks more often. If more people were steady/patient drivers we would have far less of these problems on our roads.


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## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

If it's about keeping traffic moving and people getting to where they're going quickly, I wonder if things would improve if the upper limit was kept at 70 but instead, overtaking was allowed in any lane, to the left or right of other traffic. No more queueing up in the outside lane behind some old fossil doing 60 and all that. It might wake people up a bit more as well, keep them alert. Or it could just lead to a massive increase in accidents. 
It would probably work in some countries (changing rules/habits I mean, some countries already allow it anyway) just like in Sweden when they changed from driving on the left to the right without any pain. But here, now, I doubt it somehow, the whole country seems to have entirely the wrong attitudes for anything these days. Actually have to concentrate and pay attention whilst driving? What a stupid idea :wall:


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## AndyC (Oct 25, 2005)

Attitude needs adjusting before speed, end of.

I practically live on the motorways and have done for the last 16 years, covering something like 640,000 miles. The basic standard of driving in the UK is actually pretty good IMO but the attitude is lacking.

This has got worse as cars have become "safer" - my thinking is that a zillion airbags don't mean a thing if you collide with something at a very high speed and many seem to think that safety systems mean they can no longer have an accident.

"**** drivers" is irrelevant as the make of car, IMO, means nothing. I have greater issues with people driving sub-1300cc compact cars at 11/10's than someone driving a 2000cc+ exec barge. And in any case, getting out of their way is by far the simplest solution. Doesn't stop me getting a tad wound up at times but more due to the attitude as it isn't my place to assume a level of competence from behind the wheel of my own car.

Most family cars can now comfortably cruise at 100+ (I know mine can in the right circumstances) and virtually all work more efficiently at higher speeds. I trust my own skill level and know when it's safe for me to drive fast; conversely I tend to be below the posted limit in built-up areas knowing how blissfully unaware of road danger small children tend to be!

Sounds like I'm perfect, doesn't it? 

In reality I have bad days like we all do and yes very occasionally I might sit a bit too close to someone who appears to have fallen asleep at 58 in lane 3 of an empty motorway but I've seen enough very bad RTA's in my travels to simply want to avoid trouble. I never want a FLO knocking on Mrs C's door to tell her that I'm not coming home (mind, she might be looking forward to it - she could find a nice young man instead).

I missed that awful accident on the M5 near Taunton a few months back by a phonecall - I won't forget that as self and 12 year old would almost certainly have been within that area at the time it happened and I know deep down that in those circumstances even the "best" driver would have had no better chance than anyone else.

Make bad road attitude socially unacceptable (like drink driving used to be) and you're onto a good start. More police patrols who can make a judgement based on real hazard rather than income from fines, fewer cameras which, er, can't.

On a final note for now - consider how much was spent on the hundreds of HATO vehicles and officers not that long ago and think how many traffic cops and equipment that might have been a better invesement....


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Brazo said:


> Given the current price of fuel I think a ten MPH reduction would be more appropriate!


I guess this is a bit tongue in cheek....but why should your personal circumstances slow everybody else up? :tumbleweed:

Is making everyone drive a sub 1.6ltr car/Prius is another option? :thumb:

If this was a serious petition I _might_ have been tempted to vote.....but it's a very thinly veiled marketing ploy by Ariel!

Anyway.......who in their right mind buys an Atom with the intention of giving it a lot of motorway miles?!


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## vRS Carl (Aug 14, 2011)

AndyC said:


> Attitude needs adjusting before speed, end of.


If i could thank you a hundred times for that one line i would :thumb:

I do a lot of driving on the motorways too and some of the stuff i see beggars belief. A bit like the muppet i saw recently with a can of coke in one hand, mobile phone in the other texting whilst controlling his car by his knees  This wasn't some teen chav either, it was some mid 40's "exec" in a £60k+ Porsche!!!:doublesho

It amazes me sometimes the level of "perceived skill" people think they have. Rarely have i met anyone who is not trained were their own perceived skill matches actual skill. It's usually far above the reality.


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## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

Brazo said:


> Given the current price of fuel I think a ten MPH reduction would be more appropriate!


Your not wrong there mate. i dropped 5mph today


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## dann2707 (Mar 25, 2011)

Speed limits go up to 80 
More people go faster
People use more fuel
People fill up more often
More money for the government

That's how I see it anyway. It doesn't effect me as Im usually cruising at around 60mph on the motorway to uni and back, motorways are boring as cheese - going faster isn't going to improve my journey.

I save the beans for the B roads on the way to my house.


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## vRS Carl (Aug 14, 2011)

dann2707 said:


> Speed limits go up to 80
> I save the beans for the B roads on the way to my house.


In my day Students used save the beans for toast not B roads.

How the times have changed :lol:


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

The Cueball said:


> this is a good point.... from the sprees some people drive at the moment, they obviously don't think the price of fuel is an issue!! :lol:
> 
> :thumb:


Speaking about yourself there Cuey?
:lol:


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

alan_mcc said:


> Speaking about yourself there Cuey?
> :lol:


Yip... natural cruising speed of 110 - 120 mph* :driver: :driver: :driver:

:thumb:

*On the German Autobhan, where it is both legal and safe


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

I've always liked what you said.. _speed doesn't kill, it never has and never will_

:thumb:


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## dann2707 (Mar 25, 2011)

JC - "Speed doesn't kill. It's suddenly becoming stationary that does"


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## poisonouspea (Mar 7, 2010)

i think they should put up the matrix signs saying you can do 80/100 mph when the motor ways are clear..ie,late night early morning.. they put up speed restrictions when busy..or lane closeures..so why not the other way.. then its up to the driver if they want to go faster. just an idea..might work..


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

aw come on what r we all saying?!?!?!

it shud be 80mph and thats an end to it. 
Everybody drives at 80mph anyway....

It wont 'increase fuel consumption' as we all drive at 80mph anyway (if u say u dont ur a utter liar and i wudnt step foot in ur car if it had only ever been 70mph...) 
stopping distances are a load of rubbish, what the highway code state is so outdated its crazy. most cars can stop in 2/3 that distance...some cars in half.
and if u crash at 80mph i really doubt ul notice the difference of that extra mph as ul most likely be dead anyway.... 

if ppl concentrated more and stopped pissing about on their phones/sat nav/doing make-up and didnt crash, things wud be much better....

raise it to 80mph and that will satisfy most ppl's need to 'speed' therefore more ppl are less likely to do more than 80mph as its a decent, productive speed!


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## dagoatla (Mar 14, 2011)

It is 75 here (120km), and the roads would be of a lower standard than yous have.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

avit88 said:


> aw come on what r we all saying?!?!?!
> 
> it shud be 80mph and thats an end to it.
> Everybody drives at 80mph anyway....
> ...


Wow, how ignorant can you be?


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## Guest (May 2, 2012)

avit88 said:


> stopping distances are a load of rubbish, what the highway code state is so outdated its crazy. most cars can stop in 2/3 that distance...some cars in half.


Do you have any information to back that statement up?


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

BareFacedGeek said:


> Do you have any information to back that statement up?


Top Gear tested an SLR (IIRC) from 120mph and it was shorter that the highway code says the distance for 60mph is (which is WAY WAY WAY under 1/2 what the Highway code number would be for 120mph as braking distance as it's a log scale)!

I believe this may be a link, but can't see at work: -






The highway code figures represent a stopping power of 0.75g which modern brakes and tyres on poverty spec cars can easily beat. Remember they have not changed in >40 years and I bet quite a number of cars performed better than this when they were published.


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## vRS Carl (Aug 14, 2011)

BareFacedGeek said:


> Do you have any information to back that statement up?


There is more than enough information on the tinternet about modern cars to see what stopping distances are.


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## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

I suppose they have got to quote some sort of figure, and it's probably better to scare people with overly long braking distances rather than be anally accurate and keep updating the numbers as new braking systems and tyres get better. They won't want accuracy, they will want to show the worst case in figures like that. Regardless of how accurate they are, people still travel too close, as seen only this morning with a five vehicle pile up on the M5 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-17919516

They have to account for all the variations out there too, from fat tyred, front end weight biased monsters with huge discs and ferocious multi pot calipers to hatchback Bingo buses and knackered 12 year old Corsas with five chavs on board. They'd be daft to quote the best figures no matter how many disclaimers they put in the small print. People are stupid, and for once, they are right to pander to the dumb in this case if you ask me (which you didn't, but I'm saying it anyway )


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## Hotchy (Jul 22, 2010)

About time they raised it. Tbh some motorways shouldn't have a limit up here in Scotland your lucky to see a car sometimes during the day lol. During peak hours have flashing speed 70 signs
Off peak no speed limits please 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Hotchy said:


> About time they raised it. Tbh some motorways shouldn't have a limit up here in Scotland your lucky to see a car sometimes during the day lol.


In Scotland you're lucky to see a Motorway!


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

SteveyG said:


> Wow, how ignorant can you be?


its called the TRUTH

dont see how its ignorant either as i was just stating well known facts...


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

BareFacedGeek said:


> Speed limits are a crude method of controlling stopping distances. Trouble is too many drivers don't worry about always being able to stop, they just worry about getting somewhere quickly. Until there is a change in driving attitude, I think our speed limits are high enough.


+1 :thumb:

Exactly, the speed on our roads, will it really make any difference to the percentage of  idiots on the road, you decide :thumb:


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## -J- (Nov 2, 2007)

Will make no odds anyway, will just mean that we 'could' be doing 80mph when in reality we will still be sat bumper to bumper in traffic jams still.


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

i have to say +1 to MM's view it is alright saying modern this modern the other not all cars on the road are modern but there is nothing to stop them doing 80mph if they can do it...simple fact humans make errors and human reaction time has got no better that pedal does not go down any quicker....your travelling at 70 your still doing 103ft a second...and with the amount of nuggets on the road with what it seems like no sense of driving sense unable to indicate, identify lanes, move off properly, being in a hurry for no apparent reason and finally tailgating would you raise the speed limit to 80?

if anything it will make people go more quickly and nearer 90 +.

and those bloody matrix boards with the amount of time to XX i have found people to then put their foot down more!


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Yup, I fully back the proposal to increase the limit from 70mph to 80mph - not just because I love driving fast, but because it is long overdue!! :lol:


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## blazeguarder (Mar 29, 2011)

I like the idea, just not sure that it's actually a good one. The 80mph limits are supposed to be monitored by average speed cameras if I remember correctly. What's more dangerous - the majority of people 'illegally' doing 80mph or the majority of people staring at the speedometer to make sure that they're doing 79mph? Not everyone has cruise control after all...

And the idea of changing speed limits depending on conditions via the gantries is only as good as the people who update them. Good idea in theory, but I don't have much confidence in them seeing as they always seem to spout rubbish. I don't think I'm completely alone on this either. 'Fog' on a sunny day. 'Cattle in road' in a city. And my personal favourite: 'Warning. Oncoming vehicle,' which was nowhere to be seen. 

Might as well leave it as it is. Everyone does these speeds anyway, and we aren't all in jail for it. Obviously I wouldn't know as I only ever drive at the speed limit (honest officer!), but it just seems like legislation for the sake of winning over a few commuters to me.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

blazeguarder said:


> Not everyone has cruise control after all...


Noobs.Even my £8.50 Peugeot 407 has it.

I think before any speed limits are changed we need to get new bulbs sent out to people to fix their indicators,and also motorway driving training would be a good idea.
I drove down to Stratford not long ago and the number of people who drive like complete **** ends is staggering.
They're either hanging off your backside despite the fact you're doing the legal limit or the opposite,driving too slow.So trucks have to overtake them.
Causing another danger,especially with left hookers who have a blind spot right where you'll be when you set off to overtake them.


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

To be honest I don't care what the limit on the motorway is.
I will still do 55mph as I get much better MPG that way


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Dannbodge said:


> To be honest I don't care what the limit on the motorway is.
> I will still do 55mph as I get much better MPG that way


Ahhh, so you are one of the ***** that force HGVs to overtake you and clog up the outside lanes...

What a muppet!!! :wall::wall::wall::wall::wall:

Tell you what, why don't you just drive at 60mph and bill me for the 5mpg you lose.......



:thumb:


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## *Das* (Aug 9, 2010)

Brazo said:


> Given the current price of fuel I think a ten MPH reduction would be more appropriate!


Valid point. Considering that VED is based on so called environmental C02 emissions I have no idea why the government would even consider raising the limit to 80.



The Cueball said:


> Ahhh, so you are one of the ***** that force HGVs to overtake you and clog up the outside lanes...
> 
> What a muppet!!! :wall::wall::wall::wall::wall:
> 
> ...


So much for being Devils Advocate....... 

Last time I looked the worst offenders are HGV's overtaking HGV's doing 1mph more than the HGV they were trying to overtake. Even worse i've seen an HGV trying to overtake another HGV and then after trying for a couple of miles having to slow down and pull back in behind the lorry he was trying to overtake.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

DasArab said:


> So much for being Devils Advocate.......
> 
> Last time I looked the worst offenders are HGV's overtaking HGV's doing 1mph more than the HGV they were trying to overtake. Even worse i've seen an HGV trying to overtake another HGV and then after trying for a couple of miles having to slow down and pull back in behind the lorry he was trying to overtake.


Go and drive a fully laden 40footer and then you will see why they do that, there are very good reasons for it...oh, and after that, maybe have a look into the correct definition of a devil's advocate as well eh.... 

:lol::lol:



:thumb:


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## Guest (May 3, 2012)

vRS Carl said:


> There is more than enough information on the tinternet about modern cars to see what stopping distances are.


Yes, you are quite right, there is plenty of info about :thumb:. (I actually knew the answer before I posted it, I was just interested in any reply :wave.

Autocar has been showing in their road tests that most cars decelerate from 60-0 in around 2.5secs for many years. This equates to about 33m rather than 55m as the HWC states. They are also done using threshold braking (under ideal condition), which is a skill most of us don't have - ABS is still not quite as good as threshold braking, I believe.

These tests represent the best possible braking results. Trouble is there are so many variables. Road surface conditions, actual road material (concrete, asphalt etc), type of rubber compound used, tyre condition and temperature, driver alertness, extra weight in the vehicle, etc, etc, all add up to increasing that distance. These have all got to be taken into account.
A safety margin, so you actually stop slightly short, is probably built in to these figures too - helps you to stop ****ting yourself and doing something stupid at the last moment like steering out of the way and into something else.


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