New petition to getthe Government to raise motorway speed li

[Flibble]

bad company said:

surveyor_101 said:

To drive economically with smooth planning and flowing and to achieve maximum efficiency actually takes some skill, it can be quite interesting to see whats the highest mpg you can get.

Sorry but-

Agreed. I normally want to get my motorway journeys done as quickly and efficiently as possible, not spend ages sat on a dull road hypermiling.
Interesting is a nice A or B road, or a track.

[Ken Figenus]

surveyor_101 said:

I recently drove a trackered marked works vehicle on 500 miles round trip and hardly went over 65. It was so much more relaxing than trying to go as fast as traffic allows.

Edited by surveyor_101 on Friday 17th March 13:13

I tried Cardiff to London at 60mph once and it was a total stress fest. I've never changed lane or sat in truck ruts so much in my life. Awful journey!

[cmaguire]

Ken Figenus said:

I tried Cardiff to London at 60mph once and it was a total stress fest. I've never changed lane or sat in truck ruts so much in my life. Awful journey!

I had a knackered head gasket on my work van a few years back which meant any heavy acceleration or sustained speed above 80 made it overheat.
The tedium of having to drive at similar acceleration and speed to the majority of other vehicles was mind-numbing. The aggravation of having to wait behind other vehicles before overtaking because a line of other vehicles were already overtaking at less than 5mph faster, or being run up the arse of trucks by drivers in the next lane that don't either slow or accelerate to provide a gap was never ending.
Do 90+ everywhere (even faster is better) and you don't get involved in all this tedious nonsense. Far less stressful.

[robinessex]

Keep speed limits on motorways and dual carraige ways as they are. Put speed limit exemption on the driver. The faster you want to to go, the more advanced driver training certificate you'll need to be allowed to do it. And if you go at warp 10 irresponsibley, you can still get done for dangerous driving. The onus would be on you to proove otherwise.

[Crafty_]

There is little point in upping the limit when every morning and evening the motorways are full of stop-start traffic for miles on end.

[Cold]

Crafty_ said:

There is little point in upping the limit when every morning and evening the motorways are full of stop-start traffic for miles on end.

What about when it isn't morning or evening?

[cmaguire]

robinessex said:

Keep speed limits on motorways and dual carraige ways as they are. Put speed limit exemption on the driver. The faster you want to to go, the more advanced driver training certificate you'll need to be allowed to do it. And if you go at warp 10 irresponsibley, you can still get done for dangerous driving. The onus would be on you to proove otherwise.

Don't rely on IAM or RoSPA for your exemptions, their training has very little to do with going fast.
Would a session supervised on track with a demonstration of talent be your solution, or do designated instructors take candidates for on-road assessments where the candidates give it some stick amongst all the other road users to show their talent in real-life scenarios?

[cj2013]

surveyor_101 said:

Any idiot can stamp on the throttle on the motorway and do 80mph plus accelerating and braking and wasting fuel.

To drive economically with smooth planning and flowing and to achieve maximum efficiency actually takes some skill, it can be quite interesting to see whats the highest mpg you can get.

I agree - if I'm not constrained by time, you'll find me in lane 1 scavenging aerodynamic advantage from a lorry.

I find it far less stressful and more engaging to do MPG challenges - it makes you look forward to 50mph limits and roadworks. It also makes you a safer driver as you try and leave appropriate braking distances as not to lose any mpg in accelerating back up etc.


Granted some may find this pitiful, but I am just as interested in trying to see just how economical a big engine can be, when driven with an appropriate level of skill.

[cmaguire]

cj2013 said:

I agree - if I'm not constrained by time, you'll find me in lane 1 scavenging aerodynamic advantage from a lorry.

I find it far less stressful and more engaging to do MPG challenges - it makes you look forward to 50mph limits and roadworks. It also makes you a safer driver as you try and leave appropriate braking distances as not to lose any mpg in accelerating back up etc.


Granted some may find this pitiful, but I am just as interested in trying to see just how economical a big engine can be, when driven with an appropriate level of skill.

This is a wind-up, right?
If not, buy a car with a smaller engine. Problem solved.

[cj2013]

cmaguire said:

This is a wind-up, right?
If not, buy a car with a smaller engine. Problem solved.

That's more of a wind up.


You're saying that anyone who buys a car with even a reasonable amount of power has to drive everywhere with the right pedal on the floor?

Are you 12?

[nyxster]

given the horrendous lane discipline this is a terrible ideal. There is a large quotent of muppetry for whom driving at 90 mph would exceed their ability to both control a vehicle and mouth-breath would be a bridge too far.

I'd rather they just scrap penalty points and let us speed on a pay as you go basis.

[cmaguire]

cj2013 said:

That's more of a wind up.


You're saying that anyone who buys a car with even a reasonable amount of power has to drive everywhere with the right pedal on the floor?

Are you 12?

I think you should buy the vehicle that most closely matches the use you will put it to within the constraints of your budget.
You obviously think different, whose logic makes more sense?

[catso]

toon10 said:

I'd like to see variable limits, maybe raise them depending on conditions and time of day but that would mean investment in signage up and down the country and would probably cause more confusion.

And more speed cameras...

[Dr Jekyll]

cmaguire said:

Don't rely on IAM or RoSPA for your exemptions, their training has very little to do with going fast.
Would a session supervised on track with a demonstration of talent be your solution, or do designated instructors take candidates for on-road assessments where the candidates give it some stick amongst all the other road users to show their talent in real-life scenarios?

Don't rely in track supervision for your training, this has bugger all to do with road driving. IAM and RosPA do at least give you feedback on your observation ability, which is precisely what you need for identifying where you can go faster and more important when to back off.

I don't agree with qualification based exemptions for civilian drivers anyway. It would just encourage the muppets to think 'well I'm not going fast so I don't need to worry about planning ahead or concentrating'.

[robinessex]

Dr Jekyll said:

cmaguire said:

Don't rely on IAM or RoSPA for your exemptions, their training has very little to do with going fast.
Would a session supervised on track with a demonstration of talent be your solution, or do designated instructors take candidates for on-road assessments where the candidates give it some stick amongst all the other road users to show their talent in real-life scenarios?

Don't rely in track supervision for your training, this has bugger all to do with road driving. IAM and RosPA do at least give you feedback on your observation ability, which is precisely what you need for identifying where you can go faster and more important when to back off.

I don't agree with qualification based exemptions for civilian drivers anyway. It would just encourage the muppets to think 'well I'm not going fast so I don't need to worry about planning ahead or concentrating'.

So staus quo for the muppets then. Basic driver skills will still appply, without them, no licence. And of course, the 5yearly re-test!!!

[vonhosen]

5 year re-test?
Is that on the cards then, or are we talking Utopia here?

[robinessex]

vonhosen said:

5 year re-test?
Is that on the cards then, or are we talking Utopia here?

Utopia I'm afraid. Apparently you need to check the nuts on your +3yr old car each year, but not the nut driving it !! Ever !!

[Spanglepants]

Having just been on a Driver Awareness course and listening to one of the instructors this seems to be the way its going. We were informed that - in his words- You will never, ever, ever see the limit raised to 80 mph.
Next gem was " everywhere you see a speed camera blood has been spilt "

surveyor_101 said:

It will get vetoed by highways England and brake.

Highways England say it will increase accidents. They have proven slowing traffic down reduces crashes and congestion.

People near motorways will moan about noise and an increase.

Pollution will be another reason and the reason the government dropped it previously.

Traveling at 80mpg burns 15-20% more fuel in my experience. Studies say more like 20-25%.

[davepoth]

One thing that will make a difference is derestricting trucks so that we don't get so much elephant racing.

[Dr Jekyll]

The problem I find with trucks is that in a 50 limit they often regard driving on the limiter is close enough and seem to think that by tailgating they can intimidate other drivers into exceeding 50 as well.