RE: M-way limit jumps to 100mph
Monday 17th October 2005
Can you imagine it here?Also from our foreign news department, Austria is to introduce an experimental speed limit on one motorway section of 160kph (100mph), up from the country's current motorway limit of 130kph.
M-way limit jumps to 100mph
Austria hikes speed limit to predictable reactions
Can you imagine it here?
Transport minister Hartwig Hufnagl said the move would go ahead before the middle of 2006, and that a section of road with a good surface, and few gradients or curves would be selected for the test. The limit will be shown on electronic boards, which will indicate a lower limit in bad weather.
The response from the usual suspects, including the Green Party, has been that accidents will increase. In particular, the Traffic Club of Austria said 40 per cent of fatal accidents since the start of 2005 were caused by drivers exceeding speed limits. The Club didn't however say whether they were urban or motorway limits.
So that's a good argument, then. It also ignores the experience of a similar experiment in Denmark in 2004. The limit was raised to 130kph, resulting in accident rates falling.
Discussion
speed8 said:
Everyone drives fast in Austria anyway. We were consistantly overtaken by Germans and Austrians in their AuBMedes regardless of what road or country it was. The Focus just couldn't keep up and promptly destroyed it's water pump shortly after.
Bad luck. A bloke I met in Belgium once had just driven in from Austria.
He said he'd spent all day on the German autobahn at 100 mph in his Focus, and folks were queueing up to get past him. Mind you 8 hours at 100 mph is 800 miles, so I'm not sure.
Personally, I keep it down to 150 kph in Austria, and I get no bother.
I hope it's the A12 autobahn from Landeck to Kufstein they are having the experiment on. 180 kph would be useful through the Alps, but maybe not in winter.
I have to applaud them for this initiative. I sat, last night, in the rain on the M3 (into London) at a mind numbing 50 mph. It had been a long day with the family and I had to keep conversations going with my wife and kids to keep me from nodding off. As soon as I hit an open stretch of road (M25 south.....I know it sound unbelievable!), I got the car up to a range of 70 to 85 mph (the rain had stopped) and my alertness was back to normal and the changing of lanes and slowing for slower trafic in front and accelerating past them kept me on top form for the final stretch home.
I find that going faster always makes me more aware of other road users.
My analogy of this is standing in a queue and waiting our turn to shuffle up, which in essence is what we are all doing if we are being good citizens and just following the leader. It is one of the most life sapping experiences. Now try to queue jump or look for the next line to open up (e.g. at passport control at an airport). You are constantly looking around for the next opportunity to get past the people next to you and always want to do this with the least trouble caused, with the ultimate goal of doing the best for yourself.
I find that going faster always makes me more aware of other road users.
My analogy of this is standing in a queue and waiting our turn to shuffle up, which in essence is what we are all doing if we are being good citizens and just following the leader. It is one of the most life sapping experiences. Now try to queue jump or look for the next line to open up (e.g. at passport control at an airport). You are constantly looking around for the next opportunity to get past the people next to you and always want to do this with the least trouble caused, with the ultimate goal of doing the best for yourself.
bridgland said:
Now try to queue jump or look for the next line to open up (e.g. at passport control at an airport). You are constantly looking around for the next opportunity to get past the people next to you and always want to do this with the least trouble caused, with the ultimate goal of doing the best for yourself.
This is how Queues works in countries like Italy etc and they drive the same way too, maybe the typical English mindset is too placid
Variable speed limits are certainly the way to go. How many stretches of motorway do you know along which there is more than 295m visibility (as prescribed for the 120Km/h motorway design speed)? I know plenty.
By that token, how much rain does it take to reduce that visibility? And how many stretches are there where you can't even see 295m? Obviously a blanket increase to 90mph throughout the network isn't appropriate, but I know a stretch of the M1 near Nottingham that would be good for 140mph if assessed only on a basis of visiblity.
Unfortunately I see a few problems with the idea:-
Firstly, there'd be a whole host of people who just don't bother to slow down when the limit changes, so...
Secondly, you'd need an awful lot of signs to make sure people don't miss the change in limit, or CLAIM to miss the change,
And thirdly, I've lost count of the number of times I've seen the strategic message signs telling me I was in a queue on an empty road, or a lane was closed when it wasn't, etc., because they aren't updated with sufficient regularity. What happens when they forget to change the speed limit signs?
By that token, how much rain does it take to reduce that visibility? And how many stretches are there where you can't even see 295m? Obviously a blanket increase to 90mph throughout the network isn't appropriate, but I know a stretch of the M1 near Nottingham that would be good for 140mph if assessed only on a basis of visiblity.
Unfortunately I see a few problems with the idea:-
Firstly, there'd be a whole host of people who just don't bother to slow down when the limit changes, so...
Secondly, you'd need an awful lot of signs to make sure people don't miss the change in limit, or CLAIM to miss the change,
And thirdly, I've lost count of the number of times I've seen the strategic message signs telling me I was in a queue on an empty road, or a lane was closed when it wasn't, etc., because they aren't updated with sufficient regularity. What happens when they forget to change the speed limit signs?
I don’t understand the response from the Green Party coz if “40 per cent of fatal accidents since the start of 2005 were caused by drivers exceeding speed limits” a proportion of those quoted accidents will now (with the raised limit) occur at lower than the speed limit, so the figures will look better.
Extending the argument further, could we remove all speed limits and cut fatalities by 40% ? I think I ought to be on one of those government studies – the figures never lie
)
Extending the argument further, could we remove all speed limits and cut fatalities by 40% ? I think I ought to be on one of those government studies – the figures never lie
) Andrew D said:
Unfortunately I see a few problems with the idea:-
Firstly, there'd be a whole host of people who just don't bother to slow down when the limit changes, so...
As with Germany ...there'd be a lot of cops and
scams where derestricted meets restricted....
Andrew D said:
Secondly, you'd need an awful lot of signs to make sure people don't miss the change in limit, or CLAIM to miss the change,
We are talking about Austria...like German and Swiss relatives, Liebchen - pedants! who are "peinlich genau" (terribly exact und precise
) Andrew D said:
And thirdly, I've lost count of the number of times I've seen the strategic message signs telling me I was in a queue on an empty road, or a lane was closed when it wasn't, etc., because they aren't updated with sufficient regularity. What happens when they forget to change the speed limit signs?
Ist a British motorway disease per the orange sign thread.. Was sign telling me it was foggy in bright sunshine once james_j said:
The naysayers in Austria seem to be as stupid as those we have to put up with in the UK.
Exactly. To be honest I don't even consider the opinions of the greens anymore. Their opinions are as meaninful to me as those of the BNP.
Green party: The art of cherry picking facts to suit a politically biased train of thought. 'We don't do rationale!'
dcb said:
He said he'd spent all day on the German autobahn at 100 mph in his Focus, and folks were queueing up to get past him. Mind you 8 hours at 100 mph is 800 miles, so I'm not sure.
it is in theory, in reality maxing it out at 160kmh ends up averaging maybe 110-120 (+fuel stops)
most derestricted roads in germany, you'll get a lot of people doing about 200kph (top whack on all the diesel mondeo/passat/a4 etc reps)
Like so many other groups that oppose these kinds of increases they never react with a balanced view, as said previously and in the report Denmark increased it's limit and fatal accidents reduced by what % we dont know. Similar story in the state of Montana in the U.S. until a few years back there was no limit at all on roads outside of built up areas again do gooding know it alls came along and cry'd out at such insanity! It was taken to the supreme court who ruled they must fall in line with the rest of the U.S. since that ruling fatal accidents have been on the increase year on year. Prior to this ruling Montana had the least amount of fatal accidents in the U.S. Hmm go figure!!
dcb said:
A bloke I met in Belgium once had just driven in from Austria.
He said he'd spent all day on the German autobahn at 100 mph in his Focus, and folks were queueing up to get past him.
you sure he wasnt english? you can normaly spot them on the continent - the ones with a queue of traffic behind them, its embarrasing.
I drove in Canada recently, along the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way, I think) around Toronto. It hadn't occured to me that speed limits would be in KPH in Canada so I was initially quite excitied to see it signed at 100!
There no mention that it's KPH so I wonder how many Americans (who would have no idea about anything metric) come over the border and drive at 100MPH?
There no mention that it's KPH so I wonder how many Americans (who would have no idea about anything metric) come over the border and drive at 100MPH?
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