All Speed Limits removed, what would happen ?
Discussion
Not very much.
Of course you'd have tools going beyond their limits, but then you have that with booze, drugs and other things... negative for the environment (increased fuel consumption), positive for the economy (shorter journey times). With increased efficiency of engines though, that problem would be taken care of by itself I feel. One problem, where would Nanny State get her money to replace the speeding fines and camera pork?
Of course you'd have tools going beyond their limits, but then you have that with booze, drugs and other things... negative for the environment (increased fuel consumption), positive for the economy (shorter journey times). With increased efficiency of engines though, that problem would be taken care of by itself I feel. One problem, where would Nanny State get her money to replace the speeding fines and camera pork?
In areas where the traffic flows well, or there is little, mayhem, as young or inexperienced drivers mistake "no limit" for "free for all", especially in towns, with in increase in pedestrian fatalities.
Outside of that, and on busy motorways, a few extra bangs, but not much different. You can only speed up if the space in front allows...
Outside of that, and on busy motorways, a few extra bangs, but not much different. You can only speed up if the space in front allows...
On roads where the conditions mean you can't drive at the speed limit already, no change. On SC roads where you can, speeds would probably increase but accidents would not, because people were probably travelling at those speeds anyway but now would not be wasting attention looking for scameras.
Motorways and DCs would be the big change, I can imagine lorries would act as a speed buffer. There'd be big problems unless people learned to follow at sensible distances but I imagine the usual top speed for people would be the psychological 100, unless fuel cost or car suitability was reining them in (80 is plenty with my car!).
After about 1am out on the motorways and DCs it'd be... interesting. Back to cafe racers? Possibly! There's a pair of roundabouts at each end of the bypass around my town - I can easily imagine people racing from one end of the town to the other, and back, to see who sets the fastest time...
Motorways and DCs would be the big change, I can imagine lorries would act as a speed buffer. There'd be big problems unless people learned to follow at sensible distances but I imagine the usual top speed for people would be the psychological 100, unless fuel cost or car suitability was reining them in (80 is plenty with my car!).
After about 1am out on the motorways and DCs it'd be... interesting. Back to cafe racers? Possibly! There's a pair of roundabouts at each end of the bypass around my town - I can easily imagine people racing from one end of the town to the other, and back, to see who sets the fastest time...
I think I'd probably:
- Drive around the same in what were 20 zones.
- Increase my speed in what were the 30 zones to about 35/40.
- Stick to what the 50-60 roads were unless arrow straight then I'd push towards 70.
- Dual carriageways probably 70-80.
- Motorways 90-100.
Obviously these would be applicable when conditions allowed like summertime with suitable adjustment in rain or dark conditions.
It could help to prevent some accidents as it would place the emphasis on the driver to read the road correctly and adjust, but with many drivers seeing the current speed limits as targets rather than taking in information from other sources I think it would be mayhem. The potential for massive speed differences on the same piece of road means I personally wouldn't want it to happen.
- Drive around the same in what were 20 zones.
- Increase my speed in what were the 30 zones to about 35/40.
- Stick to what the 50-60 roads were unless arrow straight then I'd push towards 70.
- Dual carriageways probably 70-80.
- Motorways 90-100.
Obviously these would be applicable when conditions allowed like summertime with suitable adjustment in rain or dark conditions.
It could help to prevent some accidents as it would place the emphasis on the driver to read the road correctly and adjust, but with many drivers seeing the current speed limits as targets rather than taking in information from other sources I think it would be mayhem. The potential for massive speed differences on the same piece of road means I personally wouldn't want it to happen.
wst said:
On roads where the conditions mean you can't drive at the speed limit already, no change. On SC roads where you can, speeds would probably increase but accidents would not, because people were probably travelling at those speeds anyway but now would not be wasting attention looking for scameras.
...
Accident frequency might be the same, but outcomes would be different - energy increases massively with speed, so the crashes would have more injuries - as average vehicle speed,and therefore crash speed increased?...
Urban areas would quite possibly be mayhem -Many people would not drive to the conditions.
Rural roads? possibly very little different from how it was before the NSL was replaced wholesale with 50 & 40mph limits, until reaching a village, where many wouldn't slow down.
Motorways? Some people would drive faster, but not everybody, like in Germany.
-although some people would have you believe that everybody drives absolutely flat out over there, they really don't.
Rural roads? possibly very little different from how it was before the NSL was replaced wholesale with 50 & 40mph limits, until reaching a village, where many wouldn't slow down.
Motorways? Some people would drive faster, but not everybody, like in Germany.
-although some people would have you believe that everybody drives absolutely flat out over there, they really don't.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 25th February 23:13
J4CKO said:
Would it be utter carnage ?
I am not sure it would be that different really.
I'd drive to my best judgement, which is exactly what I do now, but I'd spend less of my attention scanning for speed vans/unmarked cars.I am not sure it would be that different really.
I'd be safer (that is, my driving would be safer). I suspect the hooligan mob would "darwin" themselves.
C
The problem I see with people doing silly speeds is not that it isn't safe to do so (although in many cases it most definitely isn't safe) but that it would be very difficult for traffic to move smoothly if everybody is doing a different speed.
You can see this on the motorway when it's busy. A lot of people doing bang on 70 overtaking the people doing 50, 60, 65, etc. getting tailgated by people who think they own the road and that it's 'safe' to do 80, 90, 100 and so on. Lots of short, sharp braking ensues and the road gets slower because gaps between cars are getting smaller and people keep hitting the brakes to keep from going into the back of each other. Then, of course, you get stupid accidents starting to happen as people are getting too close because they think they have the right to push slower (i.e. doing the speed limit) traffic out of the way.
In short, I don't care what the speed limit is as long as people stick to it when there is other traffic about but in my opinion, 70mph is a pretty good speed when you consider fuel economy, stopping distance and all the other factors.
You can see this on the motorway when it's busy. A lot of people doing bang on 70 overtaking the people doing 50, 60, 65, etc. getting tailgated by people who think they own the road and that it's 'safe' to do 80, 90, 100 and so on. Lots of short, sharp braking ensues and the road gets slower because gaps between cars are getting smaller and people keep hitting the brakes to keep from going into the back of each other. Then, of course, you get stupid accidents starting to happen as people are getting too close because they think they have the right to push slower (i.e. doing the speed limit) traffic out of the way.
In short, I don't care what the speed limit is as long as people stick to it when there is other traffic about but in my opinion, 70mph is a pretty good speed when you consider fuel economy, stopping distance and all the other factors.
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