License to drive fast?
Discussion
Taken from Ananova...
Give good drivers 90 mph licence, says Lib Dem
Good drivers should be rewarded by being allowed to drive faster, a Liberal Democrat frontbencher has said.
Lembit Opik said that driving licences could be amended to include a personal top speed of 70, 80 or 90 mph depending on the individual motorist's safety record.
The scheme could work only if the technology used in speed and road congestion cameras developed considerably from its current standards, Mr Opik acknowledged.
But he said the idea was an example of a new approach to politics which aimed to reward good behaviour as well as punishing misbehaviour.
Mr Opik floated the idea at a fringe meeting of the Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton, but is not putting it forward for consideration as official party policy.
He said: "We are losing sight of the purpose of driving law. Its purpose is not to force everyone to drive at 70 on the motorway, it is to make sure everyone drives safely.
"The idea is to tailor the law around people's competence and sense of responsibility. If you can be safe at 80, there's no point making you drive at 70.
"With the kind of technology that is being developed, it would be a refreshing change to say we are going to give drivers some freedom back."
A '90 licence' might become a status symbol amongst drivers, encouraging them to drive responsibly in the hope of improving their rating, he added.
He also suggested the scheme could ease the sense of resentment felt by drivers towards the speed cameras, which have become an increasingly-used police tool.
What do you guys think?
>>> Edited by xsaravtr on Monday 22 September 19:49
Give good drivers 90 mph licence, says Lib Dem
Good drivers should be rewarded by being allowed to drive faster, a Liberal Democrat frontbencher has said.
Lembit Opik said that driving licences could be amended to include a personal top speed of 70, 80 or 90 mph depending on the individual motorist's safety record.
The scheme could work only if the technology used in speed and road congestion cameras developed considerably from its current standards, Mr Opik acknowledged.
But he said the idea was an example of a new approach to politics which aimed to reward good behaviour as well as punishing misbehaviour.
Mr Opik floated the idea at a fringe meeting of the Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton, but is not putting it forward for consideration as official party policy.
He said: "We are losing sight of the purpose of driving law. Its purpose is not to force everyone to drive at 70 on the motorway, it is to make sure everyone drives safely.
"The idea is to tailor the law around people's competence and sense of responsibility. If you can be safe at 80, there's no point making you drive at 70.
"With the kind of technology that is being developed, it would be a refreshing change to say we are going to give drivers some freedom back."
A '90 licence' might become a status symbol amongst drivers, encouraging them to drive responsibly in the hope of improving their rating, he added.
He also suggested the scheme could ease the sense of resentment felt by drivers towards the speed cameras, which have become an increasingly-used police tool.
What do you guys think?
>>> Edited by xsaravtr on Monday 22 September 19:49
Why not just have the limit at 80 or 90 and make the police actually STOP AND FINE people for offences other than speeding such as driving 2" from the car in front, undertaking, driving with foglights on, driving a Maxed Corsa etc.
If they got the message though that bad and careless driving is simply not accepted then we might see an improvement in driving standards.
Oh, and introduce re-testing periodically
If they got the message though that bad and careless driving is simply not accepted then we might see an improvement in driving standards.
Oh, and introduce re-testing periodically
There would need to be some kind of marker/sticker to state what your maximum speed is. This could be displayed on the back of the car like the "60" stickers on the back of caravans.
This would have to be tied into the DVLA so that the Police
can check that the driver hasn't just stuck a sticker on with a higher limit that they are entitled to drive at... 
I can see this needing lots of admin
and this means that it'll probably never happen...
This would have to be tied into the DVLA so that the Police
can check that the driver hasn't just stuck a sticker on with a higher limit that they are entitled to drive at... I can see this needing lots of admin
and this means that it'll probably never happen...hmmm 
Sounds to me a little like a motorist friendly story that we'll like to cover the introduction of the above. I can imagine the meeting,
"how will we bring in tons of new cameras without loseing the motorist vote?"
"I know lets say we need them to give a higher speed limit"
"I like it! We'll make a PM out of you yet"
Also when an idea like this was mentioned on here before I remember someone bringing up the point that it'd be OK until you with your 'fast' licence comes up to someone with only a slow licence
>> Edited by rpguk on Wednesday 24th September 10:45
the nice man said:
The scheme could work only if the technology used in speed and road congestion cameras developed considerably from its current standards, Mr Opik acknowledged.
Sounds to me a little like a motorist friendly story that we'll like to cover the introduction of the above. I can imagine the meeting,
"how will we bring in tons of new cameras without loseing the motorist vote?"
"I know lets say we need them to give a higher speed limit"
"I like it! We'll make a PM out of you yet"
Also when an idea like this was mentioned on here before I remember someone bringing up the point that it'd be OK until you with your 'fast' licence comes up to someone with only a slow licence
>> Edited by rpguk on Wednesday 24th September 10:45
Are you guys forgetting something? It's all very well Lembit Opik coming out with this sort of statement, but it's the LIB DEMS we're talking about here - the ones that put speed humps down cul-de-sacs instead of resurfacing, the ones who add pointless traffic islands just to give you something else to drive round. The ones whose manifesto includes a commitment to make private motoring more expensive and to make buses more 'attractive' by closing off more roads to cars. The ones who take down limit signs and put scamera signs up instead.
It said they'd 'look into it' - which means they won't. Sorry guys, but they're just after votes, and if this stuff isn't in their manifesto, it's not happening, I'm sorry.
It said they'd 'look into it' - which means they won't. Sorry guys, but they're just after votes, and if this stuff isn't in their manifesto, it's not happening, I'm sorry.
rpguk said:
Also when an idea like this was mentioned on here before I remember someone bringing up the point that it'd be OK until you with your 'fast' licence comes up to someone with only a slow licence
Much as I'd love to be able to go faster, the danger doesn't come as much from your absolute speed as it does from a difference in speed between different vehicles. ie, everyone traveling at 80mph is safer than some traveling at 50 and others at 80. Especially if by definition the numpties have their speed restricted, then you just KNOW they are going to change lanes without looking while you come up on them with a 30mph speed differential...
jumjum said:Oh not that old chesnut again
The technology is ready to "chip" cars so that the speed can monitored all the time.
And just round the corner they can make cars obey the speed limit.
So complete enforcement is not far away, so anything to increase limits is important.
No it can´t.
No it isn´t.
Never.
J
Variable limits doesn't mean that they have to be enforcable. There are plenty of other dangerous things that can be enforced instead - like driving at an inapropriate speed for the conditions, whatever the limit, or your level of qualification!
This obsession with numbers really pisses me off!
Sean
This obsession with numbers really pisses me off!
Sean
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