maximum speed on motorway?
Discussion
nonsequitur said:
Pan Pan Pan said:
Ironically if people were to travel at the posted limits everywhere they went, they would find that they can get to most places they want to be, in reasonable time frames. Having driven very early in the mornings when traffic is relatively light I have found that even when adhering to all the posted limits, very good progress, and reduced journey times are easily achievable without breaking traffic law.
Driving in France gives a sense of this, because the roads are relatively lightly trafficked, so just by sticking to their (more sensible) 80 mph dry road mptorway limit great distances can be covered easily. (a bit like a ship which might only do 20 mph, but it can do that, hour in, and hour out, such that at the end of a day great distances can be covered effortlessly)
Sometimes when in traffic I find myself doing the equivalent of making hay whilst the sun shines (e.g when the road is clear), to help compensate timewise for the almost inevitable (on UK roads) miles of crawling traffic that have to be got through to finally reach ones destination.
The variable speed limits posted on motorway gantries. The traffic does keep moving steadily as I recall. Very few back -ups.Driving in France gives a sense of this, because the roads are relatively lightly trafficked, so just by sticking to their (more sensible) 80 mph dry road mptorway limit great distances can be covered easily. (a bit like a ship which might only do 20 mph, but it can do that, hour in, and hour out, such that at the end of a day great distances can be covered effortlessly)
Sometimes when in traffic I find myself doing the equivalent of making hay whilst the sun shines (e.g when the road is clear), to help compensate timewise for the almost inevitable (on UK roads) miles of crawling traffic that have to be got through to finally reach ones destination.
If only it did. As soon as the reduced speed limits get posted up on the gantries most of the time the traffic slows to a crawl, the hundreds of times I have looked up at the gantries with 40 or 50 mph posted on them, whilst crawling along at 4 or 5 mph. Those signs create traffic jams they do not ease them.
Pan Pan Pan said:
nonsequitur said:
Pan Pan Pan said:
Ironically if people were to travel at the posted limits everywhere they went, they would find that they can get to most places they want to be, in reasonable time frames. Having driven very early in the mornings when traffic is relatively light I have found that even when adhering to all the posted limits, very good progress, and reduced journey times are easily achievable without breaking traffic law.
Driving in France gives a sense of this, because the roads are relatively lightly trafficked, so just by sticking to their (more sensible) 80 mph dry road mptorway limit great distances can be covered easily. (a bit like a ship which might only do 20 mph, but it can do that, hour in, and hour out, such that at the end of a day great distances can be covered effortlessly)
Sometimes when in traffic I find myself doing the equivalent of making hay whilst the sun shines (e.g when the road is clear), to help compensate timewise for the almost inevitable (on UK roads) miles of crawling traffic that have to be got through to finally reach ones destination.
The variable speed limits posted on motorway gantries. The traffic does keep moving steadily as I recall. Very few back -ups.Driving in France gives a sense of this, because the roads are relatively lightly trafficked, so just by sticking to their (more sensible) 80 mph dry road mptorway limit great distances can be covered easily. (a bit like a ship which might only do 20 mph, but it can do that, hour in, and hour out, such that at the end of a day great distances can be covered effortlessly)
Sometimes when in traffic I find myself doing the equivalent of making hay whilst the sun shines (e.g when the road is clear), to help compensate timewise for the almost inevitable (on UK roads) miles of crawling traffic that have to be got through to finally reach ones destination.
If only it did. As soon as the reduced speed limits get posted up on the gantries most of the time the traffic slows to a crawl, the hundreds of times I have looked up at the gantries with 40 or 50 mph posted on them, whilst crawling along at 4 or 5 mph. Those signs create traffic jams they do not ease them.
Haltamer said:
PorkRind said:
Not sure if more managed motorways would be a good thing. 80 when little traffic and free flowing. Reduce it for off weather, greater wry of cars etc. Ultimately they're a means of getting from. A to. Be relatively quickly compared to a and b roads.
With the boredom and middling average speeds of many motorways, I've taken to using small A / B Roads far more often, just running in parallel with the motorway when I'm alone. Makes things far more enjoyable, and not too much of an impact on journey times - Nice to see / visit the quaint villages along the way.Solocle said:
Vipers said:
Solocle said:
What I'm waiting for is for one of those lower speed limits "for air quality" to be broken by a guy in a Tesla. It would be interesting to see that play out in court.
No contest, still be exceeding the speed limit.I always thought engines were designed to perform better at or around 70, seem to have read that somewhere, could be BS of course.
miken2k8 said:
So iv'e always done minimum 90 max 98 on motorway but seem to speed past most other traffic. Not after a lecture about speeding i take that risk on my head but i feel the slower you go the more steering and throttle input. Not many go at this speed would like to see if i'm in a minority on a motoring forum?
'On your head' may be, But travelling at close to 100 mph on a MW could, potentially be in addition, other peoples heads. Let us all S(dab). Pan Pan Pan said:
nonsequitur said:
Pan Pan Pan said:
Ironically if people were to travel at the posted limits everywhere they went, they would find that they can get to most places they want to be, in reasonable time frames. Having driven very early in the mornings when traffic is relatively light I have found that even when adhering to all the posted limits, very good progress, and reduced journey times are easily achievable without breaking traffic law.
Driving in France gives a sense of this, because the roads are relatively lightly trafficked, so just by sticking to their (more sensible) 80 mph dry road mptorway limit great distances can be covered easily. (a bit like a ship which might only do 20 mph, but it can do that, hour in, and hour out, such that at the end of a day great distances can be covered effortlessly)
Sometimes when in traffic I find myself doing the equivalent of making hay whilst the sun shines (e.g when the road is clear), to help compensate timewise for the almost inevitable (on UK roads) miles of crawling traffic that have to be got through to finally reach ones destination.
The variable speed limits posted on motorway gantries. The traffic does keep moving steadily as I recall. Very few back -ups.Driving in France gives a sense of this, because the roads are relatively lightly trafficked, so just by sticking to their (more sensible) 80 mph dry road mptorway limit great distances can be covered easily. (a bit like a ship which might only do 20 mph, but it can do that, hour in, and hour out, such that at the end of a day great distances can be covered effortlessly)
Sometimes when in traffic I find myself doing the equivalent of making hay whilst the sun shines (e.g when the road is clear), to help compensate timewise for the almost inevitable (on UK roads) miles of crawling traffic that have to be got through to finally reach ones destination.
If only it did. As soon as the reduced speed limits get posted up on the gantries most of the time the traffic slows to a crawl, the hundreds of times I have looked up at the gantries with 40 or 50 mph posted on them, whilst crawling along at 4 or 5 mph. Those signs create traffic jams they do not ease them.
swisstoni said:
I don’t think the gantry limits are applied for a laugh. They are in response to slow or stopped traffic further up the road and are an attempt to slow the flow into that.
Not always. There's been quite a few occasions where I'm the only vehicle on the motorway at 2am on a clear summers night and i've been slowed down to 30MPH for no apparent reason. Can't think of any reason why they'd do it. Perfect visibility, no traffic, no obstructions...
WarrenB said:
swisstoni said:
I don’t think the gantry limits are applied for a laugh. They are in response to slow or stopped traffic further up the road and are an attempt to slow the flow into that.
Not always. There's been quite a few occasions where I'm the only vehicle on the motorway at 2am on a clear summers night and i've been slowed down to 30MPH for no apparent reason. Can't think of any reason why they'd do it. Perfect visibility, no traffic, no obstructions...
dcb said:
Fairbairn_MacGhillielaidir said:
Speed limits are there for a 'good reason':
No. In the immortal words of LJK Setright "Speed limits waste life.They are a tool of repression".
Most UK speed limits bear little relevance to safety standards or modern day driving.
Witness the plethora of 40 and 50 limits in rural areas.
Local councils like to set speed limits at the 50% level, when science shows
us the 85% level is the safest level. Local councils are being deliberately obtuse
in picking limits known to be non-optimal.
UK motorway speed limit hasn't been changed in half a century. It's as up to date
as Ken Dodd in the pop charts and cross ply tyres and drum brakes on a Morris Minor
in a current world of radial tyres, disc brakes, ABS and the BMW 3 series being a popular car.
Being forced to drive slowly isn't the same as driving carefully.
I have no problem with the current limits, it is those who do not conform to them by either exceeding them by a big margin or driving at a big margin below the posted limit. If roads are the veins and arteries of the country, then a dawdler is the equivalent of a thrombosis, and is just as dangerous as those who exceed the limit by a large margin. Yet some thoughtless people still think that driving slowly is driving safely. It categorically is not.
Vipers said:
Pan Pan Pan said:
nonsequitur said:
Pan Pan Pan said:
Ironically if people were to travel at the posted limits everywhere they went, they would find that they can get to most places they want to be, in reasonable time frames. Having driven very early in the mornings when traffic is relatively light I have found that even when adhering to all the posted limits, very good progress, and reduced journey times are easily achievable without breaking traffic law.
Driving in France gives a sense of this, because the roads are relatively lightly trafficked, so just by sticking to their (more sensible) 80 mph dry road mptorway limit great distances can be covered easily. (a bit like a ship which might only do 20 mph, but it can do that, hour in, and hour out, such that at the end of a day great distances can be covered effortlessly)
Sometimes when in traffic I find myself doing the equivalent of making hay whilst the sun shines (e.g when the road is clear), to help compensate timewise for the almost inevitable (on UK roads) miles of crawling traffic that have to be got through to finally reach ones destination.
The variable speed limits posted on motorway gantries. The traffic does keep moving steadily as I recall. Very few back -ups.Driving in France gives a sense of this, because the roads are relatively lightly trafficked, so just by sticking to their (more sensible) 80 mph dry road mptorway limit great distances can be covered easily. (a bit like a ship which might only do 20 mph, but it can do that, hour in, and hour out, such that at the end of a day great distances can be covered effortlessly)
Sometimes when in traffic I find myself doing the equivalent of making hay whilst the sun shines (e.g when the road is clear), to help compensate timewise for the almost inevitable (on UK roads) miles of crawling traffic that have to be got through to finally reach ones destination.
If only it did. As soon as the reduced speed limits get posted up on the gantries most of the time the traffic slows to a crawl, the hundreds of times I have looked up at the gantries with 40 or 50 mph posted on them, whilst crawling along at 4 or 5 mph. Those signs create traffic jams they do not ease them.
Vipers said:
WarrenB said:
swisstoni said:
I don’t think the gantry limits are applied for a laugh. They are in response to slow or stopped traffic further up the road and are an attempt to slow the flow into that.
Not always. There's been quite a few occasions where I'm the only vehicle on the motorway at 2am on a clear summers night and i've been slowed down to 30MPH for no apparent reason. Can't think of any reason why they'd do it. Perfect visibility, no traffic, no obstructions...
Pan Pan Pan said:
dcb said:
Fairbairn_MacGhillielaidir said:
Speed limits are there for a 'good reason':
No. In the immortal words of LJK Setright "Speed limits waste life.They are a tool of repression".
Most UK speed limits bear little relevance to safety standards or modern day driving.
Witness the plethora of 40 and 50 limits in rural areas.
Local councils like to set speed limits at the 50% level, when science shows
us the 85% level is the safest level. Local councils are being deliberately obtuse
in picking limits known to be non-optimal.
UK motorway speed limit hasn't been changed in half a century. It's as up to date
as Ken Dodd in the pop charts and cross ply tyres and drum brakes on a Morris Minor
in a current world of radial tyres, disc brakes, ABS and the BMW 3 series being a popular car.
Being forced to drive slowly isn't the same as driving carefully.
I have no problem with the current limits, it is those who do not conform to them by either exceeding them by a big margin or driving at a big margin below the posted limit. If roads are the veins and arteries of the country, then a dawdler is the equivalent of a thrombosis, and is just as dangerous as those who exceed the limit by a large margin. Yet some thoughtless people still think that driving slowly is driving safely. It categorically is not.
I'd be in favour of an increase but the same t
ttery currently on display, but at higher speeds, and speed differentials, doesn't sound too great.There seems to be a different mindset in those who control motorways in this country compared to others.
In France for example their aim seems to be to keep the road open, and if it is blocked by an incident then to get the road cleared and traffic flowing again as soon as possible.
In this country the aim of the road controllers seems to be to get the road shut down for the tiniest of reasons, and then take as long as possible to get the traffic flowing again. It almost seems that they like causing hold ups and congestion.
In France for example their aim seems to be to keep the road open, and if it is blocked by an incident then to get the road cleared and traffic flowing again as soon as possible.
In this country the aim of the road controllers seems to be to get the road shut down for the tiniest of reasons, and then take as long as possible to get the traffic flowing again. It almost seems that they like causing hold ups and congestion.
swisstoni said:
Pan Pan Pan said:
dcb said:
Fairbairn_MacGhillielaidir said:
Speed limits are there for a 'good reason':
No. In the immortal words of LJK Setright "Speed limits waste life.They are a tool of repression".
Most UK speed limits bear little relevance to safety standards or modern day driving.
Witness the plethora of 40 and 50 limits in rural areas.
Local councils like to set speed limits at the 50% level, when science shows
us the 85% level is the safest level. Local councils are being deliberately obtuse
in picking limits known to be non-optimal.
UK motorway speed limit hasn't been changed in half a century. It's as up to date
as Ken Dodd in the pop charts and cross ply tyres and drum brakes on a Morris Minor
in a current world of radial tyres, disc brakes, ABS and the BMW 3 series being a popular car.
Being forced to drive slowly isn't the same as driving carefully.
I have no problem with the current limits, it is those who do not conform to them by either exceeding them by a big margin or driving at a big margin below the posted limit. If roads are the veins and arteries of the country, then a dawdler is the equivalent of a thrombosis, and is just as dangerous as those who exceed the limit by a large margin. Yet some thoughtless people still think that driving slowly is driving safely. It categorically is not.
I'd be in favour of an increase but the same t
ttery currently on display, but at higher speeds, and speed differentials, doesn't sound too great.Some limits were introduced when vehicles had cart spring suspension, dodgy (sometimes rod operated drum brakes). Now vastly better tyres, ABS, stability control, and many other electronic driving aids contribute to increased safety on the roads at much higher speeds than cars 50 years ago were capable of.
Those that conform to the posted limits are fine, it is those who either exceed them by a big margin, or travel at much lower speeds than the posted limits (who are thankfully the odd ones out), and who constitute the major speed related problems on todays crowded roads.
Edited by Pan Pan Pan on Friday 1st February 12:29
Sir Bagalot said:
That's a maths fail.
Half way around the M25 is 60 miles. Ish.
At 65 it will take you a shade over 55 mins. At 85 it will take a shade over 42 mins. That's 13 mins saved over 60 miles.
I can see the logic of the OP. You get there quicker.
A mate of mine one evening did Blackpool to North London in 135 mins. His attitude was get caught at 99 you won't get a ban. True. They now drive on a motorway at 60 steady. Uses less fuel but more importantly he says you are less stressed. Driving at silly speeds requires majority concentration, you get tired quicker and suffer stress.
That was a few years ago.
Nowadays you can't really speed due to lane hoggers. You also have the issues of cameras. Quite often I'll be in lane 1 doing 60 and am overtaken by some flying machines. 5 miles up the road I catch them up.
Perhaps it's just an age thing
Blackpool to North London in 2 hours 15 mins? If we called Brent Cross North London being bottom of M1, that is appx 230 miles. Would need to average 103 mph... i’ll say BullsHalf way around the M25 is 60 miles. Ish.
At 65 it will take you a shade over 55 mins. At 85 it will take a shade over 42 mins. That's 13 mins saved over 60 miles.
I can see the logic of the OP. You get there quicker.
A mate of mine one evening did Blackpool to North London in 135 mins. His attitude was get caught at 99 you won't get a ban. True. They now drive on a motorway at 60 steady. Uses less fuel but more importantly he says you are less stressed. Driving at silly speeds requires majority concentration, you get tired quicker and suffer stress.
That was a few years ago.
Nowadays you can't really speed due to lane hoggers. You also have the issues of cameras. Quite often I'll be in lane 1 doing 60 and am overtaken by some flying machines. 5 miles up the road I catch them up.
Perhaps it's just an age thing
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