Tuesday 3rd July 2012

Damon Hill against 80mph speed limit

Ex-F1 driver says the proposal to increase speed limits on motorways "makes him shudder"

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Hill. Driving too fast and too close to the car in front...

In a list of people likely to speak out against the proposed 80mph motorway speed limit, you probably wouldn’t expect a Formula 1 World Champion to feature. But Damon Hill has today admitted that the prospect of people driving at 80mph “makes him shudder”, telling Sky News that he seldom drives above 70mph as “it’s too stressful”.

Hill. Not looking stressed...

The 1996 F1 champ says in his experience of motorway driving many people “drive too fast, too close to the car in front, and they think they know what they’re doing”. He even suggests that most drivers are not safe to drive over 55mph, such is the lack of concentration displayed by many.

The retired racer refuses to accept any comparison between road and track driving, saying the former requires a “totally different state of mind” and that people simply don’t concentrate when on a motorway. An 80mph limit would only exacerbate the problems that arise from not paying attention, in his opinion.

Would restricting drivers to 55mph on motorways make driving on them less stressful? Will raising the limit to 80mph make the experience worse?

Damon Hill’s statement is certainly a bold one, but perhaps it would have been more appropriate to go down the route of calling for better driver training. After all, if we have to cater for the lowest common deominator, surely we should do all we can to raise the level of it?

Either way, don’t expect the debate to die down any time soon.

PHers are already talking about this. Why not join them here?

[trickywoo]

Is it just me or does Damon sound like an old man?

[nick-elise]

Surprised that in the article Hill said he has no interest in cars and drives a 10 year old Golf?! I thought he had something to do with a super car hire company at some point and appeared at the start of the Gumball?

[TheHeretic]

How many threads on this? Even the PH bods are on it now!

[Wozy68]

Yes there are more vehicles on the roads these days. But when the 70 limit was introduced most cars could hardly cruise at that speed, let alone brake like modern cars can.

Whilst driving through France (When in the dry) the limit is 81. I found that mile after mile on empty motorways, that 80 was a great speed to cruise at without the feeling I was either going to slow or too fast .....

Bring it on I say, and Damon, leave it out please.

[Jem1]

He's right about the driving too close.

But so long as conditions permit there's no reason not have a 100mph limit.

[Jem1]

He's right about the driving too close.

But so long as conditions permit there's no reason not have a 100mph limit.

[Groober]

I like the way the French do it, the speed limit is 80ish in good conditions and slower in poor conditions.

So they effectivly have 2 motorway spped limits, why cant we adopt somthing like this?

[StottyZr]

He's correct, a lot of people don't concentrate when driving and aren't particularly safe at any speed

Shouldn't we focus on turning the plebs into safer more compentant drivers so we can all travel at 80mph in relative safety?

[davepoth]

Perfectly valid point of view IMO - while I think it's fair to say people on PH as a rule understand the reasons why we need to leave big gaps and concentrate while driving on the motorway, it's a different story in the general population. Unless we get some fairly harsh tailgating enforcement it's going to be quite risky.

[TheHeretic]

davepoth said:

Perfectly valid point of view IMO - while I think it's fair to say people on PH as a rule understand the reasons why we need to leave big gaps and concentrate while driving on the motorway, it's a different story in the general population. Unless we get some fairly harsh tailgating enforcement it's going to be quite risky.

As I said on the other thread, (and it seems PH are getting in on it too with their pic), folks seem to be reacting more to the headline, and then deciding their reaction. For me Hill basically said that he would rather they concentrate on the poor driving standards rather than upping a speed limit. For this he will be lambasted by folks on here.

[Silverbullet767]

I have no problem with an 80mph speed limit, the problem is, as many have pointed out here, there are far too many under-educated/poor drivers out there for an 80mph limit to work.

Driver education will see the road network improve.

Mandatory re-testing every 10 years would be a start.

[speedster1950mr2]

Hi as a driver collecting cars like bmw,mercedes,porsche,audi,xkr,s,elises,ect,you would exspect me to say raise the limit to 100 mph,like walking !!!!I love speed and driving with skill,yet you see people texting,reading maps and books,swapping lanes,locking wheels up on hgv,s,smashing into barriers,and the carnage afterwards every day.Even dheads with abs,traction control,distance control,lane changing devices they still hit things answer,learn to drive and stop using your smart phones !!! I see Damons point !!!

[V8Dom]

Its not just the closeness thats the problem but the idiots that lane hog.

100mph in the dry is safe enough. 70 mph in the rain.

Move over when you have overtaken and then others wont tail gate.

Dom

[soad]

trickywoo said:

Is it just me or does Damon sound like an old man?

Well, he isn't getting any younger.

[TheHeretic]

soad said:

trickywoo said:

Is it just me or does Damon sound like an old man?

Well, he isn't getting any younger.

He is 52... Getting on a bit.