RE: Scots Want Higher Speed Limit
Wednesday 21st September 2005
Scots Want Higher Speed Limit
80mph is popular
- 72% of Scots drivers believe the current motorway speed limit should be raised.
- 81% of those believe the new limit should be 80mph
- 78% believe, if the new limit is set at 80mph, the police should enforce the law more strictly
These findings come as Glasgow-based Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership introduced two mobile camera sites between junctions 11 and 13 of the M74.
The controversial move has come at a time when the vast majority of cars on Scotland's roads are capable of safely travelling at 80mph on our motorways instead of the current 70mph limit.
"There is no question that in good weather, at a safe distance from the car in front, a limit of 80mph is a safe speed," Jim McGill, editor of thecarmag, Scotland's only motoring magazine and which carried out the survey, said.
"What has to be taken into consideration is that modern cars have better brakes and safety systems and can be driven safely at higher speeds.
"The 80mph figure has been the unwritten common law limit for almost a decade now and, at least until recently,you were highly unlikely to be pulled over for doing anything up to 85mph."
So what do Scottish motorists feel about motorway speed limits? We at thecarmag spoke with 1000 drivers as they took a break at a number of service areas on the M74 and asked them for their views.
Asked whether the current motorway speed limit should be raised, 72% of drivers said a resounding yes while 81% of those stated they believed the limit should be raised to 80mph. But in a move which is sure to encourage safety organisations, 78% of those quizzed believe that if the motorway limit is raised the police should enforce the law more strictly.
Discussion
Don't get me wrong, I am not against putting the speed limit up but......
Just because cars have lots of swanky safety features these days it does not make them safer at these speeds check out the pictures at (especially the most recent Merc SLK) Now these are safe cars aren't they!!!!!!!!!!
www.wreckedexotics.com
You must take into consideration that we have enough bad drivers on the roads as it is the last thing we want is these muppets getting to legally go faster. Just get the police doing more police like work and ban speed camaras as they are proving to cause more accidents.
As for people saying that if the speed limits are put up to 80mph then the police should be really strict.
Want nonce says that the police should be more strict, all the police do at the moment is target drivers to raise money for themselves and a brainless government. Are they not already too strict.
They should be out arresting proper criminals like rapists, murderers, car thieves and burgulars and leave us drivers alone.
I'll get of it now
>> Edited by bunglist on Wednesday 21st September 14:36
Just because cars have lots of swanky safety features these days it does not make them safer at these speeds check out the pictures at (especially the most recent Merc SLK) Now these are safe cars aren't they!!!!!!!!!!
www.wreckedexotics.com
You must take into consideration that we have enough bad drivers on the roads as it is the last thing we want is these muppets getting to legally go faster. Just get the police doing more police like work and ban speed camaras as they are proving to cause more accidents.
As for people saying that if the speed limits are put up to 80mph then the police should be really strict.
Want nonce says that the police should be more strict, all the police do at the moment is target drivers to raise money for themselves and a brainless government. Are they not already too strict.
They should be out arresting proper criminals like rapists, murderers, car thieves and burgulars and leave us drivers alone.
I'll get of it now >> Edited by bunglist on Wednesday 21st September 14:36
bunglist said:
As for people saying that if the speed limits are put up to 80mph then the police should be really strict.
Want nonce says that the police should be more strict, all the police do at the moment is target drivers to raise money for themselves and a brainless government. Are they not already too strict.
If your going to have a law it should be enforced. If you cant enforce it because it's daft take it away or change it and enforce it. The Police at the moment are unlikly to pull you over for 80 on the M'way unless your being a prick. Does that sound too strict to you?
Munter said:
As for people saying that if the speed limits are put up to 80mph then the police should be really strict.
Want nonce says that the police should be more strict, all the police do at the moment is target drivers to raise money for themselves and a brainless government. Are they not already too strict.
If your going to have a law it should be enforced. If you cant enforce it because it's daft take it away or change it and enforce it. The Police at the moment are unlikly to pull you over for 80 on the M'way unless your being a prick. Does that sound too strict to you?
Why do they not inforce all other laws to the degree that they are with speeding??????
But I agree you should enforce the law but common sense needs to be used also like the police used to do.
Rather than giving out fines and putting speed camaras up everywhere, which has been reported now causes more accidents and does not improve driving standards, why do they not find a sensible alternative ie making the driving test harder, actually teaching people to drive properly and not just how to pass the test and teaching people road eticate and do's and don'ts which are not always obvious to some drivers.
The Police at the moment are unlikly to pull you over for 80 on the M'way unless your being a prick.
Sigh. I was being highly considerate to a driver as I slowed and flashed him "out" from behind an artic in the middle lane but I still was done for "speeding" and it was a fair bit more than 80 as well........... what does that make me then munter???????
Sigh. I was being highly considerate to a driver as I slowed and flashed him "out" from behind an artic in the middle lane but I still was done for "speeding" and it was a fair bit more than 80 as well........... what does that make me then munter???????
mojocvh said:
The Police at the moment are unlikly to pull you over for 80 on the M'way unless your being a prick.
Sigh. I was being highly considerate to a driver as I slowed and flashed him "out" from behind an artic in the middle lane but I still was done for "speeding" and it was a fair bit more than 80 as well........... what does that make me then munter???????
Well it makes you someone that doesn't think twice about breaking the law. Of course you should have slowed to let him out behind the artic 'cos there's no way he would have been able to judge your approach speed accurately if you were doing WAY over the limit.
I agree the limit should be raised etc. etc. and better driver training blah blah (we wait in vain) but wish people would stop using the 'go and catch proper criminals' argument, it's highly misleading. If you break the law, you break the law, period. No doubt some nutters in this country think prosecution for murder is a silly law, but they have to abide by it like anyone else. And what's to say a high proportion of consistent speeders aren't thieves, muggers, rapists, murderers etc. in their spare time anyway? Tsk
jazzyjeff said:
The Police at the moment are unlikly to pull you over for 80 on the M'way unless your being a prick.
Sigh. I was being highly considerate to a driver as I slowed and flashed him "out" from behind an artic in the middle lane but I still was done for "speeding" and it was a fair bit more than 80 as well........... what does that make me then munter???????
Well it makes you someone that doesn't think twice about breaking the law. Of course you should have slowed to let him out behind the artic 'cos there's no way he would have been able to judge your approach speed accurately if you were doing WAY over the limit.
I agree the limit should be raised etc. etc. and better driver training blah blah (we wait in vain) but wish people would stop using the 'go and catch proper criminals' argument, it's highly misleading. If you break the law, you break the law, period. No doubt some nutters in this country think prosecution for murder is a silly law, but they have to abide by it like anyone else. And what's to say a high proportion of consistent speeders aren't thieves, muggers, rapists, murderers etc. in their spare time anyway? Tsk
You are missing the point, what some of us are saying when we bring up the argument about the rozzers going out and nicking proper criminals is that we still agree that it is against the law to speed but the rozzers should put more effort into stopping burgulars, rapists, murderers etc etc instead of really going OTT against somebody breaking a speed limit by a few mph. It has been established now that speed is not the main cause of accidents fatal or trivial in the UK, in fact speed camaras have caused more accidents.
well to be honest, unless there's traffic build up pretty much every car on the motorway seems to be doing more than 70mph anyway. I can't really see that raising the limit to 80 would make much (if any) difference. It'll just give the scamera groups an excuse to push for even more cameras & stricter enforcement. I'm happy if they leave it as it is.
[quote]Just because cars have lots of swanky safety features these days it does not make them safer at these speeds check out the pictures at (especially the most recent Merc SLK) Now these are safe cars aren't they!!!!!!!!!!
www.wreckedexotics.com[/quote]
haha, the cars on that site will have been doing a LOT more than 80mph I'd imagine! You can't really deny the fact that modern cars are more stable at higher speeds, have better brakes (generally speaking of course) & much better crash safety protection.
[quote]Just because cars have lots of swanky safety features these days it does not make them safer at these speeds check out the pictures at (especially the most recent Merc SLK) Now these are safe cars aren't they!!!!!!!!!!
www.wreckedexotics.com[/quote]
haha, the cars on that site will have been doing a LOT more than 80mph I'd imagine! You can't really deny the fact that modern cars are more stable at higher speeds, have better brakes (generally speaking of course) & much better crash safety protection.
bunglist said:
You are missing the point, what some of us are saying when we bring up the argument about the rozzers going out and nicking proper criminals is that we still agree that it is against the law to speed but the rozzers should put more effort into stopping burgulars, rapists, murderers etc etc instead of really going OTT against somebody breaking a speed limit by a few mph. It has been established now that speed is not the main cause of accidents fatal or trivial in the UK, in fact speed camaras have caused more accidents.
I wasn't commenting on speed cameras - I don't think we should have those either.
I am not missing the point - mojocvh's paragraph is word correct save replacing "instead of" with "as well as". Traffic police are only one division of the law, they don't all nick off after work to play with CID... He did say in any case "well over" the speed limit which I assume is more than "a few mph" (if it were a few mph then I agree that discretion allowing for conditions, traffic levels and the driving skill of the driver in question should be applied).
>> Edited by jazzyjeff on Thursday 22 September 13:03
>> Edited by jazzyjeff on Thursday 22 September 13:06
>> Edited by jazzyjeff on Thursday 22 September 13:06
Nevin said:
turbo tim said:
baz1985 said:
Jct 11-13 on the M74 was one of my fav stretches to max
obviously, by "max" we mean 70mph officer
Still a nice bit of road around 5am though
MoJo.
Isthat the downhill bit between Abingdon and Moffat which you can absolutely scorch along?
Yes it is. What is Strathclyde's justification for them putting cameras there? Apart from the fact that most cars will be doing an indicated 90 - 100mph (safely) there and they can reel in loads of cash, that is.
The M74 is the best motorway in the UK and scamming on it is an outrage. IMO.
Dougie. said:
Nevin said:
mojocvh said:
turbo tim said:
baz1985 said:
Jct 11-13 on the M74 was one of my fav stretches to max
obviously, by "max" we mean 70mph officer
Still a nice bit of road around 5am though
MoJo.
Isthat the downhill bit between Abingdon and Moffat which you can absolutely scorch along?
Yes it is. What is Strathclyde's justification for them putting cameras there? Apart from the fact that most cars will be doing an indicated 90 - 100mph (safely) there and they can reel in loads of cash, that is.
The M74 is the best motorway in the UK and scamming on it is an outrage. IMO.
I followd a cayenne back in june at around 5AM in the pouring rain (I must admit I didn't really "get" them until then but it was fully loaded with sleeping people and kit...)
Along that stretch it all came together.
The Motorway was almost Autobahn like in the way it flowed and it's construction. The capability of the porche, fully loaded at 110. We tracked each other through some sweeping curves but I had to give second best. Thumbs up and I let him go as enough was enough.
They really are superb machines. And your right that is a great piece of tarmac.
cheers
MoJo.
>> Edited by mojocvh on Saturday 24th September 00:01
bunglist said:
Just because cars have lots of swanky safety features these days it does not make them safer at these speeds check out the pictures at (especially the most recent Merc SLK) Now these are safe cars aren't they!!!!!!!!!!
They all look as though the passenger cell is intact AND you've no idea of the accident speed (or if any were fatal) so your point isn't really vaid.
Looks as though a picture ISN'T worth a thousand words.
Just for the record aren't there Criminal convictions and Motoring convictions. If I'm right then speeding is a motoring offence and usually of less importance then a criminal offence. Makes a lot more dosh for the government/scamerati though. No legal aid for motorists just sign and pay up!
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