Scotland's single carriageway roads to be reduced to 50mph

[Wollemi]

The Scottish government is proposing to reduce the speed limit on all single carriageway roads to 50mph.

And it seems a good number of people, even those who live in Scotland are not aware of this.

They are carrying out a consultation which runs until 5th March.

Please respond to this consultation - it only takes a few minutes.

https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/national-speed...

[Pica-Pica]

And increase all HGVs to 50mph, to reduce the speed differential.

[Evanivitch]

As a Welshman, I'm intrigued to see how this will go... Practically and politically.

[Wollemi]

Pica-Pica said:

And increase all HGVs to 50mph, to reduce the speed differential.

Yes, this will bring them into line with the rest of the UK and is entirely sensible, but the main proposal is still to reduce the speed limit for all other vehicles to 50mph.

You may think this is a good thing. I disagree. But we have a chance to express our views.

[Pica-Pica]

Wollemi said:

Pica-Pica said:

And increase all HGVs to 50mph, to reduce the speed differential.

Yes, this will bring them into line with the rest of the UK and is entirely sensible, but the main proposal is still to reduce the speed limit for all other vehicles to 50mph.

You may think this is a good thing. I disagree. But we have a chance to express our views.

Incorrect, again. It won't bring them (whoever you mean by that) in line with the rest of the UK with regards a speed differential. That is the main (only?) purpose, to reduce the speed differential on single carriageways, where, assuming just one lane, there is not an opportunity to overtake. I have not expressed a view either way, but I have described the purpose in more details.

[Pica-Pica]

Evanivitch said:

As a Welshman, I'm intrigued to see how this will go... Practically and politically.

Anyone who has driven on the A75 in Scotland will know what following an HGV at 40 is like. There were been videos of it a while back, the visuals were quite scary.

[Evanivitch]

Pica-Pica said:

Evanivitch said:

As a Welshman, I'm intrigued to see how this will go... Practically and politically.

Anyone who has driven on the A75 in Scotland will know what following an HGV at 40 is like. There were been videos of it a while back, the visuals were quite scary.

I've driven it west of Dumfries several times and I can't say I noticed any difference to rest of the UK.

[JamieF78]

Highland Council have rejected this proposal but have suggested raising the HGV limit to 60.

[Wollemi]

JamieF78 said:

Highland Council have rejected this proposal but have suggested raising the HGV limit to 60.

That is indeed good news

[sospan]

I go up to Scotland from Wales every year. April and September. No midges and less traffic. Off up next Sunday, to a hotel just past Inverness. Overnight stop in Carlisle instead of the no-stop leave at 03.00 to avoid traffic we usually do or, in September, a car club weekend meet in the Lakes to break the journey. We tour from a hotel base and easily do 200+ miles a day. Many main roads plus a lot of lesser roads. Slower traffic ( campervans, HGV, buses) sometimes lead to tailbacks but nothing major IF the road is ok to overtake and drivers do that. The single teack or narrower roads are generally ok with passing places very frequent, often just yards apart. I doubt a 50 limit will affect our trips too much as the lesser roads are not fast anyway. Hopefully the long drives on major roads won't result in tailbacks du3 to slower vehicles/ ditherers not overtaking.
Next September the trip splits between the Inverness hotel and the Hebrides.
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