Speed Limits - Should they exist at all?!

[Syed Shah]

As the title suggests.

We already have plenty of laws in place. Dangerous driving etc etc.


Surely these laws are enough to allow us to remove speed limits and judge accidents in accordance with other laws.

Speed is not the issue in 99.99% of accidents - it is inappropriate use of speed. And that would amount to, at the very least, 'Driving without due care and attention'


What are your views on this? Especially curious of the opinions of the BiBs (sorry, PiB ;-) )

[Mrs Fish]

And you are that bothered you want to know on Christmas Morning??? You may not get many people answering yet

Merry Christmas

Edited by Mrs Fish on Tuesday 25th December 07:34

[Jasandjules]

Speed limits in built up areas yes, on motorways not really. On some Dual Carriageways raise it to 100 or so.

[speedy_thrills]

Syed Shah said:

What are your views on this?

Speed limits are a good idea, forcing all drivers to drive at the same speed regardless of training/skill/conditions/car they are piloting isn’t really such a good idea and clearly doesn’t work very well.

We have moved beyond this to a point where variable and individual parameters for driving could be used on our roads, in fact the technology has been around and cost effective since the 1970’s (maybe even late 1950’s?) so it’s no wonder the public are fed-up with an obsolete system almost 40 years later.

[Pwig]

Remove all of them.

Force drivers to think for themselfs.

[Beemer-5]

Removing them altogether would see accident and death rates soar, insurance premiums quadruple and it just won't happen, well not whilst wheels are round!

Get the motorways up to 100 mph though, the busiest city streets down to 20 mph at peak times.

[dcb]

Beemer-5 said:

Removing them altogether would see accident and death rates soar,

Maybe for the first 6-12 months it would as folks got used to it.

Beemer-5 said:

insurance premiums quadruple and it just won't happen, well not whilst wheels are round!

It certainly won't happen in the UK because
they are rabidly anti-car.

[Beemer-5]

No, far too many people simply cannot handle huge speed and situations are far worse when things break or go wrong at those speeds.
You need margin of error, too, on a public area.

[Einion Yrth]

Beemer-5 said:

No, far too many people simply cannot handle huge speed and situations are far worse when things break or go wrong at those speeds.
You need margin of error, too, on a public area.

You assume that in the absence of speed limits everyone would drive everywhere at warp speed, what little evidence there is shows no such thing.

[Beemer-5]

That's irrelevant, though. Not all, but many certainly would drive dangerously.

You would get people doing 80-90 mph through the high street.
Enough people are killed and maimed by those who do it now, you may as well make murder legal tbh.

[Beemer-5]

Drive fast where it is safe, but keep genuinely excessive speed where it belongs. On the racetrack.

[Einion Yrth]

Beemer-5 said:

That's irrelevant, though.

The only scientifically collected evidence we have is irrelevant in the face of your gut feeling? Right you are then.

Beemer-5 said:

Not all, but many certainly would drive dangerously.

You would get people doing 80-90 mph through the high street.

That would be dangerous driving, the prosecution would have no problem getting a conviction in those circumstances.

Beemer-5 said:

Enough people are killed and maimed by those who do it now, you may as well make murder legal tbh.

Unsubstantiated emotional ballsacks, argue from logic, reason and evidence; not , 'it's obvious innit' - because it frequently isn't 'obvious'.

Frankly I can't be arsed, you won't change your mind you've plainly already been brainwashed into the belief that all drivers are homicidal maniacs held, only barely, in check by the application of micromanaging laws. Enjoy your life.

[Beemer-5]

OMFG. Einion in "i am miserable on Christmas Day" rant and rave.
Get over yourself, ffs.




You are, of course, 'right'.
Over a million road miles and 34 years without a 'fault' accident have taught me absolutley nothing. Happy now?
I'll bow to your better 'experience', if it cheers you up a little on Xmas Day.
Edited in the interest of Christmas Cheer.

Edited by Beemer-5 on Tuesday 25th December 10:12

[edwardsje]

Yes we should have limits - sensible ones mind, and then enforce them properly so everyone knows the rules.

20mph on suburban estates, outside schools, and in many built up areas during peak hours.

Unlimit motorways where sensible outside urban areas/interchanges etc.

But FFS please let's get rid of the creeping plague of unwarranted 40s & 50s on single carriageway roads.

Oh, and the odd traffic cop wouldn't go amiss please Santa.

Not going to happen, is it?

Edited by edwardsje on Tuesday 25th December 10:30

[Hooli]

Jasandjules said:

Speed limits in built up areas yes, on motorways not really. On some Dual Carriageways raise it to 100 or so.

but sensible limits in built up areas. not roads that are a natural 40 limited to 20 like you get in places.






how many times HAS this been done now?

[Beemer-5]

[quote=edwardsje]Yes we should have limits - sensible ones mind, and then enforce them properly so everyone knows the rules.

20mph on suburban estates, outside schools, and in many built up areas during peak hours.

Unlimit motorways where sensible outside urban areas/interchanges etc.

But FFS please let's get rid of the creeping plague of unwarranted 40s & 50s on single carriageway roads.

Oh, and the odd traffic cop wouldn't go amiss please Santa.

Not going to happen, is it?


Steady, Edward, we mustn't let common sense get in the way mate!
You are, of course, right.

It's pure nonsense to suggest that any speed is ok, so long as the person doing it, regardless of his ability or awareness, says so!
'A conviction for dangerous driving' is all very well, but it won't bring back the 5 kids someone mows down because he was going too fast.

Sensible limits, aye. Yes, agree totally, the 40 and 50 limits on wide open roads is madness.

[Syed Shah]

Beemer-5 said:

It's pure nonsense to suggest that any speed is ok, so long as the person doing it, regardless of his ability or awareness, says so!
'A conviction for dangerous driving' is all very well, but it won't bring back the 5 kids someone mows down because he was going too fast.

I was not suggesting 'any speed is ok' only that 'appropriate' speed is ok.

Any yes doing 80mph down the highstreet would be classed as Dangerous Driving, which is much more serious than the speeding conviction. So if someone is happy to risk a DD charge for doing 80mph down the Highstreet, I guess that kind of person would not mind risking the speeding conviction either.

I think you missed the point a little. This is not one of those crazy petrolhead posts - where I want to be able to hoon it around everywhere. It is about making better drivers - more responsible drivers.

I have been down many high-hazard roads (cars either side, masking children running out, potential doors opening etc) with 30mph limits, being tailed by the 'posted speed limit' brigade, as I am below 30mph, as that is what I deem safe.

There are also lots of B-roads marked as NSL where it would be lunacy to do anything near the NSL. And of course, many nice raods where 100mph+ is perfectly safe.

[kingb]

Pwig said:

Remove all of them.

Force drivers to think for themselfs.

the majority of people are idiots this would be a terrible plan

[Beemer-5]

Exactly, we have enough clowns on the road already, who are all in charge of a lethal weapon. A car!
Thankfully, no government on the planet would ever be so stupid as to remove all speed limits.

[Beemer-5]

Syed, i agree with much of what you say, mate.
But total de-restriciton is a non-starter.