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[mantahatch]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18840110 Looks like a lot of national speed limits will go.

[Varche]

The EU keeps prompting its member states to reduce road deaths. Despite this some countries aren't doing very well.

Here in Spain they are proposing a blanket reduction in the national speed limit on country roads. They are dangerous compared with say motorways or some urban roads.

The last Uk government wanted to do a blanket reduction but the cost of changing all the signs was a problem. I believe the current government thinking is to reduce the speed limit at blackspots i.e. sadly where people have lost their lives.

[CaptainZok]

Isn't it about time we stopped faffing about with speed limits and addressed the real problem of the bloody awful standards of driving exhibited by so many of the population?

[mantahatch]

Isn't it about time we stopped faffing about with speed limits and addressed the real problem of the bloody awful standards of driving exhibited by so many of the population?

Wel said.  But sadly that won't increase revenue income 

[tigers_gonads]

Isn't it about time we stopped faffing about with speed limits and addressed the real problem of the bloody awful standards of driving exhibited by so many of the population?

Tell me about it 

[Varche]

Isn't it about time we stopped faffing about with speed limits and addressed the real problem of the bloody awful standards of driving exhibited by so many of the population?

How would you propose doing that? Make everyone travel at 50 in a fifty limit? Fines for people who are caught driving awfully (tailgating, speeding, crossing central solid line, veering onto hard shoulder) or compulsory retest every five years? If so it sounds like more nanny state. Where would you draw the line?

[albitz]

Ideally - plenty of well trained,experienced,sensible cops who know whats what. Can turn a blind eye to going a bit too quick on an empty road early in the morning,but wont hesitate to throw the book at morons who endanger other road users.
And very ideally  - they have the right to summarily execute drunken/drugged up/dangerous drivers.

[Manual Elite V6]

I have seen a few national speed limit roads go to 40mph lately her in Wales, but the problem I see mostly is not the speed limit, but the drivers on the road. Most problems I have come across are people who can't stick to their own lane or people simply driving too slow and driving too close to the car in front etc, driving too slow is just as dangerous as driving too fast, even when the road is not suitable for 60mph but it is still safe to do 45-50mph in the majority of cars I have come across people doing 15mph in a national speed limit, you the wait for a stretch of road that is long enough and has a clear enough view to overtake safely without exceeding the speed limit and these idiots have the nerve to flash you and beep their horns making hand gestures as you pass.

[dejbear]

I like the signs  that light up they look so pretty 

[OOMV6]

Ideally - plenty of well trained,experienced,sensible cops who know whats what. Can turn a blind eye to going a bit too quick on an empty road early in the morning,but wont hesitate to throw the book at morons who endanger other road users.
And very ideally  - they have the right to summarily execute drunken/drugged up/dangerous drivers.

IMO that is the wrong way around. You are saying let everybody drive badly, then police it. Why not teach everyone better in the first place?

Refering to another comments about light up signs looking pretty. Around here, those signs that tell you your speed, placed in villages in particular are very effective. People really do slow down when there is a big red sign flashing reminding you what speed you are doing.

Furthermore, until it is realised that speed is not the major problem, and by dealing with that aspect you are treating the symptom not the cause, then nothing will really change. Of course there will less deaths due to accidents at 50 mph are less painful than those at 70 or 80. But the amount of accidents will not reduce greatly. Just how hurt the people are. Yes, we need to reduce the deaths, but blanket reduction in speed limits is not the long term answer. Another case of, as stated before, dealing with the symptom, not the cause.

[tigers_gonads]

You can't tell the majority of drivers anything nowdays 

It would be a invasion of there human rights

They all feel that they can drive how they want and every accident is somebody elses fault

[albitz]

I agree that drivers should be educated to drive properly,but when you encounter those who wont learn.........

[OOMV6]

I agree that drivers should be educated to drive properly,but when you encounter those who wont learn.........

Then they don't get a drivers license. In the same way that if you take an exam to be a qualified (insert profession of your choice) and fail, then you don't become a whatever is in the brackets.
Revoke bad ones. Like MOT licenses get revoked if the tester screws up. And other professionals get licenses revoked for wrong doing.

[Rods2]

I've got a great idea that has never been tried that would virtually eliminate road deaths and cure unemployment at the same time.

Make every car slow down and make everybody aware of their presence by having a man with a red flag walk in front of the vehicle.

Doh, I'm only bringing back what we used to have. 

Zero speed means zero accidents and zero deaths, the fact that society can't and won't work is a minor detail, wait for the EU directive on this with the following special exempt groups where there jobs and mobility are the most important in society: Politicians and senor trade unionists.

Alternatively, and even better idea, why doesn't the EU create a single currency, maybe call it something along the lines of the Euro, get the Club-med countries to join at noncompetitive exchange rates so they get very poor and go bankrupt, they then can't to import any oil and buy cars, so they revert to riding donkeys.

Doh, I'm not having a good day, I just read they've already done this one as well. 

[Varche]

When Europe was embroiled in the Libya fiasco, Spain was very concerned about its oil security and more or less overnight brought in a lower national speed limit. All those 1000's of 120 signs were changed literally overnight to 110.

A few weeks later they were all changed back. Never did find out if it actually saved on imports or not. It was however very unpopular.

Maybe signs that can be changed for a central control room would be better (poor driver low speed, Omega driver higher limit)