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[Varche]

Well the Spanish have just announced that the national speed limit will be reduced from 120km to 110km from 7th March in an effort to save fuel and the help the ongoing economic crisis which has hit really hard here (20% unemployed nationally).

Shades of the 70'S ?

Will other European countries do the same? 70mph down to 60mph in Britain?

[Andy B]

Well the Spanish have just announced that the national speed limit will be reduced from 120km to 110km from 7th March in an effort to save fuel and the help the ongoing economic crisis which has hit really hard here (20% unemployed nationally).

Shades of the 70'S ?

Will other European countries do the same? 70mph down to 60mph in Britain?

there's been a steady reduction of our NSL on loads of roads from 60 (for cars  ) down to 50 .......... all in the interests of our safety  :-?  :-?

[Grrrrrr]

Yeah, the professors point out momentum is proportional to the square of the velocity so small reduction in speed (10 mph) has a big reduction in energy transferred in a crash - and likelyhood of dying.

Of course, if the pillock wasn't dicking about with his phone / stereo / missus / dog ... then he wouldn't have crashed anyway.

Managed to dodge all the muppets on the road for over 20 years. Wonder when my luck will run out? Shortly after my eyesight, I suspect.

[Vamps]

Been there before, late 70's or early 80's, again to save fuel....

I have to admit that during one of the fuel blockades I was driving a Manual Mig, and careful driving and 50mph top end made a big difference to my MPG

Not sure I want the choice removed though...

[Taxi_Driver]

I drove to Reading on Thurs.....as i was ahead of schedule....and would only be waiting around for my customer....i slowed to 55ish mph on the m4....in fact i tucked in behind a HGV....might as well save the 10-15% in fuel, that the 'experts' reckon you save by slowing down 10mph.
My choice.....tho i wouldnt be able to go that slow on a long drive.

[Mysteryman]

I understood that this was because Spain imports about 20% of it's oil from Libya, whereas we only import about 4%. We still have a limited amount of North Sea oil.

[Varche]

I understood that this was because Spain imports about 20% of it's oil from Libya, whereas we only import about 4%. We still have a limited amount of North Sea oil.

Yikes. I had better make sure I always have the car full. It won't be long before there is panic buying then unless Mr Bean (that is what the Spasnish actually call Zapatero) goes and snaffles someone elses supply from under them.

[Mr Skrunts]

Checked my trip computer tonight.  Average MPG is 18.6 and Average speed is 17 mph, most of this is local running beckwards/forwards to GF's but generally I dont go much above 40 mph anyway unless I go out on a run somewhere.

My Mig is more economical @ 50/55 mph so does that mean I need to speed up. 

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Yes definitely echos of 1973/74:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/15/newsid_2559000/2559807.stm

It was a right pain!!

[Plomien]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8350157/Motorway-speed-limit-could-be-raised-to-80mph.html
but then you have this saying it could increase

[Psychoca]

I think it should be increased to 90 on 3+ lane motorways and A roads, still 70 on Dual Carraigeways and 2 Lane motorways (ie. M11)...

I also feel that Caravans and trailers over 250KG should be restricted to 50 mph...

[albitz]

The transport secretary seems quite keen on the idea of increasing the motorway limit. A little bit of common sense creeping back into govt. Yay.
http://uk.autoblog.com/2011/02/28/motorway-limit-increase-plans-to-speed-up-the-economy/

[Kevin Wood]

I think it should be increased to 90 on 3+ lane motorways and A roads, still 70 on Dual Carraigeways and 2 Lane motorways (ie. M11)...

I also feel that Caravans and trailers over 250KG should be restricted to 50 mph...

Then you'll have a lane of caravans doing 50 MPH, a lane of lorries doing 60MPH, and a lane of dawdlers and slightly faster lorries doing 60.0076342 MPH, so nobody will ever get a chance to try out the new 90 MPH limit for cars.

If they do, they'll be cruising along at 90MPH when someone pulls out on them at 60.0076342 MPH without appreciating that some of us like to make reasonable progress and bang!

The main issue on our roads is that we have quite a lot of traffic, and they are used more efficiently if vehicles are travelling at the same speed. Adding different limits for different vehicles just clogs them up more. The status quo seems fine for towing vehicles and HGVs. Most loads are stable at 60 MPH and most modern vehicles can maintain that sort of speed towing a sensible load.

The problem with upping the main speed limit is that the "drive by numbers" culture that our "speed enforcement by post" strategy has promoted means that there is no longer the common sense in many drivers to choose a safe speed for the conditions, and an increase in the speed limit requires that.

I'm no expert but I would say the conditions do not often exist to allow cruising at 90MPH safely, certainly at busy times. I guess this will become the norm if the limit is raised to 80, though.

Kevin

[Varche]

I think it should be increased to 90 on 3+ lane motorways and A roads, still 70 on Dual Carraigeways and 2 Lane motorways (ie. M11)...

I also feel that Caravans and trailers over 250KG should be restricted to 50 mph...

They are here in Spain thankfully. Everyone(us included) has a small trailer. You wouldn't believe how many have problems. Just this week English friends had their towbar snap just behind the ball engagement. Fortunately it was just as they turned into the olive co operative. Next neighbour had two failures in a week. First was his towbar snapped in half where it joined the body.then yesterday the axle came away from the body on one side!

[albitz]

1.Get the freight off the motorways and back on the railways where it belongs.
2.Stop stupid people from having driving licences.
3. Compulsory retesting for very old people - ie anyone who is 10 years older than me, at any point in time from my 60th birthday, until my dying day.
4. Free (subsidised) track days for motorcyclists and those poor car drivers who find travelling at high speed exciting somehow.

Albs long term roads policy. vote for me.