Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

And cause major tailbacks, if you have one car doing 50MPH the car behind him is doing 45MPH if you've got quite a few cars following the car at the back will be stood, this is caused on the motorway when you see the matrix signs saying 50MPH, it will cause loads of tailbacks because it's causing a knock back effect with the traffic.

If they upped the speed limit there's be no tailbacks whatsoever. Do they have tailbacks in Germany?

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

Actually, assuming a constant gap between the two cars the car behind the lead car would/could actually be doing the same speed.

This has to be true otherwise nobody would ever get anywhere.

What actually causes the phantom stoppages/tailbacks on motorways is people not paying attention. One person hits the brakes, the person behind them hits the brakes a little harder because they were travelling too close or not paying attention therefore they slow down more, then the next person does the same, and so on.

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

Sorry but how can it be a tax on the motorist unless the motorist takes it on thier own back to break the law???

:rolleyes:

Now before anyone starts on me for the above line I'm for higher speed limits, especially on roads that are not dangerous... Perhaps then instead of a blanket lowering they should look at regrading dangerous roads down and non-dangerous roads (especially those away from habitation) up... I'm sure that this would reduce rat-runs and guide traffic away from slower roads in lived in areas...

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

Why is it when only a small percentage of road deaths are directly attributable to speed so much emphasis is placed on this one aspect of motoring, if for no other reason than revenue generation.

If it were targeted on built areas where the people are it would make sense but the open road with nothing but other vehicles is so daft.

Getting the drink drivers off the road should be the main priority not these accident creating cheap options.

Why not target the lunatics that don't look or consider other road users or those who are unsafe drivers whether at speed or not. Or those who think the indicators are just ornaments or who expect the rest of us to be psychic.

Why is it with all the cameras we have (3 for every 20 miles of road) accidents are increasing. Until there are more police involved in road traffic management accident levels will not reduce.

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

The problems arise when they set a system that will make it easy for the average person to exceed the average speed set. Over 6 miles in a urban area will be lead to the average motorist spending more time worrying about his speed than driving the ruddy car. That in my eyes is a tax

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

I don't see why this is being applied to A roads - generally speaking, there shouldn't be any pedestrians about. If there are pedestrians walking up an A road, maybe they deserve to be hit for being so bloody stupid.

Second to that, country roads, that also have a 60mph limit, can be dangerous at that speed. this is why it's down to the driver to take into consideration a speed that suits the conditions, be them visibility, weather, cornering, etc. you don't HAVE to drive at 60mph. that said, people crawling along at 20mph can also cause accidents on country roads if someone drives around a low visibility corner that can easily flow at 40mph and rear ends them. so lack of speed can also be dangerous.

so, in conclusion;

speed doesn't kill - it's those who can't handle it/are irresponsible that do
lack of speed can kill - if you are not confident enough to drive at a reasonable speed, don't drive at all... you're putting others at risk.

more cameras mean more people suddenly hitting the brakes. the best thing that can be done if the government want to stop speed is have better police presence on the roads. camera locations are learned so people know when to slow down or to take a different route to avoid them if they want to go fast - they will still speed whatever. whereas you never know where you'll see the next police car, especially if they are unmarked.

cameras are stupid, but so are excessive speeders. the government will not stop either of them if they carry on in this way.

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

Wasn't the first fatal casualty by a car happen where the vehicle was traveling at 4mph?

The overwhelming majority of people caught by speed cameras have not been in an accident as a result of that particular speeding 'offence', so 'normal' speeding can't be that dangerous as so many people do it without incident.

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

But surely not knowing what speed your doing in relation to the speed limit is careless driving???

You can't have it both ways ;)

---------- Post added at 13:22 ---------- Previous post was at 13:14 ----------

I don't think the speed campaigns are saying that speeding is the main cause of accidents, but the more speed a car is doing when it had an accident the more likely it it to casue injuries of fatalities..

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

There does seem to be a disproportionate amount of effort being placed on eradicating speeding though, as opposed to other causes of accidents. If it was just about speeding then they'd be nailing all the bikers who love 'opening up' on long straight roads, doing speeds that some cars would only be able to dream about.

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

A bit off topic but when I was taking an advanced driving course the Police driving instructor used to describe these pedestrians and vehicle using idiots as "Accidents looking for somewhere to happen."

I do wonder whether the whole lot of them are all totally oblivious of the danger they put themselves and others in to.

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

allowing overtaking on the left on motorways ( just as it is on all other roads ( yep you heard right you can overtake on the left on any other road )) would reduce the effect that

as to this 50 idea its a money making thing our motorways and dual carriage ways are the safest roads in our country and in Europe

it would help if the midea actualy chalanged some of the anti speedig loby to prove thier case as the stats

see http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics...atbritain20071

see section 4 on left http://www.dft.gov.uk/172974/173025/...ibutoryfa1.xls

show that exceeding the speed limit isnt the problem and as the motorways ect are already the safest roads this leaves the urban roads as the problem area

and that problem is in the main not to do with exceeding the limit but not driving in accordance with conditions

and pedestrians not looking before crossing

none of this would in any way be affected by a 50 limit

but hey it looks good and the speed is evil brigade love it

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

Most people don't even look to thier right properly for people overtaking beore they pull out, what hope would they have checking both sides :(

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

So, lets just make sure I understood this correctly.

Despite all the speed cameras installed over the last few years, accidents have gone up - and the anser is to lower the speed limit and use even more cameras ??

We truely are being run by idiots .......

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

Some of the roads by me that are National speed limit is stupid I welcome the speed decrease

Re: Road speed limit cut to 50mph ?
 

well as they seem to assume that changing the speed limit would make people obey the rule surely changing the rule on over taking would have the same effect ;)

seriously though if they spent as much time advertising such a change as they do on speed adverts the thing should sink in and it may get some of the more nervous drive to stay off the motorway :) ( win win there lol )

i do a lot of driving and he amount of time there are more vehicles in the third lane than the two others put together is silly

i think it would lead to less changing lanes and even further ( once it sinks in ) reduce accidents ( yes i agree short term it could take them up but i personally dont think that should stop it )