SPEED LIMIT TO BE RAISED TO 80MPH

[lol-lol]

This is something that shouldn't need to be done but should be done due to the amount of stupid people on the roads. I think that the police should be concentrating on the lack of or incorrect use of lights on cars. This time of year is worse than ever. From no lights, to side lights, side lights with fog lights on.....when in fact it is quite simple, DIPPED BEAM IS REQUIRED WHEN IT IS DARK OR RAINING!

L&Ks the lights come on automatically, perhaps that should be hard wired in,it is on my motorcycle and expect it will be on cars one day soon. Actually the lights also seem to come on automatically when the speedo goes over 85 mph or so I notice, might be linked to the auto speed warning that I have set.

80/88 mph seem limit would be great but gives me a dilhemma, I might have to consider a diesel travelling at that speed as the petrol fuel consumption would be too high at those speeds, oh no. Hopefully we will get the more fuel effeicent variable valve timing version of the EA888 engine ie CAEA/CAEB/CDNC which does about 10% better fuel economy than the one we get ie the CCTA/CBFA version. Will cost a grand or so more but will be worth it in overall cost of ownership.

Edited 1 October, 2011 by lol

[jrw]

L&Ks the lights come on automatically, perhaps that should be hard wired in,it is on my motorcycle and expect it will be on cars one day soon. Actually the lights also seem to come on automatically when the speedo goes over 85 mph or so I notice, might be linked to the auto speed warning that I have set.

80/88 mph seem limit would be great but gives me a dilhemma, I might have to consider a diesel travelling at that speed as the petrol fuel consumption would be too high at those speeds, oh no. Hopefully we will get the more fuel effeicent variable valve timing version of the EA888 engine ie CAEA/CAEB/CDNC which does about 10% better fuel economy than the one we get ie the CCTA/CBFA version. Will cost a grand or so more but will be worth it in overall cost of ownership.

On my VRS they come on automatically, herein lies the fundamental flaw with this product. 90% of the time they don't come on in the fog. This is why year on year you see an increase of people with non lights on in fog.

At 80mph my MPG is better than at 70MPH (early 50's). Travelling at 60mph i can get late 50's early 60's.......and still beat you anywhere door to door.

[Funky Fab]

I cannot believe the people against this 10mph increase!

If you don't like it stick to 70.

20 years ago doing 80 would have shaken the steering wheels off cars.

Nowadays brakes are better, technology is better, safety has massively improved, road tyres are more advanced, so what's an extra 10mph.

Chav's will be chav's, their speed limit is at the end of their speedo. We can't always use the 'chav' excuse for not increasing better flow off taffic.

Some of us are non stop and need to get places a little more quickly.

[keystonedriving]

Britain is signed up to the Kyoto agreement which requires some serious reductions in emissions. One of the best ways to do this on the road is to drive slower. Increasing the speed limit will encourage some people to drive faster (because they can) and therefore result in an increase in emissions. The truth is that in many parts of the country speeds are coming down anyway, with the price of fuel these days people are saving money by driving slower. The fact that lower speeds have some road safety benefitss is a bonus, the faster you are going when something happens, the more it hurts.

If an 80mph limit is introduced, then clearly there will need to be a serious increase in policing (with central government picking up the tab because they are the reason for the requirement) together with a zero tolerence policy. If you are driving at 81mph thet is illegal, so that will be a large fine and 6 points thank you. For a second or subsequent offence, well maybe you just need a little break from driving. It is up to us to ensure that we observe the law, there should be no need for any sort of tolerance. In fact the construction and use regulations these days do not permit a speedo to under-read so it should not be a problem. If you stick to the limit by your speedo you will never have a problem.

It is strange that so many people who count themselves as law abiding are quite happy to ignore speed limits. Presumably they don't mind if the rest of us also choose to ignore the laws we find inconvenient? Somehow I think not.

With regard to DRLs, when they were introduced in Austria in 1999 the casualty rate increased by 18% in two years. They make sense in countries where the sun is routinely low in the sky, but otherwise they really make no sense at all. What they do is make it much more difficult to spot the more vulnerable road users. If you have a motorcycle in front of a larger vehicle with DRL's it can be very difficule to distinguish one from the other. Cyclists and pedestrians tend not to have any lights on at all so will effectively become invisible. Will the next thing be a requirement that all pedestrians must wear high visibility clothing at all times?

One thing I have definitely noticed over the time that I have been driving (over 40 years) is that vehicle lights have got larger and brighter whilst we can actually see less because of the glare.

By the way, the whole idea of fog lights is that they are used instead of headlights. The idea is to illuminate the road without getting the back scatter from your headlights. If you have both on together you get no benefit from the fog lights, you just dazzle anyone coming the other way.

[FellyMagic]

Ken your last comment makes no sense whatsoever! I was referring to nobody actually mentioning the increased number of limits. You have interpreted my message wrongly. We do need lower speed limits in these areas for safety, especially when it is school starting/kicking out times, as parents who clearly often shouldn't be driving park anywhere they feel like, often obscuring crossing points. We also round here have a lot of rural villages that have very narrow streets and are not suitable for 30 limits.

[Funky Fab]

The Sun newspaper, page 13.

Clarkson is right again!!

[taff170]

The Sun newspaper, page 13.

Clarkson is right again!!

+1

Just driven back from Brid on single lane unlit country roads.

One driver at the front of a tailback of 20+ cars doing 30mph.

This caused nearly every car behind it to try and overtake, some taking massive risks.

In my eyes driving way too slow is more dangerous than a 10mph increase in the limit!

Edited 1 October, 2011 by taff170

[lol-lol]

On my VRS they come on automatically, herein lies the fundamental flaw with this product. 90% of the time they don't come on in the fog. This is why year on year you see an increase of people with non lights on in fog.

At 80mph my MPG is better than at 70MPH (early 50's). Travelling at 60mph i can get late 50's early 60's.......and still beat you anywhere door to door.

Agree the auto switching on lights often seem to not come on when you epect them to.

Diesel VRS would only beat a Octy2 TSI VRS, Octy1 VRS, Fabia VRS or 1.8TSI, as it is slower to 60 mph by at least half a second, according to Skoda and the motoring press, that all these other Fabias and Octavias, if they had to stop for fuel or a nap ie the the tortoise and the hare story.

My 1.8TSI DSG L&K is cheaper to run for me as it was much cheaper to buy than the Diesel VRS, is quicker accelerating, according to Skoda and the motoring press, has more luxuries features and since I only pay 40% the full price for fuel (company fuel card) through tax that element is cheap enough.

If I was to have a diesel it would be the 1.6CR and I would have the DSG version ie with the 7 speed dry clutch box. Still totally capable of cruising a 80 to 90 mph, 25% better fuel consumption than the Wiesel VRS. It is has mediocre standard performance like all the Skoda diesels IMO, and all the (standard) 4 cylinder diesel cars I can think off (SEAT Ibiza Cupra 160 PD, 2.2D XF maybe half decent).

It does give us petrol heads food for thought but VAG simply to be releasing the Variable Valve timing EA888 engine, 7 speed DQ500, Freewheeling features etc to cope with the higher costs and possibly speed limites in the UK would do nicely and mean we do not need to switch to diesel.

Edited 2 October, 2011 by lol

[jrw]

LOL - I have proved you wrong on that point and shown you proof. I am still awaiting your proof. Please stop posting drivel and stick to the OP.

[lol-lol]

LOL - I have proved you wrong on that point and shown you proof. I am still awaiting your proof. Please stop posting drivel and stick to the OP.

You have proved nothing. We all know, as it has been proved by yours and dozens of other Run What you Brung events, that in advantageous conditions a standard car can bet the published figures, no suprise there to me.

Skoda, publish their measurement results, Octavia brochure out yesterday, 0-62 mph Wiesel VRS 8.3 seconds, 0-62 mph 7.8 seconds for 1.8 TSI and 7.2 petrol VRS which I drive quite often too. Here you go:-

Only recent motoring press measurement I have seen had the Wiesel VRS taking 22 seconds to hit 100 mph, 20 seconds for 1.8 TSI and 18 seconds for the Petrol VRS. Please post any other motoring tests that you come across.

http://www.zeperfs.com/fiche2674-skoda-octavia-ii-rs-2-0-tdi.htm

If I had bothered to attend the GTI weekend I would expect the 1.8 TSI to do around the 6.8 mark ie to split the Diesel and Petrol VRS as the 1.8 TSI does for both performance and economy.

Not drivel but the figures actually published by Skoda and the motoring press.

As the OP, as I have said I would like to see the UK Motorway etc limit to raised to 80 mph, my point is that diesel's present, but currently shrinking fuel efficency gap, is a factor in people 's buying decesions.

I would hate to go back to a diesel and experiencing the driving of the new VAG direct injection tubo petrols but petrol consumption at these speeds is a buying decesion factor. Clearly the Condems see the advantages of people user more fuel and paying more tax and possibly roads having less traffic as a consequence of the shorter journey times.

No negative for me for raising the limit, went through a police motorway speed trap at around a genuine 80 mph so would be glad not to worry about a fine through ther post if nothing else.

Edited 2 October, 2011 by lol

[KenONeill]

Ken your last comment makes no sense whatsoever! I was referring to nobody actually mentioning the increased number of limits. You have interpreted my message wrongly. We do need lower speed limits in these areas for safety, especially when it is school starting/kicking out times, as parents who clearly often shouldn't be driving park anywhere they feel like, often obscuring crossing points. We also round here have a lot of rural villages that have very narrow streets and are not suitable for 30 limits.

Yes it does, in relation to what you actually said if not what you thought you'd said.

Living in Scotland, I don't know anyone who's against 20mph speed limits at school incarceration and bail times. However, your message came ove as referring to permanent 20mph limits in residential areas.

Where you live is a bit of a straw man, not least because you're even more reticent on the subject than I am, without even the defence that my surname is a unique entity in the town (probably county) where I live.

[jrw]

You have proved nothing. We all know, as it has been proved by yours and dozens of other Run What you Brung events, that in advantageous conditions a standard car can bet the published figures, no suprise there to me.

Skoda, publish their measurement results, Octavia brochure out yesterday, 0-62 mph Wiesel VRS 8.3 seconds, 0-62 mph 7.8 seconds for 1.8 TSI and 7.2 petrol VRS which I drive quite often too. Here you go:-

Only recent motoring press measurement I have seen had the Wiesel VRS taking 22 seconds to hit 100 mph, 20 seconds for 1.8 TSI and 18 seconds for the Petrol VRS. Please post any other motoring tests that you come across.

http://www.zeperfs.com/fiche2674-skoda-octavia-ii-rs-2-0-tdi.htm

If I had bothered to attend the GTI weekend I would expect the 1.8 TSI to do around the 6.8 mark ie to split the Diesel and Petrol VRS as the 1.8 TSI does for both performance and economy.

Not drivel but the figures actually published by Skoda and the motoring press.

As the OP, as I have said I would like to see the UK Motorway etc limit to raised to 80 mph, my point is that diesel's present, but currently shrinking fuel efficency gap, is a factor in people 's buying decesions.

I would hate to go back to a diesel and experiencing the driving of the new VAG direct injection tubo petrols but petrol consumption at these speeds is a buying decesion factor. Clearly the Condems see the advantages of people user more fuel and paying more tax and possibly roads having less traffic as a consequence of the shorter journey times.

No negative for me for raising the limit, went through a police motorway speed trap at around a genuine 80 mph so would be glad not to worry about a fine through ther post if nothing else.

How is concrete runway, boot full of camping stuff and over half a tank of fuel advantageous conditions? You're deluded if you think they are advantageous conditions and that you think a 160bhp car with less torque is quicker. I don't know anyone besides you that doesn't take manufacturer figures with a pinch of salt, especially Vag figures which are notoriously conservative.

Until you prove otherwise and also your fuelly account, no one is taking any notice of your ramblings with your glorious 1.8tsi.

[lol-lol]

How is concrete runway, boot full of camping stuff and over half a tank of fuel advantageous conditions? You're deluded if you think they are advantageous conditions and that you think a 160bhp car with less torque is quicker. I don't know anyone besides you that doesn't take manufacturer figures with a pinch of salt, especially Vag figures which are notoriously conservative.

Until you prove otherwise and also your fuelly account, no one is taking any notice of your ramblings with your glorious 1.8tsi.

I agree, my 0-62 of 7.8 seconds from Skoda is conservative (hate that word), probably can do a 6.8s 0-62 no bother going on what your did over Skoda figures.

Evo, you know the magazine who just the land speed records at 227 mph with the long stroke version of my engine ie EA888, measured their 1.8TSI at 165 hp at the wheels. Skoda are probably "conservative" at quoting the 1.8 TSI as they do not want to draw sales from the 2 litre CR. It is bad enough that the acceleration figure they quote is half a second quicker.

I hope people do take notice of the figures that Skoda publish and magazine test reports I would go on them rather than the odd BWYB figure from an amateur.

Fuelly is for weasels. I get 42 mpg on my computer, ie about 40 mpg on average and that is with lots of flat out acceleration bits to leave 4 cylinder weasels disappearing in my rearview mirror. Taking it gently the tank range plus mileaged travelled can equal well over 600 miles on a tankful.

Anyway back to the OP topic. Raising the speed limit to 80/88 mph might require acquisition of a wiesel or the preferred course that Skoda gete some of the techno bits which are currently only provided to Audi and VW ie the VVT engines and 7 speed Wet Multiplate Clutch gearboxes.

Live long and prosper.

Edited 2 October, 2011 by lol

[jrw]

I hope people do take notice of the figures that Skoda publish and magazine test reports I would go on them rather than the odd BWYB figure from an amateur.

Fuelly is for weasels. I get 42 mpg on my computer, ie about 40 mpg on average and that is with lots of flat out acceleration bits to leave 4 cylinder weasels disappearing in my rearview mirror. Taking it gently the tank range plus mileaged travelled can equal well over 600 miles on a tankful.

Anyway back to the OP topic. Raising the speed limit to 80/88 mph might require acquisition of a wiesel or the preferred course that Skoda gete some of the techno bits which are currently only provided to Audi and VW ie the VVT engines and 7 speed Wet Multiplate Clutch gearboxes.

Well being as 99% of the people that drive cars on the roads are 'amateurs', i would say it is a good indication of what the car can do. It would be interesting to see how much quicker it would be at the hand of a pro.

Fuelly is for 'weasels' is it? Funny that isn't it, when you can't back up your claims. No way on this earth can you get over 600miles to a tank.

Also where does the 88mph limit come into it that you keep babbling on about?

Added to ignore list until you put your money where your mouth is and a) prove that your car can actually beat mine and you actually admit your mpg on fuelly and admit you are WRONG (by this i mean on a new thread on not hijacking every thread that mentions speed, mpg, diesel, tsi, torque, 0-60 and any other tenuous link to your 'glorious' TSI) :no:

....Back to the OP.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Driving standards are woeful in this country, but it`ll be nice to do 80 in the right conditions. Its a shame there isnt more cops on the road to do people for no lights/fog lights/tailgating/pure stupidity instead of just lots of cameras but we cant have it all I guess.

As for 20mph areas, no issues with a 20mph limit as long as its used in the right place for the right reasons. Here in MK we are having lots of roads set to 20mph limits due to speeding. If people ignore a 30mph limit they`ll do the same with a 20. The council say its the only thing they can do because they cant afford to do anything else. How about move a speed camera from a empty industrial estate to the residential area/outside the school?

Matt

[anewman]

On a lighter note, the M6 toll road is a private road in theory so why is the Speed limit limited to the National Limit surly they can make the speed limit what they want.

I'm sure I read somewhere that merely displaying the motorway road sign thingy means the relevant legislation applies. So yes it is private, but no you won't get away with doing 130 down it.

How about move a speed camera from a empty industrial estate to the residential area/outside the school?

No you have to have them in places you can actually catch people out and make money, like places you don't expect them to be and just after a bend. Revenue before road safety.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

IIRC:-

The definition of what is (and is not) a highway for the purposes of the Road Traffic Act specifically mentions that all it requires is the presence of the general public, irrespective of whether payment was made to obtain access.

What makes a Toll road any different to Silverstone? Just curious, both you have to pay to access both are open to the public at times. Only thing I can imagine is the fact one is taking you from one place to another and another doesnt. Like a car park with one entrance and exit isnt a "road"

Matt

[mdon]

Well being as 99% of the people that drive cars on the roads are 'amateurs', i would say it is a good indication of what the car can do. It would be interesting to see how much quicker it would be at the hand of a pro.

Not takIng sides in this argument as I have lost all interest and no longer have any idea what your on about but what would constitute a pro? How could said pro make my car for instance go any faster? Also do you consider yourself a pro?

[mdon]

What makes a Toll road any different to Silverstone? Just curious, both you have to pay to access both are open to the public at times. Only thing I can imagine is the fact one is taking you from one place to another and another doesnt. Like a car park with one entrance and exit isnt a "road"

Matt

A car park is classed as a road. Any highway which the public has access to at the material time either by payment or otherwise is a public road. Silverston is not open to the general public, it is only open the racers etc etc. It does change slightly with VEL where the road needs to be maintained at public expense. Also the road goes from verge to verge so the grass/pavements along the side if roads are still classed as being on the road.

[mdon]

I'm sure I read somewhere that merely displaying the motorway road sign thingy means the relevant legislation applies. So yes it is private, but no you won't get away with doing 130 down it.

It's just as public as any other stretch of road/motorway in the uk.

[anewman]

Not takIng sides in this argument as I have lost all interest and no longer have any idea what your on about but what would constitute a pro? How could said pro make my car for instance go any faster? Also do you consider yourself a pro?

Pro driver

Maybe this http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2188/contents/made has some bearing on the M6 toll speed limits?

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

A car park is classed as a road.

Na its not, i`ll see if I can find what I was reading.

[mdon]

Na its not, i`ll see if I can find what I was reading.

For prosecution purposes it is, you can be prosecuted for drive while on a mobile, driving while not in proper control etc etc. Only part if the car park you can't be prosecuted in is a parking bay. This is all when during the opening hours of the car park.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Na, like I said it depends on various factors. If it is a through road, if its got barriers, if its got road marking etc etc. Not that clear cut.

Matt

[keystonedriving]

No you have to have them in places you can actually catch people out and make money, like places you don't expect them to be and just after a bend. Revenue before road safety.

Just for the record, if there is a fixed camera there will have been at least three fatal or serious injury incidents at the site in a three year period, for a mobile to be used at least one fatal or serious injury incident.