Text messaging at rush hour has to be one of the most dangerous things.

I reckon I've got quite good at it now, no more weaving from me. So yes, unexperienced texters shouldn't it really.

I reckon I've got quite good at it now, no more weaving from me. So yes, unexperienced texters shouldn't it really.

as per your other point, on an empty motorway I cant see why there shoulf be a problem going a little quicker, anyone that has gone down the M6 toll will know that most cars sit on 80-90 as it's empty most of the time.

Maybe increased speed limits should only apply in the correct weather conditions and time?

as per your other point' date=' on an empty motorway I cant see why there shoulf be a problem going a little quicker, anyone that has gone down the M6 toll will know that most cars sit on 80-90 as it's empty most of the time.

Maybe increased speed limits should only apply in the correct weather conditions and time?[/quote']

Yeah, like abroad where its relaxed for quiet times would make sense. The trouble is that trying to educate people that its a variable speed limit takes a long time with the sheer stupidity that is the great British public. You must've seen it yourself with them building that new 12 lane motorway on your doorstep. If it says 40 on the gantrys, people still do 70.

The thing I wonder is if the limit was put up to 80 or even 90MPH, would I continue to drive at the speed I do already (80ish in ideal conditions) and not get ticketed or drive at 100 because it's not that much faster(and probably get another ticket)?

I probably wouldn't go flat out 90+ everywhere, but that's more to do with the cars I drive. 90 in a mini or a diesel fiesta is not comfortable - haven't taken the felicia out on m'way yet.

Does anyone know about german autobahn's? A mate believes that although you can go at any speed you can, the police will pull people going too slow or anyone getting too close to the car infront (tailgating). Two things that are very dangerous at high speed IMHO.

Is that true? and if it is, why don't we have a system like that?

Is that true? and if it is, why don't we have a system like that?

You want to drive on our motorways at 90+? Are you mad? They have men in white coats who could have a look at you if you want. At mega quiet times, maybe. But busy times, oh no, you're lucky to see 70 as it is. The big problem is that we are a small island with too many people on it and too many stupid people. If we had excellent lane disipline then yes, maybe. But not when you get people doing 40 in the middle lane and then everyone having to move to the right to overtake, far too dangerous.

Yeah, like abroad where its relaxed for quiet times would make sense. The trouble is that trying to educate people that its a variable speed limit takes a long time with the sheer stupidity that is the great British public. You must've seen it yourself with them building that new 12 lane motorway on your doorstep. If it says 40 on the gantrys, people still do 70.

too true the general public is very dim at times!

Dont get me started on that! It's a nightmare around there! Got stuck on there on the hotest day last year, the wee furby really hated it.

Hard Luck with the speeding ticket, if it was me, I would have argued that one due to the fact that it was unsafe for you to travel slower... but that's just me!

I think driving test ought to be mandatory every 5 years or so to ensure a higher standard of driving (plus it should probably include some more advanced requirements).

In my opinion it is the way that speed is used that is dangerous (as previously noted by someone in the thread) not speed itself. Unfortunately we have to be governed to account for the lowest common denominator...

Maybe different cars should have different ratings, with advanced requirements for performance cars...

One (controversial?) way of making the motorways safer would be to implement a system like in Germany where HGV's are kept off the road during peak times of the day.

Chris

I'm pretty sure they started that in Switzerland first - I remember the que of lorries parked on the hard shoulder stretching almost the whole width of the country!

They have also recently introduced this in Italy, It is a good idea - but unworkable in the UK I think, Their is basically no other way of transporting goods in our country since the railways were privitised! The hauliers have a hard enough time competeing with thier European rivals as it is (cost of fuel/road tax etc) can you imagine the uproar!!

Moose, I think you're right - us brits as a whole have terrible disipline on the roads. I suppose I'd like to see that changed by the police stopping tailgaters/slow-mos/lane hoggers. -DAMN! I promised myself I wouldn't do the "Why don't you catch someone else?" rant. Appologies to any police reading this, I don't mean it as a criticism of you. Just a bit miffed that I get done when I think I'm driving sensibly.

Until such a change occurs, I'll just have to put up with other driver's that I don't agree with.

With the amount of people who go significantly slower than the speed limit as it is, increasing it would just make it more dangerous. Going 90 and coming up to a group of OAP's or new drivers who are dwindling at 40-50 (and they do that now, so they'd do it with a new limit) is far more dangerous than coming across them at

70mph.

I'm with the lane discipline people. With all the people on here who are quick to jump on your back when you say that people who drive too slow are a hazard, and keep saying "it's a limit, not a target", you must realise that increasing the range of speeds on the motorway is far more dangerous than increasing the speed limit.

Introduce a minimum limit with the new maximum and you may pull it off.

Hard Luck with the speeding ticket' date=' if it was me, I would have argued that one due to the fact that it was unsafe for you to travel slower... but that's just me!

[/quote']

I thought about it, but I would be admitting to speeding and I did have the option of braking (car infront could have been braking for something in the road) I'd also have to go to the Cumbrian court (

I thought about it, but I would be admitting to speeding and I did have the option of braking (car infront could have been braking for something in the road) I'd also have to go to the Cumbrian court (

I probably wouldn't go flat out 90+ everywhere' date=' but that's more to do with the cars I drive. 90 in a mini or a diesel fiesta is not comfortable - haven't taken the felicia out on m'way yet.[/quote']

which comes back to the lack of common sense but the british public. I wanted to test the top speed of SWSBO's metro, I got it upto 90* and I'm sure it would do more given enough space but it was at the total limit of what the car could do, infact I would say anything over 75 in a metro is just crazy!

Felicia on the other hand feels far more stable (though my estate has only see 80) at speed and the fabia in a total different league as would be alot of moden cars.

Lose the speed cameras on the motorway and get more patrols with police officers that are able to use common sense where as machines cant.

*not on the public road

Just to set the record straight - I did 90 in a mini once and in the fiesta once along a bit of m'way I knew really well and in perfect conditions (dry, straight, downhill and no other cars to bee seen)

The mini usually shook violently over 50 and it blew the head gasket.

The fiesta was ok but it was a noisy car at idle, defaning at 90.

Introduce a minimum limit with the new maximum and you may pull it off.

I thought we had one? 40mph unless in traffic.

Hello' date=' I have a quick story for you.

I was driving up the M6 to Edinburgh with my mum in her car (Ford Focus C-Max)

Very quiet bit of road up in cumbria somewhere- I'm happily crusing along, when the car infront moves into 2nd lane (to overtake another car) and clamps the brakes on. No problem - car behind in 3rd lane already, but room for me to overtake. As I do, I see the van on the bridge, realise that it's a speed camera, but that I also have a car behind me and don't want to brake hard...

Boswall[/quote']

and you've just admitted to being a middle lane hog too! hehe!!

there was a program on that showed how inaccurace all the measuring devices the police have are. The handheld guns actually registered stationary vehicles as travelling at about 7mph!! Even normal speed cameras can be set off by vibrations etc, so catch people who aren't speeding as no one actually checks the photos!!!

and you've just admitted to being a middle lane hog too! hehe!!

NOOOOOO! I've found out I'm my own nemisis! NOOOOOO! :eek:

I had moved in to 2nd lane to overtake car that then overtook someone else, Honest.

Hello, I have a quick story for you.

I was driving up the M6 to Edinburgh with my mum in her car (Ford Focus C-Max)

Very quiet bit of road up in cumbria somewhere- I'm happily crusing along, when the car infront moves into 2nd lane (to overtake another car) and clamps the brakes on. No problem - car behind in 3rd lane already, but room for me to overtake. As I do, I see the van on the bridge, realise that it's a speed camera, but that I also have a car behind me and don't want to brake hard...

.. there was a letter from the Cumbria Constabulary on my mum's doorstep this morning. 79MPH in a 70. PANTS!

That's my quick rant over. I want to make perfectly clear that I fully accept that I was caught speeding and have no comments like "why can't you catch some real criminals?" to make. I live in the Derbyshire Dales and I get to see some terrible driving, especially through small villages and towns. I'd love to see that reduced

I was wondering what the BRISKODA massive thought about the 70MPH limit on motorways. Personally, I'm in favour of them being relaxed - but I am the one with 3 points and

I think motorway limits should alter, to the road conditions and traffic volume, all the technology is there to do it!

ie. 2am dry summers night, nothing on the road, I see no reason why the limit should be as high as 100mph. Anyone who doesn't want to do 100mph, fine, it's a limit and not a suggestion after all!

AND

ie. 5:30pm winters evening, wet and cold, heavy traffic, bring the limit down to 50mph (which would actually speed traffic flow up!)

Chris

I agree, serveral motorways would be frankly dangerous with a 80mph limit (M8 weekdays), and variable limits are the way forward.

Whilst the current limit was set in the 60's as much as cars have improved a lot of this has been wiped out by traffic volumes which are now shockingly high.

An 80mph limit would possible make the people who do 80 now do 90 etc, which is true. However variable limits may make people simply drive to the limit beliving that is safe, where it might not be, the key word being limit. Only advantage is that people won't do 70 in fog on the M6....

Oh and as for the ABD link, I wouldn't trust anything the ABD writes! It is almost as biased as partnerships info, just to the other side.

As most of you will know, I'm a taxi driver, I do a lot of miles, lots of long distance work as well as local, and quite frankly I think the people trundling along at 40 on a motorway thing is bullsh*t. Given my annual mileage which is way way above average you would expect me to find them all the time, but the truth is i very very rarely come across anyone driving along at such low speeds.

The lowest anyone really drives at on motorways is 60, ok so the odd truck with no load on might want to eek it's way past but who cares?

Similarly, (and I live in a town with one of the highest populations of OAP's) I rarely come across anyone driving much below the limit on urban streets either.

This whole people driving to slowly thing is just rubbish IMO. i'm sure some will come on and say I should try driving where they live etc but I drive in enough different places already!

I thought we had one? 40mph unless in traffic.

Yeah, which gives you the idea that everyone on the motorway should be dowing between 40-70mph. If you make it legal to do 90mph, people will be doing between 40-90mph, which is a huge difference. I would say the minimum would need to be raised as well, which would be a problem with lorries and slow drivers.

And to John, above, I don't do many motorway miles so I can't comment on that, but around here there are loads of people that drive well below the limit on country lanes. 90% of the country lanes around Derbyshire are 60's. Almost daily I come accross people (usually old people) that are doing 30 on clear open roads. The most annoyi ng ones are those that then brake harshy to about 20 whenever a car comes past in the opposite direction. These people will never be re-educated to drive faster - even if it is safe to do so.

In most of Europe (even the former east such as Czech) the motorway limit is 130 km/h = 81mph, with the exception of Belgium/Holland (120 km/h = 74mph) and Germany (some unrestricted some not)

Given our speed limit was set in the 1960's (Drum brakes, Cross ply tyres, no ABS, NO SEATBELTS, head restraints et al) maybe it's time to increase in line with Europe - Even say 75mph would be better.

I personally would like to see a variable 80mph on Motorways & Dual carriageways (less on busy stretches) BUT zero tollerence above (a couple of Mph Max for spedo error). I would also like to see more stretches of dual carriageway (even if limited to 70mph).

Better run - the environmentalist will be after me.

I'd like to see a crackdown on lane hogs and tailgaiters - resulting in bans for repeat offenders.

The number of times I see Mr BMW doing 80 whilst 3 feet from the car in front and on his brakes constantly The government should re-run the old 'How to use a motorway' TV campaign - explain to people how tailgaiting results in a slower drive and how lane hogging causes hold ups. Most people (IAM/RoSPA etc aside) have never had ANY motorway tuition, except perhaps from their dads etc - who are equally unqualified to drive on motorways, it's crazy!

Rant over, sorry!

I don't subscribe to this view that raising the limit will automatically raise speeds - rather it will decriminalise the vast majority of safe drivers who cruise along at 80 mph anyway.

Driving standards are the issue here. I see so many idiots on a daily basis not indicating, indicating incorrectly, drifting between lanes .... etc, it's almost as if nobody takes any pride in their driving any more.