24vcossiemat

I was having a conversation last week with someone about how outdated our speed limits are on dual A roads and motorways.. I suggested that we should have varied speed limits for types of cars.. from 70mph to 100mph for more powerful cars, for example, a 1.1 standard Fiesta on a motorway at 100mph is beyond the limits of the the cars handling and braking really so it should have a limit of 70mph, but say a big merc s500 is just easily cruising at 100mph and is well in the capabilities of the the brakes and handling so it should have a speed limit on motorways of 100mph lets say.. but lets say a 1.8 focus could have a limit of 80 or 90 mph, what do you think, whats your view?? this is just out of interest really, and I still agree that 30 limits should stay and 20 outside schools etc..

TWoods

You cannot have one rule for one person and another for someone else simple as that, the speed is not a factor or cars capabilities.

dannyblackpool

a fiesta doing 70 pulls out on a 100mph merc will still be messy...

24vcossiemat

and what, is that something new then.. how many times have you seen mercs in the outside lane at over 100mph? and other makes... to avoid a argument

dannyblackpool

thats the whole point its illegal and look how often it happens, make it legal and it will make it worse

alistairolsen

The rules state that one should travel at a speed appropriate to the conditions. therefore you should go slower in your fucked fester than in a decent car anyway (not that anyone does)

motorway speed limits are a joke though

Chip

iTrader: (3)

It should be the other way around, given that speed limits were introduced to save fuel, and ligther small engined cars can travel more economically.

Both cars should be limited to 30mpg, which is 100mph in the fiesta and 40mph in the merc.

drift mekanik

Its not about the ability of the car... its about the ability of the driver.

Without getting into my profession too much, my training and experience tells me that if a numpty is at the wheel of a big Merc they will react just as badly as the numpty in a ford fiesta. The car is irrelevant....

If there were to be variable speed limits on motorway then it should be done on driving ability and training and not on the car.

I can stop a Ford Fiesta 1.1 just as controlled as my 850bhp supra.... maybe not as quickly but it is just as safely.

I am an advanced driver registered with the IAM, had fast road trainign and hold emergency vehicle driving qualifications. My reactions, vision, control and abilities far out class an 18 year old with his cornflake driving licence.... Thats my take on it....

TOMMY_RS

also that wouldn't work as say some one has a 1.1 fiesta, what happens if they fit a 2.0 zetec with bigger brakes etc, tehy could say that it could handle the 100mph limit due to modifications so wouldn't really work

Sp3no

iTrader: (1)

The speed limit now is 70, every one does 80 and a few zip along at 100, make the speed limit 100 and what happens......

Big-Dan

iTrader: (2)

Human error is the main cause of accidents on the motorway, people crash through lack of concentration and awareness all the time regardless of their car manufacturer.

The only way it would ever work IMO is if they had mini-motorway's (no more than 2 lanes) alongside the main motorway which had a minimum speed of 80 and a maximum speed of 110, people would then have a choice based on if they felt comfortable to travel at those speeds.

Big-Dan.

24vcossiemat

interesting debate this

smithy20vt

Variable limits would be a good idea dependent upon the weather conditions and traffic levels, for example 2am in the morning no traffic on the road and dry and clear weather.

The quality of some of the driving that you see and lane discipline on our roads is so poor that an increase would never happen and it would go against the goverment stance that 'speed kills'

Big-Dan

iTrader: (2)

Lol, not really.

Can you imagine how many MORE sales rep's would have Bimmer's or Merc's as a result of said change?

Van drivers across the nation would be chopping in there Transits for high powered estate cars.

It's the perfect recipe for traffic congestion on a major scale.

Big-Dan.

GTi-R23

Yeah, the quality (lack of) of drivers in this country doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence and wouldn't want everyone zipping round at 100mph, 70mph is plenty fast enough for most of the mongs I encounter on my travels.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Well then you should be forced to drive everywhere slowly, as if someone with your superhuman powers to stop a vehicle stops in front of a mere mortal they will run up the arse of you obviously


It is of course a fucking nonsense to have any form of variable speed limit for different cars, it would be massively expensive to implement and would only be done to LOWER the limit not raise it I guarentee!

pani_k

iTrader: (1)

What would work and ties in nicely with the other thread of motorway pet hates of people hogging lanes for no reason is what Citroen implemented when the car thinks you stray out of lane apart from use it to vibrate when are going too slow Similarly also too fast as much as I hate to say it I'd rather mongaloids travel slower than giving them licence to travel faster and make the whole motorway network like a destruction derby.

drift mekanik

Chip, I would never run up your ass mate... your too damn yellow..

I can see you from my spaceship!

homer j

iTrader: (1)

ok so imagine this scenario. you're in a ferrari that is allowed to travel at say 120mph. as you are cruising along some numpty in a mini for example pulls out into your lane for some unknown reason, probably due to the fact they don't understand what the motorway sign is telling them. they are doing fifty as thats all they are allowed to do. now when they glance in the mirror you appear to be a way off but what they don't realise is you're doing more than twice the speed they are so the gap closes rapidly. they don't indicate their intentions because lets face it most drivers don't know what the little stalks either side of the steering wheel do. before you know whats happening you are right on top of said mini driver and his back bumper has just become your new set of teeth.

thats why vehicle variable speed limits as you suggest could not work in this country or for that matter any other. for too long people have been used to the way things are so if you go changing things dramatically like that you'll more than double the accident rate, that I'll guarantee right now. even in the hypothetical sense it's a ridiculous suggestion. not to mention the other fact that you pretty soon wouldn't be able to afford to run the car you own due to the increase in fuel consumption.

regards

Tom

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

Unfortunately the population of the UK is now a combination of too fucking retarded, too selfish, too self centered, too distracted etc etc to ever have an increase of speed limits. Only way to fix it is mass retesting and aggressive policing to force a higher standard of driving.

foreigneRS

as a huge number of national 60 limits are being reduced to 50, there will never be a raising of the motorway limit imo. it would not be a good idea environmentally either, and would do nothing for improving traffic flow. 70 is a good compromise between safety, fuel consumption and the need to actally get somewhere imo.

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

and reducing the speeds from 60 to 50 wont help much either. plenty of corners are unsafe on country lanes at 30 let alone 50 or 60

you cant outlaw stupidity.

Bullett

iTrader: (2)

thats is exactly it,plus the drivers mentality. alot of peole think once they are in the cae whatthey do and the way they drive effects them only. they are blind to other road users and dont give a shit who they put in danger with their actions.
speed is not a killer,the drivers are. if im travelling at 70-80 in a 1.0 polo and im seeing a much faster car coming i get out the way or i dont pull out to overtake till they have passed.
if im in the escort i have the poke to get round and go but still only do so if safe.
people annoy me with their "im doing 70 in the fast lane so fuck off you can stay behind me" attitude if im quicker and im risking getting caught thats my business,but it wrong to hold people up because you are in your"mobile castle" ignoring all other road users.

i can drive a small car just as well as my escort,but i take into account the fact its not a sports car and adjust my driving accordingly

focusrrx87

anyone know how the autobahns work? I know there is no speed limit in some zone's what are the rules when traveling on them? And what is the accident rate like? If they work in Germany why can't they work here?

Ginger Will

I drive according to what car I am in and what the capabilities of the car behind are. I hate it when someone doesn't pull back in and allow a car that can whip past get by and then pull back out. I also hate it when people don't judge that they are going 70 and the lorry ahead is obviously going 56 and leave it till the last minute to pull out with no indication, or aren't checking in the mirrors to appreciate that I have allowed space and flashed them out.

I drive a BMW by the way and I think people are often bemused that they have been let out by a BMW as they don't expect it!!

vinnyvangough

But WHO would have the power to rule that a certain type of car is allowed at what limit?

Mr Plod?
Manufacturers?
Government?

24vcossiemat

Blimey, didn't I start a debate here. By the way, one of you said about a ferrari at 120mph. The top limit would be 100, no more. I follow many a cars at 100 in the outside lane of motorways, so I can't see as it would change anything. Maybe having a speed limit of 70 in the inner and centre lanes and 100 limit in the fast lane then would be better than varied limits. Then everyone would expect the outside lane traffic to be going at that speed, after all it is called the fast lane. Although maybe some motorists should be aware that all but the first lane are overtaking lane's. I think the centre lane hogs should be shot at dawn myself.

24vcossiemat

But this debate is not about the centre lane hogs. But only about speed limits. So not to steel the topic of the thread 'what annoys you most about motorways' sorry to whoever started that thread.

Ginger Will

90 would be nice, with a minimum speed limit of 70

righthooker

believe me mate that old Autobahn thing is a bit of a myth in the uk, yes there are unlimited streches , but the majority are limited to 120-140kmh and are straight in the main with multiple lanes.

The worst i seen in my 10 years in germany was a Volvo (them quick estates) went past me at well over a 120mph, and a Trabant pulled out from between two Lorries , very messy as the volvo couldnt stop in time .

So to stick to the thread , too dangerouse and to dificult for the police /speed cameras to implement.

david 100

Done some driving on the highway in USA, 55mph and no one overtaking, so much better than the race track motorways here

Big-Dan

iTrader: (2)

I was told that the accident rate is less than ours but the percentage of fatalities per accident is greatly more than.

70mph as a rule of thumb (AKA: The Law) is plenty.

The only time a speed limit should be allowed to be abused on the motorway is when it's cunt 'o clock at night, not a workman in sight, yet the limit is still 50mph!

Big-Dan.

Bullett

iTrader: (2)

and they can undertake there.which suits my driving as im fine with that

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

Simple, variable speed limits in congested times, like m25/42 etc already have, 100mph at off-peak times...

**caz**

tbh, I think that would be one of the worst ways of going about it! What happens when those in the middle lane, who are restricted to 70mph, need to overtake and have to pull out into traffic travelling at upto 100mph? Does that just sound a bit dangerous to me!?

I agree that speed limits on motorways should be increased! IIRC a few years ago there was talk of the national speed limit being increased to 80mph on motorways, im presuming that as nothing came of it that they decided against it!? Does anyone else remember this or was it just speculation?

**caz**

is there? Ive driven on the M25 at all times of the day and night and never ever seen signs to tell me the limit is upto 100mph!? Surely if the countries legal national speed limit is 70mph, then they wouldn't just change it willy nilly to 100mph for a short period of time?!

dojj

iTrader: (3)

variable speed limits don't work, end of, they don't work on the m25, they don't work on the m42, all they do is make the tailbacks longer as at 70 mph you can get more cars going through than you can at 60 or 50 or, sometimes, the ridiculasly posted 20 mph speed limit, on the motorway

cunts just want to make more money via speeding tickets is all

Benni

70 Minimum is too fast. I like to cruise at 60 which is better on fuel than 70 and I feel is a slightly nicer cruising speed.

Benni.

white2lsr

iTrader: (1)

I think this is one of the stupidest threads ive seen on here in ages.

While were at it we could vary the legal drink drive limit from person to person depending on how well you can handle your drink

m4tt274

iTrader: (2)

speed limits were introduced to save fuel and improve road safety.
the autobahan works ok tho ??

speed never killed anyone, stopping very quickly, thats what kills you!