50mph National Speed Limit!!

I'll stay in Germany..ta v much...

We have: large amounts of unrestricted Autobahn; very few speed cameras; 70mph speed limit on 'A' roads; hardly any traffic compared to UK...
and some seriously spectacular roads...

As I recall the UK has: rubbish roads; rubbish M-Ways; speed cameras every 45 yards and congestion is reaching saturation point...
oh and not forgetting tree-huggers that kick/spit on your car if it's not an effing Prius!
 
im sure speed only kills in a fraction of the accidents that they use to generate their statistics. doing 60mph on an Aroad is in itself not dangerous, its doing that speed when the road conditions arent suitable or attempting to go round corners too quickly which lead to accidents rather than the maximum speed of the road. im sure that lowering the speed limit will have little impact as those that speed will still speed.
 
Doesn't affect me directly because I use public transport every day of the week. Even when I am driving most of the roads I'm on are usually 30 mph or 40 mph.
 
I think it is a way to raise money, its as simple and as clear cut as that, afteral, if you were driving an 'A' road, in the National Speed Limit and conditions dicatated that it was dangerous to do so you could be done for it, even though you were not speeding.

Sadly most of the muppets on the road these days only know a corner goes left or right because the Sat Nav says so.

Driver training, more often, at the drivers expense and more traffic Police is what is needed, not average speed cameras, they are dangerous, you need your eyes on the road, not the speedo making sure you are doing 50 on the speedo.

Maddens me, alot !
 
Something to be learned from the French (and other nations I am sure) is variable national speed limit depending upon whether conditions. This would stop a lot of problems on the roads as idiots wouldn't insist on still doing 70mph around a bend in torrential rain when your wipers don't go fast enough to clear your windscreen
 
Moe PC H&S garabage from a government who want to get their priorities right,and how much will all the signs and road markings cost as well bang in the middle of a recession.
 
CaptainPenguin said:
Moe PC H&S garabage from a government who want to get their priorities right,and how much will all the signs and road markings cost as well bang in the middle of a recession.
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What has PC got to do with this?

Instead of moaning about how the government spends its money, if we all went out and spent money we'd help ourselves work our way out of the recession.

But for the most part I agree that it is a money making venture, that's why you don't see cameras outside schools and play parks.
 
CaptainPenguin said:
Moe PC H&S garabage from a government who want to get their priorities right,and how much will all the signs and road markings cost as well bang in the middle of a recession.
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Eh? PC? How is this remotely anything to do with being "politically correct"?

Not sure this is such a bad thing actually. Doesn't affect me anyway, I don't have a car.
 
welly said:
Eh? PC? How is this remotely anything to do with being "politically correct"?

Not sure this is such a bad thing actually. Doesn't affect me anyway, I don't have a car.
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And you never get a lift anywhere, or have something delivered to you or buy anything that has been delivered to where you're buying it from by a vehicle?
 
atleast look on the brightside, atleast rover drivers will actually be able to do the national speed limit....!


oh and tonys corsa will become the fastest cornering car in the known universe
 
Blapto said:
And you never get a lift anywhere, or have something delivered to you or buy anything that has been delivered to where you're buying it from by a vehicle?
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I get a lift to the train station on occasion. Between my house and the train station, it's a 35mph limit all the way.

I do have things delivered and I do have things sent but I'm not convinced that delivery vehicles going 10mph slower is going to have much of an effect. My post never arrives before lunchtime these days anyway.
 
I got past the boy racer stage some years (actually decades) ago. But this is just bloody ridiculous.
 
Drop from 70 to 50 and a 10 mile journey takes under 3.5 mins more, and probably saves 20% in fuel.

As for safety - driving to the conditions and keeping a safe distance is more important.

Does not bother me as I normally do 60 anyway, except when I am going on holiday :)
 
dseered said:
not average speed cameras, they are dangerous, you need your eyes on the road, not the speedo making sure you are doing 50 on the speedo.

Maddens me, alot !
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That's so true.
I drive at 35mph in a 30 up until the speed camera. Then I constantly check my speedo as I go past the speed camera, spending half my time looking at the speedo, the other half on the road.
Have nearly rear ended someone about 3 times because of speed cameras.

One would argue "Well the speed cameras are there for a reason, you should be doing 30mph the whole time".

However. I drive at a speed I feel safe driving. I'm not an idiot, and I've never felt safe driving at 60mph in a 30mph zone.
Recently the council changed a road near me to 40mph from a national speed limit 60mph. I still drive it at 60mph. Why?
Because if I could drive it safely at 60mph the day before, it's ludicrous to drive it at a speed significantly lower the day after just because a sign tells me to.
I drive that road twice a day every day, and have never seen there be an accident on it (touch wood).
 
Suvv said:
Drop from 70 to 50 and a 10 mile journey takes under 3.5 mins more, and probably saves 20% in fuel.

As for safety - driving to the conditions and keeping a safe distance is more important.

Does not bother me as I normally do 60 anyway, except when I am going on holiday :)
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3.5 minutes?!

You could have a poo in that time!
Valuable excretion time!
 
dseered said:
IDriver training, more often, at the drivers expense and more traffic Police is what is needed, not average speed cameras, they are dangerous, you need your eyes on the road, not the speedo making sure you are doing 50 on the speedo.
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Agree with most of what you said in particulalrly that bit, unless you have cruise control its very easy to drift up a couple mph without really knowing, i only drive at a max of 65-70mph on good days,

KayJay said:
What has PC got to do with this?
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welly said:
Eh? PC? How is this remotely anything to do with being "politically correct"?
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They mention about it reducing carbon which is would all depend on the car, for example in a 6 speed mondeo tdci 60mph in 6th is more efficient then doing 50mph in 5 on a 5 speed tdci. Oh the 6th gear at 50mph will labour the engine massively and will require much more throttle. So ok use 5th on the six speed car then (which you will have to) well in that case you'll be running a higher revs then the 5 speed version burning more fuel. I know I have owned both a 5speed, and 6 speed mondeo tdci.

There are now lots of cars with gear ratios like that.
 
Well that completely depends on the persons driving style surely?
 
KayJay said:
Well that completely depends on the persons driving style surely?
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In a word NO. A gear ratio is fixed a driving style cannot effect the speed at which the car can drive in a given gear, the Mondeo 6peed would simple stall below 50mph, as it wasnt designed to be used under 55mph, as there was a 6th gear the 5th gear is a shorter ratio then that of the 5 gear model. about 250revs different from memory.
 
Just as well we don't all drive Mondeos then isn't it ;)
 
if people were taught to drive properly in the first place it wouldnt be a problem. Oddly we used to have the safest roads, but since speed camera and traffic calming sillyness took off we have gone done to 6th in europe..go figure
 
KayJay said:
Just as well we don't all drive Mondeos then isn't it ;)
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Lol, the same applies to BMW's, Honda's (atleast i know the Civics have 6speeds) Mercs, infact some of them have 7speeds in which 7th can only be used above 75mph lol

Saying a reduction in speed limits reducing Carbon is very poor as most cars these days are designed to cruise at much faster speeds.

Much like saying dervs are better for the envronment is bull, as the particulate they produce is more harmfull to people then the Co2 from a petrol, just ask any astmatic (sp)
 
OK, I was nearly aghast at that thinking that all roads were being limited to a maximum of 50mph, but in reality, it's not a big difference. The main roads are still at 70mph and the only real difference will be a drop from 60 to 50, which is not going to much of an issue.

Don't get me wrong, I don't condone speeding, but I do most of my driving early and late in the day where traffic isn't much of a problem. I do see the occasional unmarked car floating around even in the early hours, so having to drive 50mph instead of 70mph on clear roads would have been frustrating...
 
dseered said:
Driver training, more often, at the drivers expense and more traffic Police is what is needed, not average speed cameras, they are dangerous, you need your eyes on the road, not the speedo making sure you are doing 50 on the speedo.
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I think that's the biggest factor, not the actual speed. I recently started driving and worry when i am looking over my shoulder changing lanes or looking at the speedo that something will happen in front of me and i simply wont be looking at all, ploughing into them at 30, rather than skidding into them at alot less.......cruise control is the ticket.
 
whitewash said:
atleast look on the brightside, atleast rover drivers will actually be able to do the national speed limit....!


oh and tonys corsa will become the fastest cornering car in the known universe
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All i can say to that mate is, REMOVED. Moving on

My mum works in a school and right outside the playground there is a 30mph speed limit, now i go slower than that down there so i can be aware of what is going on around me and making sure no one is at the side of the road. I do think it is a good idea to have a 10mph or 15mph limit there.

But not 50mph on the motorway, that would be a bit pointless as you will have people speeding just as they do now and slowing down when the come to a speed camera. And it would also have a impact on stocks, Van has to drive all the way from London to Scotland at 50mph then the orders don't get to there places when shops open.
 
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matty said:
if people were taught to drive properly in the first place it wouldnt be a problem. Oddly we used to have the safest roads, but since speed camera and traffic calming sillyness took off we have gone done to 6th in europe..go figure
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Nail head hammer :thumbs:

For those of you that don't know Milton Keynes is surrounded
by grid roads ( hence all the bloody roundabouts)
largely the system works well
The major North - South and East-West roads are duel carriageways ( 70 MPH) that keeps traffic flowing in and out of the "city" (mostly)
The powers that be are now "very likely to introduce a blanket 40 MPH
One of the main Duel carriageways ( the A421)
has now 2nd generation "average speed cameras" "under test" or so the signs say,
( the last couple of weeks or so they were added)
I guess this is in ready-ness for the speed reductions.
Ok so this is quite a "fast road" and I have seen the odd car traveling at around 80 on it but FFS
its long and straight and some distance between roundabouts at this particular location.....
Revenue collectors? Naw don't be so ****ing cynical!
 
I imagine it relates to back roads and country lanes which even though they twist and turn are 60mph, therefore dropping to 50 is a safe and sensible approach.
 
tigerimages said:
I imagine it relates to back roads and country lanes which even though they twist and turn are 60mph, therefore dropping to 50 is a safe and sensible approach.
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I live in the middle of norfolk, and travel on country roads everyday. Don't go no faster than about 50mph averge down there :thumbs:

I think enforcing a speed limit like that would just force people to break it more, very easy to let your speed go down there.

How about 50mph as a guidence speed? i think that would work with the sensible drivers, the others will be clocked by the police.
 
tigerimages said:
I imagine it relates to back roads and country lanes which even though they twist and turn are 60mph, therefore dropping to 50 is a safe and sensible approach.
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Yeah, but they aren't going to be able to put average speed cameras on those roads, so it will make no difference what so ever, and will no doubt have one hell of a lot of tax payers money spend on the whole scheme which I can see have absolutely no difference to anything.
 
Arkady said:
I'll stay in Germany..ta v much...

We have: large amounts of unrestricted Autobahn; very few speed cameras; 70mph speed limit on 'A' roads; hardly any traffic compared to UK...
and some seriously spectacular roads...

As I recall the UK has: rubbish roads; rubbish M-Ways; speed cameras every 45 yards and congestion is reaching saturation point...
oh and not forgetting tree-huggers that kick/spit on your car if it's not an effing Prius!
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Perhaps we all ought to move to Germany, as things are soooo perfect there......

What are the statistics like?
IE, deaths on roads, and road traffic accidents?

Let me guess, pretty damn good :razz:
 
foodpoison said:
That's so true.
I drive at 35mph in a 30 up until the speed camera. Then I constantly check my speedo as I go past the speed camera, spending half my time looking at the speedo, the other half on the road.
Have nearly rear ended someone about 3 times because of speed cameras.

.
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You see this argument a lot, and frankly it just goes back to how poor the standard of driving is these days.

The speed limit is a maximum, not a minimum. You should be driving at all times well within the limit, you should know your car, and if you did both those then you wouldn't need to be staring at the speedo or fretting about speed cameras. It would make you a much better and safer driver by the sound of it.

That said, speed cameras are all about revenue raising and little to do with anything else. what we could do with is more traffic police and fewer speed cameras. This is just another ridiculous bit of nonsense from a Government bankrupt of ideas and virtually bankrupt financially.

They are simply incompetent, but no doubt the people who voted them in will be supporting them again for their brilliant management of the mess they put us in.
 
Ste L said:
i'd love to move over there, just purely to spend my time lapping the 'ring :love:
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Yeah they get up to all-sorts over there, I've seen it on the internet.
 
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