So, why won't the UK and other european gov's raise the speed limits on motorways?
- Thread starter snowdog
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Actually, that's not normally what happens. Removal of limits does not make everyone drive right on or near the limit. People drive at speeds that are safe for the prevailing conditions.
The issue is that on most roads, the safe speed is totally independant of the speed limit.
You may have never seen an accident but that's not really relevant.
Last time I checked more people died on the autobahn than in the UK. In 2003 you were twice as likely to die on the autobahn than on UK motorways. Although I'm not sure what the more recent figures are.
In 2003 we had one of the best safety records in Europe for motorway driving, I see no reason to risk it.
I'd rather not take more of the traffic police' focus from other dangerous driving.
Soldato
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There's never ever been one, because people can drive faster on some of the roads it makes it a 97% safer. The country actually stops you from crashing once you get above a certain speed...
Why bother increasing the speed limit, especially in the UK, people will just break the new limit anyway. The only difference would be that more people would die when they get it all wrong...
Far too many bad drivers on the road as it is, I'd rather keep the 70 limit in the mild hope that they do less damage when they crash into other people.
Soldato
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Without drivers having lane discipline and just general road discipline, it's not a good idea to raise the limits. This week I've seen 5 people near where I work using their mobile phone whilst driving. A number of faulty headlights and brakelights too.
Set the limit to 80, people will go 90.
Bring in 2 MOT tests a year, strict, enforced regulation and some other things I can't thing of and then you can thing about raising the limits.
Set the limit to 80, people will go 90.
Bring in 2 MOT tests a year, strict, enforced regulation and some other things I can't thing of and then you can thing about raising the limits.
I agree, the majority of people would be comfortable to maintain a recommended speed. The issue comes during rush hour when you get the (stereotypical) BMW, Merc and Audi drivers bombing it down the fast lane and riding on their brakes.
So I propose and reinforce the point made about variable speed limits. We have some very expensive signs up which are linked to speed cameras and speed signs. Surely we can up the speed limit based on traffic flow and weather conditions and then lower it when needed?
So I propose and reinforce the point made about variable speed limits. We have some very expensive signs up which are linked to speed cameras and speed signs. Surely we can up the speed limit based on traffic flow and weather conditions and then lower it when needed?
Caporegime
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Add into the mix they already want us to drive slower so we use less fuel, raise the max speed and you increase the countries co2, won't be done imho,
Does anyone know what the yearly totals of fatalities are on German roads? From spending time over there and surrounding areas, I noticed that on German TV, that there were always news broadcasts of fatal accidents on autobahns mainly due to high speed.
Good point, kind of like the french have on some roads, it starts raining hard and the signs show up the new speed limit, should work on that principle, based on weather conditions and congestion.
Deaths per million from 2004 are below.
Malta: 33
The Netherlands: 50
Sweden: 54
Britain: 56
Germany: 71
Finland: 72
Ireland: 89
France: 93
-- EU average: 95
Italy: 97
Spain: 113
Portugal: 125
Czech Republic: 135
Poland: 148
Greece: 153
Lithuania: 216
Latvia: 220
Taken from http://www.eubusiness.com/Transport/060103170350.5fohjs63
There's no evidence there to support the idea that the lack of speed limits makes germany more dangerous than other EU countries that have speed limits.
Exactly, germany feels a lot safer tbh, less traffic than here, a lot wider driving lanes, not that many on/offramps on motorways, etc...
Calsualty rate = still far below the EU average, then there's France, wich is quite strict about speed limit and has diff limits for bad conditions, still has a much higher casualty rate.
Calsualty rate = still far below the EU average, then there's France, wich is quite strict about speed limit and has diff limits for bad conditions, still has a much higher casualty rate.
Caporegime
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Love driving in germany, only thing i don't like is the tiny sliproads you sometimes get onto the motorways, other than that its spot on, miles better than the uk, felt safe enough doing 140+.
but driving isn't really is it? there are still bad drivers on the roads.
So ?
Even if there are, so what ?
I'd prefer to sacrifise safety tbh for time, life's way too short anyway the last thing I want is sit @ 60 mph at the motorway.
Technology can make up for a bit of the unsafety, eg. automatic braking when the cars computer sees that if driving on even a single inch more will result in a crash ( so braking just before an inevitable crash). Computers don't have emotions, they can start braking @ only the moments where a crash would otherwise be inevitable, but not when just driving unsafely.
About a same system could be develloped for keeping it on the lanes perfectly when turned on.
The problem I find in Germany is the massive speed differential if you're driving quickly - sat in the fast lane at 130-140mph (legally 
) and I've had a few people pull out in front of me doing 70 or less, which means a very quick application of the brakes!
) and I've had a few people pull out in front of me doing 70 or less, which means a very quick application of the brakes!
Man of Honour
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The roads in this country just can't cope with high speeds. Furthermore the skill of drivers don't reflect the suitability to driving at higher speeds. Furthermore there is the ecological reason, it's less environmentally friendly to run the engines at a higher output - more wear on parts, more fuel use. then there's the cost of the increased speed, more petrol, more parts to repair and higher insurance premiums probably too. The roads in the UK just can't take it, they;re too congested. In France, Germany the populations aren't vastly different to the UK's but they have more than twice the area of the UK, therefore emptier roads. On the continent they are very disciplined (well more compared to the UK) about merging, keeping on the inside lane and observations in ratio to the number of drivers in the UK. It's a sad truth I'm afraid.
Furthermore do you really want an 18 year old blasting past you at 100mph in a Saxo?
We'd need more police on the roads to keep an eye out for dangerous driving (which I'm totally in favour of) but again that's a cost, and requires man power and skilled drivers.
Lastly, just because modern cars are safer and can do those speeds it doesn't mean that it's safe to actually do those speeds. I'm no driving god, but I've done a lot more work on my driving (courses and experience as well as track days) to try and get me to a higher level - it doesn't give me a carte blanche to state that I'm allowed and others not, but even with these extra skills I still feel that it's not that safe to blast at silly speeds on the motorway.
Don't get me wrong I love my speed, my adrenaline sports and blasting on my motorbike - but I don't like doing it with other people on the road that I don't trust.
Furthermore do you really want an 18 year old blasting past you at 100mph in a Saxo?
We'd need more police on the roads to keep an eye out for dangerous driving (which I'm totally in favour of) but again that's a cost, and requires man power and skilled drivers.
Lastly, just because modern cars are safer and can do those speeds it doesn't mean that it's safe to actually do those speeds. I'm no driving god, but I've done a lot more work on my driving (courses and experience as well as track days) to try and get me to a higher level - it doesn't give me a carte blanche to state that I'm allowed and others not, but even with these extra skills I still feel that it's not that safe to blast at silly speeds on the motorway.
Don't get me wrong I love my speed, my adrenaline sports and blasting on my motorbike - but I don't like doing it with other people on the road that I don't trust.
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The problem I find in Germany is the massive speed differential if you're driving quickly - sat in the fast lane at 130-140mph (legally
But the good thing is that the majority of people won't be driving 1.1 corsa's in the fast lane, so will have the brakes and performance to keep the balance.
P.s Olly, were you driving behind me on the dual carriageway back to Woodstock on the way home the other evening? Saw a silver BMW in my mirror driving very close... I let him off as it might have been you... if it wasn't - it was just another BMW ****ral
While cars have certainly got better, the idiots driving them have not. I see no end of drivers who should be restricted to 10mph, never mind 70. Until you can produce a better overall standard of driving, the limit is probably about right.
M
M
So you guys recon the mobility of the humans should always stay at a primitive speed of 60 mph ? Meh I wanted the average speed of moving around to be at least 120 mph when I'm 60 years old ( I'm 16 now).
Perhaps I'm too use to pc's getting twice as fast every 2 years, and want transport to do the same.
Perhaps I'm too use to pc's getting twice as fast every 2 years, and want transport to do the same.
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Caporegime
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Well given the fact we are designed to do about 8mph max the current speed of 70mph is well outside our spec, we haven't being doing high speed long enough for our bodys to evolve and get used to it.