Could increasing speed limits make some roads safer?

[IAmATeaf]

I always drive at a speed that is comfortable for both me and for the car that I am in, so for example in my Accord that would be 75-80 but in my wifes Yaris more likely 65-70.

So the general notion that if the limit were raised people would be inclined to drive that bit faster to me logically doesn't make sense. Yes you'll always get nutters who rag their little car and drive at 90 but these nutters are already doing this so the change in limit does nothing to stop people like this.

 

[Howard]

60 MPH limit:

http://goo.gl/maps/EDllR

You think that's bad? Surrey is the king of NSL lolroads.


Hmm..

What's that up ahead?

Only a bloody great lorry...

You practically have to breathe in when you drive along these roads too...

"Where does the road go?!"

I sadly can't find on the map a road which is NSL and yet single-track through many parts because there's humongous tree roots sticking half way out into the road

 

[MooMoo444]

A good deal of accidents are caused by slower drivers, not faster ones, because they 'block' the road and somewhat encourage risky overtakes/tailgating.

These slower drivers would likely not drive faster if the speed limit was higher.

 

[PMKeates]

Hopefully we'll develop more of an overtaking culture if the limits are higher. I have no qualms about calmly overtaking in quiet 30/40 limits if someone is travelling unreasonably slowly.

 

[Burnsy2023]

Hopefully we'll develop more of an overtaking culture if the limits are higher. I have no qualms about calmly overtaking in quiet 30/40 limits if someone is travelling unreasonably slowly.

Somehow I don't think your overtaking would be "calm" and I think your interpretation of what is unreasonably slow may be quite close to the actual speed limit.

 

[TheVoice]

I generally think the speed limits in the UK are fine, I think motorways could do with 80MPH limits but I think 60 in single lane and country roads are fine. 30 is fine for in and around town.

What annoys me is people who do 35 in a 60 mph zone where its perfectly clear and safe to do 60. Usually farmers! And when they come to a 30 zone they keep doing 35! lol does my head in.

Get that a lot up here, regularly get stuck behind people doing 40-45 on the long 60 road I take to work every day regardless of road or weather conditions. Less of an issue now that I have a car with some power so I can easily overtake when there's a gap.

And as you said, they're usually also the ones who somehow manage to pull ahead through a village when it's 30, only for you to end up stuck behind them when it's back to 60 again.

 

[PMKeates]

Somehow I don't think your overtaking would be "calm" and I think your interpretation of what is unreasonably slow may be quite close to the actual speed limit.

An indicated 25 in a 30 is proportionally equivalent to travelling at about a real 52 in a 70. It's really quite calm sailing past these people at an indicated 35. I leave for work at 5:45 AM and the local roads are easily clear enough to do this quite often. There's a couple of 40s off roundabouts that are uphill, and I can nip past people in vans creeping off the roundabout without even touching the speed limit.

 

[Howard]

An indicated 25 in a 30 is proportionally equivalent to travelling at about a real 52 in a 70. It's really quite calm sailing past these people at an indicated 35. I leave for work at 5:45 AM and the local roads are easily clear enough to do this quite often. There's a couple of 40s off roundabouts that are uphill, and I can nip past people in vans creeping off the roundabout without even touching the speed limit.

I do this all the time when it's clear enough too.

 

[rossk26]

I'd agree that the 30 limits are acceptable and 9 times out of 10 justified.

The problem with increasing the motorway speed limit, is it creates too great of a difference between those who will continue to drive at 58mph and those who currently do 70, now increasing to 80-90, and I can see that being the cause of an increase in the number of accidents. They tend to hog the middle lane too, which will just make matters worse.

 

[Dis86]

Get that a lot up here, regularly get stuck behind people doing 40-45 on the long 60 road I take to work every day regardless of road or weather conditions. Less of an issue now that I have a car with some power so I can easily overtake when there's a gap.

And as you said, they're usually also the ones who somehow manage to pull ahead through a village when it's 30, only for you to end up stuck behind them when it's back to 60 again.

Exact same issue where I am. 60 limit country road which I do at the limit. Above is a bit suicidal. Nice straight stretch where I can get my foot down and over take the morons doing 30. Sure enough when we get to the thirty limit road next to the school at the end of it they'll suddenly appear behind me. Was behind some old bint the other day who I'm the sixty was doing twenty five but I couldnt pass. Then sped up to forty in the thirty as indicated by a speed warning sign!

 

[PMKeates]

I'd agree that the 30 limits are acceptable and 9 times out of 10 justified.

The problem with increasing the motorway speed limit, is it creates too great of a difference between those who will continue to drive at 58mph and those who currently do 70, now increasing to 80-90, and I can see that being the cause of an increase in the number of accidents. They tend to hog the middle lane too, which will just make matters worse.

This is exactly why it should/can be coupled with improved training/licensing. It's really quite viable to drive very fast on UK motorways while creating minimal additional risk, if you are observant and make allowances for other road users.

For example, if a motorway is completely empty, then 180 is unlikely to cause any issues (car exploding aside). If a motorway has traffic in the first lane, nothing in the second, and crucially no traffic situation being created where someone might need to use the third in any reasonable situation, then 180 in the third is also unlikely to cause any issues - a little lower, say, 130, would give you plenty of time to react. If there is traffic in the first and second lanes, and this is traveling at e.g. 80, then 100 or so in the third lane is fine - just watch what people are doing, how fast they are going relative to the traffic in front of them etc.

If you are driving much more quickly, you have to behave in a completely different and critically more observant and focused fashion. If those standards are applied there's no reason you can't have greater speed differentials.

 

[pepsilol]

I wouldn't trust dawdlers not to pull out on me doing 120.

 

[rossk26]

I wouldn't trust dawdlers not to pull out on me doing 120.

Ditto

 

[MooMoo444]

Works in deutschland!

 

[Minstadave]

I wouldn't trust dawdlers not to pull out on me doing 120.

This would be my concern, you can be the best driver in the world but you can't account for numpties out there. The amount of bad decisions I see causing near misses at current speeds id be very worried a lot of near misses would become significant accidents.

 

[MikeTheNative]

I'm only really repeating what everybody else has said, Most should stay the same, motorways could do with getting raised and the ridiculous 60 on single track country roads should be lowered. I can't see how raising the speed limit will make the roads safer, most accidents are caused by bad driving which will not change with increased speed limits.

 

[Burnsy2023]

I can't see how raising the speed limit will make the roads safer, most accidents are caused by bad driving which will not change with increased speed limits.

So if the accident rate won't change, why not raise it?

 

[wingman]

Nowhere near as bad as some of the other examples on here but I had an accident down this lane when I was 19 year old. I went storming down here doing 60mph and missed that gorgeous little sign. Went straight across and an Audi TT came out of the left, who of course, had priority.

Spoiler

My crummy little defence is that the previous time I had traveresed the road, some two weeks previous to my accident, the priorities were in my favour.

Anyway, the road follows into this;

Spoiler

And finally;

Spoiler

And it's NSL the entire way...

Edit; oh, yeah, there was a point to my post. I am an advocate of a change in speed limits, and as illustrated previously, there are some seriously mixed up examples.

 

[wingman]

So if the accident rate won't change, why not raise it?

More risk/chance of fatality?

 

[Rroff]

I'm only really repeating what everybody else has said, Most should stay the same, motorways could do with getting raised and the ridiculous 60 on single track country roads should be lowered. I can't see how raising the speed limit will make the roads safer, most accidents are caused by bad driving which will not change with increased speed limits.

Have to agree - theres definitely room for improvements on the motorways and way too many NSL roads that should be dropped back a little.