UK Speed Limits

[[TW]Fox]

He did mention "dual carrigeway" as well in the first line of his OP which, for NSL sections, has the same max speed limit as a Motorway so his point still stands...

It is unlikely any increase in the Motorway speed limit would be applied to dual carriageways too. They are not built to the same standards as Motorways and their suitability for higher speed is more questionable than that of a Motorway. Even the government consultation a few years back which seriously asked the question about 80mph on Motorways did not include dual carriageways in scope.

This is partially already recognised in that certain classes of vehicle have a lower speed limit on an NSL Dual Carriageway than they do on the Motorway.

For me the Motorway/DC speed limit seems appropriate, the biggest issue is the ever growing list of rural 50mph limits. What is the point in these? What would happen at 60 that doesn't at 50?

The most amusing things about them is you crawl along wide, well sighted roads at 50mph passing the odd junction down little more than a blind farm track with a 60mph limit on it. Safety first guys...

If there is a clear and obvious danger that stops 60mph being safe, than frankly 50mph isn't much safer. For clear and obvious areas where a lower limit is appropriate it should be 40mph. Otherwise leave it at 60.

50 limits slow traffic down, frustrate drivers and encourage reckless overtakes from the sort of moron who allows frustration to boil over. They also encourage inattentiveness as you drone along at a speed that clearly feels too slow for the road and they encourage a lack of respect for the importance of speed limits.

Most drivers will respect speed limits that feel appropriate.

 

[MooMoo444]

I feel like a lot of 30's could be 40's, but that would encourage people to do 45 in towns which is probably unsafe.

 

[Nasher]

I think the rural 50 signs are just to shut the safety groups up. No one takes any notice and I've never actually seen them being enforced anyway

 

[Rroff]

But the toll road doesn't work, most people actively avoid it because it's to expensive to keep using.

I'm not being that specific in that it absolutely has to be like the M6 toll - just that in general despite not being a fan of increasing speed limits I'd like to see some kind of infrastructure that (separately) allowed for faster car transit when doing longer distances.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I think the rural 50 signs are just to shut the safety groups up. No one takes any notice and I've never actually seen them being enforced anyway

The issue with them is that safe overtake you just made is more unacceptable in a 50 than it is in a 60, especially now everyone is obsessed with making high definition video recordings of everyone else going about their daily business.

So, really, overtaking is off the cards in most 50's. So you plod along instead.

 

[Conscript]

I don't think most people can safely be trusted to negotiate MWs/DCs with the limits as they are, so I don't really see raising them as a good idea.

Start rolling out better driver education and enforcement to sort out the poor lane, speed and distance discipline that's rife on most of the network, then think about raising speed limits.

 

[MooMoo444]

sort out the poor lane

lol I read that as if there is a lane where peasants should be

 

[Nasher]

lol I read that as if there is a lane where peasants should be

Great idea!

 

[NooBish AbbZ]

Speed limits were chosen back when cars had horrendous brakes, crap tyres, and unpowerful engines.

So by that logic, they could do with increasing. However people have enough trouble driving at the current speed limits.

 

[semi-pro waster]

The only speed limit that really bothers me is the 20mph zones they're applying everywhere.

They don't regulate them with speed cameras but use speed calming measures like speed bumps, road narrowings etc. The issue is if you're sitting at 20 you'll have people pulling crazy manuevers behind you because they don't care about trashing their cars over speedbumps etc and most end up doing 30 anyway. Literally the most pointless thing I have seen here.

There does seem to be a proliferation of them in London just now or maybe it's simply that I've started noticing them. I've recently spent some time in Edinburgh and it's affecting there too. As you say it doesn't seem to be something that many people pay attention to so typically if you follow the speed limit then you feel like you're crawling along but there's a queue of irate drivers following behind you.

 

[kindai]

So today did a good stretch on the motorway, passed maybe 2 lorries in the space of an hour?

The drive was honestly one of the best ive had in a long time, able to make some good time and speed with people keeping generally left, in a way you never see when lorries are in abundance. However on the 2 or 3 lorries we did pass, the concertina effect was visible as people moved to get around them.

Maybe the issue are lorries, lets remove them!

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Speed limits are fine, you tend to catch up the people doing 80 when your doing 70 every time there are a few lorries bunched up which lets face it is just a few miles on most MW/DC.

All that happens is the people doing 80 use more fuel and breaks constantly doing 80 > 60 > 70> 80 > 65 > 70 > 80.... You perhaps shave off 30 seconds off the average drive but gain the perception of saving time.

The reality is if the limit was raised to 80 it would just mean the fast cars now drive at 90. This creates a bigger range of speeds (55-90) on the motorway which would actually reduce capacity because of the increase gaps you should be leaving. More emissions and more danger, many people already struggle at 70!

 

[Haggisman]

Speed limits are fine, you tend to catch up the people doing 80 when your doing 70 every time there are a few lorries bunched up which lets face it is just a few miles on most MW/DC.

All that happens is the people doing 80 use more fuel and breaks constantly doing 80 > 60 > 70> 80 > 65 > 70 > 80.... You perhaps shave off 30 seconds off the average drive but gain the perception of saving time.

The reality is if the limit was raised to 80 it would just mean the fast cars now drive at 90. This creates a bigger range of speeds (55-90) on the motorway which would actually reduce capacity because of the increase gaps you should be leaving. More emissions and more danger, many people already struggle at 70!

Agreed, I think 80mph wouldnt be an issue, however the speed limit on the motorway currently is effectively 80mph, even if not strictly legally (as in that's the speed most people drive at and you're unlikely to get done for)

Raise the legal limit to 80 and I wonder how many people would start driving at 90 instead? As above, that means you have an even bigger variation of speed. There are enough idiots who pull out in 1m in front of you from doing 50mph a truck when you're doing 70-80... Sticking another 10-20 miles speed differential on that isn't going to help matters!

Ultimately it's not an issue with the capability of cars, but with the capability and intelligence of most drivers.

The most amusing things about them is you crawl along wide, well sighted roads at 50mph passing the odd junction down little more than a blind farm track with a 60mph limit on it. Safety first guys...

NSL is not a 60 mph limit, it's a "this road hasn't been assessed for a safe limit so we're applying the default and having faith in the driver to have a semblance of common sense"

 

[[TW]Fox]

NSL is not a 60 mph limit

The National Speed Limit on a rural road which is not lit or otherwise signposted is 60mph.

 

[Haggisman]

The National Speed Limit on a rural road which is not lit or otherwise signposted is 60mph.

That depends on what you're driving, and as I said, it's a default for an unassessed road ather than a "this road is suitable for 60"

 

[mrk]

I wish Ski Lo's dream of every day being a Friday, so you can even speed on the highway became true

30 limit dual carriageways are the worst, followed closely by VSL motorways set to 40/50 for no apparent reason.

This was a classic one near where I used to live - you can even see the camera van parked in the distance on streetview. 30 limit, and they often used to park the van further back so they'd get people just as the limit changed from 40 to 30. When I knew they were there, I'd hog the outside lane doing 30, was funny to watch people's reactions changing from anger / impatience to putting the window down and thanking me at the next set of traffic lights

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4...Hg!2e0!5s20120601T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Thing is they are set for a reason! The problem is that people don't stick to a set speed and are constantly slowing down and speeding up between points.

The system is designed so that a constant speed at that variable limit would result in smooth flow of traffic because the VSL was set way back due to an incident/traffic miles ahead. It doesn't always work due to the above, and you end up with the rubber band effect.

So it just ends up seeming like the variable limit has been applied for no reason.

 

[geekman]

I can believe that during moderately busy times, but at 1am in the morning when there's barely a car on the road? I used to drive on the M25 very late and it was a frequent occurrence sadly.

 

[George Hincapie]

I'd like to see motorways de-restricted. HGVs confined to Lane 1 only. Other limits are fine as they are.

 

[mrk]

I can believe that during moderately busy times, but at 1am in the morning when there's barely a car on the road? I used to drive on the M25 very late and it was a frequent occurrence sadly.

Only driven the M25 as late as 1AM and never encountered out of the blue variable limits really!

 

[Barks]

I don't personally pay any attention whatsoever to speed limits. I subjectively judge the road and if it's a built up area I keep my speed down. If I'm on a busy motorway I cruise at around 60/70mph. If I'm on an empty motorway at 2am, I drive at a speed I deem reasonable. I've never been done in my 10 year driving career through exercising common sense, respecting the safety of other drivers, but ignoring laws implemented by clueless and misinformed polticians.