What is the point of a 1 week driving ban?

[Markymark]

..and is speed an issue here? The OP was on a fast stretch of road, not in a town, not in a 30.

If speed is an issue on autobahns, why is the safety record there so good and why is there no real correlation between speed limits and injury rates on motorways across the world?

AGAIN, I'm not talking about in town where I agree, 20mph would be appropriate.

 

[glenn forger]

Motorways, who cares, they can kill themselves all day long so long as no innocents get hurt. 20mph zones have been a stunning success in the capital, so much so that they're bing rolled out to Islington, The City, Southwark, Camden etc etc. Casualties plummet and the roads are far more pleasant and safer.

 

[Markymark]

Ah, so your posts are irrelevant to the OP which is talking about speeds on faster roads.

I would love to see a blanket enforced 20mph across London.

 

[glenn forger]

I'm not addressing the OP, I'm addressing the numpty who reckons speeding isn't dangerous.

 

[Markymark]

..and sometimes it isn't.

 

[glenn forger]

And remember there DOES NOT have to be a fatality, or any casualty at all, for speeding to be anti-social and aggressive and intimidating:

Speeding is top of the league when it comes to antisocial behaviour, a University of Reading study has shown. Thames Valley Police approached psychologists at the University of Reading and asked them to analyse the British Crime Survey - which considers the concerns of more than 17,000 people across the UK. Speeding traffic was rated as a significantly greater problem than all other antisocial behaviours, with 43% of the population regarded speeding traffic as a 'very' or 'fairly big' problem in their area.

http://www.reading.ac.uk/news-and-events/releases/PR3936.aspx

 

[raleighnut]

IMO all residential streets should be limited to 20MPH but motorways are a different case altogether. However for the speed limit to be raised we would have to revise our woefully inadequate MOT standards, ban 'remould' tyres and raise the standard of driver competence.
I know several people who should never be allowed behind the wheel of any motorised vehicle, most often due to accepting 'lifts' from them.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Using the assumption that Wikipedia is correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_speed_limits_in_the_United_Kingdom
Says "Since 1965 the maximum speed limit on any UK road has been 70 mph (113 km/h). This limit now only applies to otherwise unrestricted motorways and dual-carriageways, and only to cars(including car-derived vans) up to 2 tonnes maximum laden weight (MLW), to motorcycles, to buses, coaches and minibuses up to 12 metres (39 ft) in length and to goods vehicles not exceeding 7.5 tonnes MLW."

And also from the same site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Phantom_(2003)
Says "The Phantom is 1.63 m (64.2 in) tall, 1.99 m (78.3 in) wide, 5.83 m (229.5 in) long, weighs 2,485 kg (5,478 lb) and can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.9 seconds."

So does that mean that the RR Phantom maximum speed on UK single carriageways is 40MPH?

 

[glenn forger]

^^^^^ This is the most stupid thing said in this debate, apart from "Twenty mph zones reduce collisions and injuries by up to 40%."

What's your background in road safety? You're claiming all the published studies are wrong and you're right?

 

[raleighnut]

Using the assumption that Wikipedia is correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_speed_limits_in_the_United_Kingdom
Says "Since 1965 the maximum speed limit on any UK road has been 70 mph (113 km/h). This limit now only applies to otherwise unrestricted motorways and dual-carriageways, and only to cars(including car-derived vans) up to 2 tonnes maximum laden weight (MLW), to motorcycles, to buses, coaches and minibuses up to 12 metres (39 ft) in length and to goods vehicles not exceeding 7.5 tonnes MLW."

And also from the same site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Phantom_(2003)
Says "The Phantom is 1.63 m (64.2 in) tall, 1.99 m (78.3 in) wide, 5.83 m (229.5 in) long, weighs 2,485 kg (5,478 lb) and can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.9 seconds."

So does that mean that the RR Phantom maximum speed on UK single carriageways is 40MPH?

No it means the Rolls Royce is a goods vehicle. EDIT- or a bus.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

IMO all residential streets should be limited to 20MPH

No argument from me on this one as long as it also includes city centres

but motorways are a different case altogether. However for the speed limit to be raised we would have to revise our woefully inadequate MOT standards, ban 'remould' tyres.

However I do fell this is claptrap, cars are far safer than they were 50 years old when it was restricted, if you ban remoulds, then you will remove all HGV's & most forms of motorsport including F1, there is nothing wrong with MOT's or remoulds.

and raise the standard of driver competence

No argument on this one either

 

[Deleted member 26715]

What's your background in road safety? You're claiming all the published studies are wrong and you're right?

I think you are getting delusionary, you're arguing with yourself

 

[glenn forger]

However I do fell this is claptrap, cars are far safer than they were 50 years old when it was restricted

Unfortunately drivers are still just as rubbish.

 

[glenn forger]

^^^^^ This is the most stupid thing said in this debate, apart from "Twenty mph zones reduce collisions and injuries by up to 40%."

I'm not expecting a great deal from a bloke who can't spell the country or city he lives in, but what makes you think this?

 

[oldfatfool]

I'm not addressing the OP, I'm addressing the numpty who reckons speeding isn't dangerous.

As a numpty I would like to point out that I am only pointing out that "speeding" is being arbitarily defined by a symbol on a road sign and that figure is inconsistant across the board (or borders in this case). How 71 mph can be classed as speeding and critically dangerous on a well lit 3 lane carriageway at 2am in the morning with no other traffic and yet 150 mph+ be deemed as not speeding on a two lane carriageway riddled with traffic and HGV limited to 100kph often taking up both of those lanes.

Whilst you won't like this arguement I would contest that continental drivers (with the exception of the Belgiums) are much more observant, careful and courteous on the autobahn precisely because of the vast speed differentials possible, whilst in this UK drivers tend to be more laapzidazzical. I know I am concentrating on my driving, the position of myself and other road users, hazard perception and the condition of my vehicle to a much higher level when driving in Europe (admittedly not the correct thing but its a fact) and maybe it is therefore due to higher speeds that the autobahns are safer.

The same can also be said for the French autoroutes and Italian autostrada with their 130kph limits, both of which reduce in the event of rain or fog. A situation that doesn't occur in the UK where the 70mph applies (in most instances) regardless of the weather. This goes to prove my assertation that it is inappropriate speed that is dangerous ie in the UK and not Speed on its own. It is not the gun that kills, it is the person pulling the trigger. Speed doesn't kill, it is the stopping that is the problem