50 MPH Speed limit.

[fatblokish]

You're right fb... all these years I've been smugly driving along berating tailgaters. Doesn't bear thinking about!
Just found this so should be a minimum of 3 seconds at 70mph on dry roads in good visibility... thanks fb, appreciate it.

At 70 mph:stopping length 96m: 315ft = slowing at 102.9 ft/sec = 26 car lengths - one 100m motorway marker post gap

​

Always a good idea, when travelling on motorways, to see both the car in front of you, and the brake lights of the one in front of that too. This effectively can double your "buffer" zone...



And middle lane hogs, are known as CLODs, centre-lane owner drivers.

 

[Archie_tect]

Always a good idea, when travelling on motorways, to see both the car in front of you, and the brake lights of the one in front of that too. This effectively can double your "buffer" zone...
And middle lane hogs, are known as CLODs, centre-lane owner drivers.

I wouldn't advise staring just at the car in front either...

Up here in the North-East there's relatively light traffic during the day on motorways so there's never an excuse for deliberately sitting in the middle or fast lanes.

 

[Smokin Joe]

It isn't the speed that is the problem it is the lousy and mostly useless driver training we have in this country.
You stick a teenager in a Micra and get them to do a bare minimum pass at no more then 30 mph in an urban environment and then they are allowed to do 70mph with no knowledge or experience as to the differences in skill level required.

You're behind the times NT, since 1999 driving tests have included a section of at least NSL single carriageway roads and dual carriageways where available. As a consquence ADIs spend a lot of time on these roads with pupils who are approaching test standard.

The test standard now is higher than it's ever been, the reason for the more aggressive driving styles is that we've become more aggressive as a nation and the crowded roads give more scope for frustration.

 

[XmisterIS]

My pet theory is that crashes are caused mostly by [a] impatient and unobservant drivers.

Take case [a] for example: I just sit in the slow/middle lane of the motorway at about 70mph. I have lost count of the number of times I've been tailgated by some pr*ck in a BMW or Audi, flashing their lights at me, while I overtake a lorry. What they don't realise (or care about) is that they risk causing a crash between them (the guilty party) and me (the innocent party). Why should I be put at great risk but some selfish git? I just want to have a nice, relaxing, safe journey and that tw*t won't allow it. And that kind of driver just doesn't care that everyone thinks he's the turd in the swimming pool either.

Furthermore, let's consider the simple time calculation - let's imagine I am driving from Southampton to London up the full length of the M3 - typical commute for many, total motorway distance is approx 60 miles. So, at 70 mph, minding my own business, I get there in 50 minutes. At 90 mph, weaving in an out of traffic, flashing and beeping and aggressively tailgating, Mr BMW W*nker gets there in 40 minutes. For all the nuisance and danger he has caused, he saves himself a grand total of ten minutes on the motorway, for a total door-to-door journey that will most likely be about two hours. What a dog turd he is ...

So, it's not so much down to outright speed, it's more down to attitude.

 

[marinyork]

You're behind the times NT, since 1999 driving tests have included a section of at least NSL single carriageway roads and dual carriageways where available. As a consquence ADIs spend a lot of time on these roads with pupils who are approaching test standard.

I know you were an instructor, but I don't particularly agree with your emphasis. Yes, it includes both of those. I wouldn't describe it as a 'lot of time' though. I would describe it more along a barebones/minimum end of the scale. Someone doing pass plus (a considerable improvement) I'm not even sure I'd describe that as a 'lot' of time, words that would immediately spring to mind would be reasonable amount. For example before my driving test I went along such roads about half a dozen times. Various other people I've known have been so unsatisfied with the driving test for these sorts of roads they've had extra lessons or pass plus after passing their test.

The test standard now is higher than it's ever been, the reason for the more aggressive driving styles is that we've become more aggressive as a nation and the crowded roads give more scope for frustration.

It is higher than it's ever been, but the same philosophical and practical problems (that some people think you can't do much about) remain.

 

[jonesy]

A more boring suggestion I can't imagine. I wonder if a slower speed limit would bore drivers to sleep causing more accidents.

For me I'd like to see higher limits on the motorways, maybe 80 or 85 mph. I can see no practical reason why not.

Other than the minor matter that more people would die, and emissions would go up...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/23_02_11_roadsafety.pdf

 

[deanE]

I would go further than OP. How many know what the white sign with a black diagonal stripe means? many still think "Unrestricted". If there was a speed limit of 30 mph on all roads except where indicated otherwise, then there would be a gradual increase in speed awareness and lower over all speeds. No excuses of didn't know the limit. Don't know the limit, then its 30. There are lots of roads that are currently covered by the national speed limit, especially country lanes, where even 30 is too fast. As far as speed limits go on motorways, I used to be in favour of increase to 80 but in recent years are less so. Better lane discipline and more space between vehicles would mean lower journey times without increase in max speed.

 

[deanE]

The last time I drove down to Cornwall the congestion was so bad that I wasn't able to drive more than 50mph most of the way. It was a real eye opener how dramatically it reduced my fuel consumption.

We take it in turns to cause congestion so as to try to put you all off from coming down here!

 

[Archie_tect]

Wouldn't an 80mph average on motorways allow people to make up the time lost due to traffic delays by doing considerably more between the cameras, towards the end of their journey, with impunity...

 

[Dan B]

Wouldn't an 80mph average on motorways allow people to make up the time lost due to traffic delays by doing considerably more between the cameras, towards the end of their journey, with impunity...

Only if the cameras are much more widely spaced than they usually seem to be. If there's a camera every five miles, your average in each of those five mile stretches must be less than the limit.

 

[Dan B]

Personally I'd like to see an easy-to-enforce law against tailgating, and then I'd like to see it enforced. By machines, if necessary.

 

[Archie_tect]

Only if the cameras are much more widely spaced than they usually seem to be. If there's a camera every five miles, your average in each of those five mile stretches must be less than the limit.

That still leaves the opportunity for seriously excessive speeding to average 80 though. 70, or even 60 would be better. 50 on single carriageways... [80kmh NSL works well in Denmark].

 

[Amanda P]

I think you should all read this highly relevant bit of journalism.

 

[the snail]

Only if the cameras are much more widely spaced than they usually seem to be. If there's a camera every five miles, your average in each of those five mile stretches must be less than the limit.

My understanding is that average speed enforcement has been shown to be more effective.

Personally I'd like to see an easy-to-enforce law against tailgating, and then I'd like to see it enforced. By machines, if necessary.

Quite agree, enforcement is key, whether the limit is 70 or 80 probably has a modest effect on accident numbers. Before thinking about changing the speed limit, the first step should be to get drivers to respect the current one. We have all the necessary technology.

 

[cd365]

I have found that as I've got older I've slowed down whilst driving, maybe we should stop people from driving until 35+?