'Hypocrisy' of speeding middle-class motorists

[dagaul101]

The sooner trams are incorporated in urban areas they better for everyone and the environment I say

[Eater Sundae]

If you draw a graph of speed for both cars against the distance from breaking, the modern car would be below the old car for the full portion of the graph.

If the modern car was travelling faster (to a certain point), it would start above the old car in the graph, but at some point the curve would fall below. Total stopping distance isn't the only relevant factor.

 

Of course the modern car would also allow you to steer whilst applying full breaking force, the old car would no

.

 

But I don't think any of this is a reason to break 30 limits when they're appropriate.

 

But the faster you are driving then the greater distance you have covered before you even start to slow down or take any other evasive action. Something that zedhex totally failed to acknowledge.

[zedhex]

So, imagine if a child ran out in front of you, in your old car when you were 40 feet away, travelling at 30 mph. By the time you hit him, you'd have been braking for the last 10 feet, and be travelling at just under 30 mph. In your modern car, with excellent brakes, you'd still be travelling at 40 mph when you hit him.

 

Also, your earlier claim assumed a 50 mph starting speed. I see it's now dropped to 40. I wonder why? ( I don't really).

 

Edit: I've just realised. Not only have you felt it necessary to change from 50mph to 40 mph, you also found it necessary to... er... "adjust" your results. The braking distance for 40 mph is (according to the highway code, which now works in metres) 24m, ie 80ft, not 60ft as you claim. Suddenly your calculation doesn't look quite so compelling, does it?

 

What did you say about logic?

 

The logic still stands (although I did make a couple of errors - laziness and lack of time are to blame), as the fact remains that modern cars can stop waaaay quicker than when the original speed limits were introduced. That is uncontested. I think you are assuming that I dislike speed limits on principle, on the contrary, I believe speed limits are entirely necessary in the right circumstances. I have two young children, and even at 20 mph a car can be utterly lethal to an infant, so I support speed limits in urban areas. But that is not a valid reason to have ridiculously low speed limits on empty motorways. I would like to see variable speed limits introduced, with no limit at all when the circumstances warrant it.

[DT Ralge]

The logic still stands (although I did make a couple of errors - laziness and lack of time are to blame), as the fact remains that modern cars can stop waaaay quicker than when the original speed limits were introduced. That is uncontested. I think you are assuming that I dislike speed limits on principle, on the contrary, I believe speed limits are entirely necessary in the right circumstances. I have two young children, and even at 20 mph a car can be utterly lethal to an infant, so I support speed limits in urban areas. But that is not a valid reason to have ridiculously low speed limits on empty motorways. I would like to see variable speed limits introduced, with no limit at all when the circumstances warrant it.

 

Variable limits would be an administrative nightmare and a millstone around the police's neck.

Otherwise, I wouldn't perhaps disagree with you if UK drivers earned the right with some extra training over and above the test of minimum competence that is the L-test. But the available road death stats from the only place that has unlimited motorways in Europe (and insists on motorway training for every new driver) suggest that such a move here in our laissez-faire, jump-in-at-the-deep-end country might be disastrous:

 

Only 45% of Germany's 12000km of Autobahn is unlimited.

Yet the 45% accounts for 73% of the Autobahns' death tally.

[Cyclone]

Variable limits already exist on the M25 and M42, it would take a few lines of computer code changing to make them go up above as well as below it. No manual administration is involved at all. Nor does it cause the police any problem, there's no arguing about not having seen the massive over head regular signs stating what the limit is.

 

There's a big difference between having a permanently unlimited speed and in good conditions raising the limit to a specific amount, the two things aren't really comparable at all.

[alchresearch]

They're on the M6 as well.

[DT Ralge]

Variable limits already exist on the M25 and M42, it would take a few lines of computer code changing to make them go up above as well as below it. No manual administration is involved at all. Nor does it cause the police any problem, there's no arguing about not having seen the massive over head regular signs stating what the limit is.

 

There's a big difference between having a permanently unlimited speed and in good conditions raising the limit to a specific amount, the two things aren't really comparable at all.

 

You are right - my brain wasn't in gear.

[SnailyBoy]

Variable limits already exist on the M25 and M42, it would take a few lines of computer code changing to make them go up above as well as below it. No manual administration is involved at all. Nor does it cause the police any problem, there's no arguing about not having seen the massive over head regular signs stating what the limit is.

 

There's a big difference between having a permanently unlimited speed and in good conditions raising the limit to a specific amount, the two things aren't really comparable at all.

 

Everyone knows what the limit is now on motorways, but many people ignore it. What would be the difference with variable limits?

 

Unless the sign gantrys had average speed cameras built in, that would sort it.

[mj.scuba]

Average speed cameras don't work. They only work if the vehicles stay in the same lanes between cameras.

[alchresearch]

Average speed cameras don't work. They only work if the vehicles stay in the same lanes between cameras.

 

From my experience of being on the motorways at busy times when the gantry mounted signs have shown a reduction in the limit I've found that all the lanes are so full of traffic that it's not possible to easily switch lanes to avoid them.

 

But then again, they've been so busy you couldn't even do the 50mph reduced limit!