80 mph on motorways good idea or not

[Shogun]

The Government have been considering increasing the maximum speed on motorways to 80 mph, is this a good idea or a bad one will it increase the accident rate or are our motorways and drivers not ready for that kind of speed.

[Cyclone]

That is the speed that the vast majority of people drive at anyway when traffic permits.

The danger is that people will increase their speed to whatever they drive at now + 10mph... And the reason that's a danger is that the greater the difference between the slowest and fastest vehicles the more the danger increases. Lorries generally being the slowest vehicles and will be staying limited to 56mph.

[HeadingNorth]

What about, on four-lane motorways, having the outside two lanes forbidden to lorries, caravans, trailers, etc. and set at an 80mph limit, with the inside two lanes restricted to 60mph?

 

At present, where a motorway is three lanes lorries are restricted to two, but where it is four lanes they can use three. That's always seemed odd to me, since two lanes of lorries and two lanes of cars would keep traffic flowing much more freely.

 

 

I've argued before for the raising of the motorway speed limit to 90mph, on the condition that the new limit is enforced - as in, you are caught speeding once, you lose your licence.

[parsoncross]

people drive at 80/85 on average with limit at 70 so putting it to 80 people are going to drive at 100 and above

[Cyclone]

What about, on four-lane motorways, having the outside two lanes forbidden to lorries, caravans, trailers, etc. and set at an 80mph limit, with the inside two lanes restricted to 60mph?

Why? We don't do that with current 70 limits. And it would be contrary to good lane discipline to not use the left hand most lane when you can...

Restricting lorries/slow vehicles from using the fast overtaking lane is already done, it could be extended to the 3rd and 4th lanes in the case of 4 lane motorways. (And it should be extended to the 2nd lane for 2 lane motorways).

 

At present, where a motorway is three lanes lorries are restricted to two, but where it is four lanes they can use three. That's always seemed odd to me, since two lanes of lorries and two lanes of cars would keep traffic flowing much more freely.

Surely it wouldn't, there's no reason that cars can't use the left most lanes when the traffic isn't heavy, forcing them into only 2 lanes would increase congestion.

 

 

I've argued before for the raising of the motorway speed limit to 90mph, on the condition that the new limit is enforced - as in, you are caught speeding once, you lose your licence.

Personally I think it should be variable like the M25, but go up as well as down depending on conditions. There are times when 90 or even more is safe, traffic is light, weather is pleasant, etc...

[neeeeeeeeeek]

Half the motorway is going over 90mph most of the time anyway. Especially after 7pm when the traffic has calmed down.

[Google it]

The Government have been considering increasing the maximum speed on motorways to 80 mph, is this a good idea or a bad one will it increase the accident rate or are our motorways and drivers not ready for that kind of speed.

 

We should have no upperlimit

[TJC1]

Agree to no upper limit. The 70mph speed limit came in when cars were slow and rubbish. Cars can travel safely at much higher speeds now.

[HeadingNorth]

Why? We don't do that with current 70 limits. And it would be contrary to good lane discipline to not use the left hand most lane when you can...

 

The rule on keeping left already does not apply to some parts of the network. I don't see a problem with scrapping it altogether; the americans never did have it and their interstate system doesn't have any major problems for its absence.

 

As to your other point, I didn't mean to suggest that cars should be restricted to the outside two lanes only. I was thinking of situations where a lorry at 50mph, is being overtaken by a lorry at 52 mph, which is being overtaken by another lorry at 56mph, and almost all of the cars are in the fourth lane trying to get past at 70 ... not allowing lorries into lane 3 would prevent that happening. A very small number of lorries would suffer, but a huge number of cars would benefit.

 

I didn't make clear what I was talking about, so I can't blame you for your response. The way I wrote it, you were making a good point, but that wasn't what I meant.

[Cyclone]

I definitely agree with restricting lorries to a limited number of lanes.