60 MPH Limit on Motorways

[john.wigley]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m...0air%20quality.

Will it work?

Back in 1965, the year that I learned to drive, long before many contributors to this forum were even born, the 70 MPH trial speed limit was made permanent. This was at a time when many cars (mine included) couldn't even reach 70, 80 was considered fast and three figure speeds supercar territory.

Safety standards were basic, front seat belts on new cars, but not the wearing thereof, were made compulsory that same year. Emission control was rudimentary in the extreme. Today, most family cars can do the 'ton' with ease and safety and emissions have both improved massively in the last 50 years.

Many now feel that 70 is perhaps too low, which does not reflect current practice. With motorways now generally moving nearer to 80, there has long been an expectation that the limit should be increased to that figure, but be more rigorously enforced. Denmark did this successfully, raising the existing, but widely ignored, 110 KPH limit on their motorways to 130.

Will people keep to 60, especially on a near empty motorway? Can it be effectively policed, enforced? Will it improve the environment? Or will it be largely ignored, perhaps becoming another cash-cow for the Government? Would wider use of variable speed limits be a better alternative to a blanket speed limit? And what about a minimum motorway speed limit?

Thoughts?

Regards, John.

[Whippy]

Already happening on 'smart' motorways, places like Sheffield are almost permanently at 60 on the M1. When all cars are speed limited and taxed via your satnav the complete and utter **** up that is motoring today will seem like a blissful halcyon memory.

[EssexExile]

I dare say it will be adhered to just like the 70 limit is adhered to . It's only short sections though so it's not the end of the world.

[S60RDesign]

I thought it must be a joke but shouldn’t be surprised after the last few months. 70 is already far too slow for modern cars.

[john.wigley]

Thanks, 'Whippy' and 'E.E.'.

That crossed my mind, too, 'Whippy', another small step towards the driverless car?

Good point, 'E.E.'; the difference in time to travel 4.5 miles at 60 as opposed to 70 is less than a minute, so no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

But ... it is a trial, which, if deemed successful, could well be made permanent and / or extended, couldn't it?

Regards, John.

[Harvey1512]

It is coming into place in specific stretches where pollution levels are high. It isn't about stopping accidents or speeding.

It will run for a year, pollution levels will be monitored.

Easy to manage with average speed cameras. Feel free to ignore the limits, kerching.

[Tannaton]

It's been mooted a number of times before - mostly on the M1 and M62. Some parts of those motorways your lucky to get over 50 these days in daylight.

[Whippy]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

It's been mooted a number of times before - mostly on the M1 and M62. Some parts of those motorways your lucky to get over 50 these days in daylight.

I've actually and surprisingly found that the M1 from 24 - 29 is actually much better with most people desperately trying to avoid being caught by the cameras.

[StanC]

Originally Posted by Harvey1512

It is coming into place in specific stretches where pollution levels are high. It isn't about stopping accidents or speeding.

It will run for a year, pollution levels will be monitored.

Easy to manage with average speed cameras. Feel free to ignore the limits, kerching.

Harvey's thread nails it. I passed my test in 1964 and, like John, I do remember the introduction of the 70mph limit. I also seem to remember a time when there were fuel shortages, when the national limit was set at 50mph for a period to help reduce overall fuel consumption. Can anyone remind me when that was?

Reducing the speed of traffic certainly cuts the fuel consumption of vehicles, with corresponding reductions in overall emissions, so I can see the logic in what is proposed. It won't be popular with some, though.

Stan.

[Dippydog]

There have been several fuel "crises" the last I think was '74 or 5 when it was mooted that fuel rationing was a possibility-I still have the [unused as the rationing never took place]ration book issued for the MkIII Zephyr I owned at the time.I'd have thought pollution levels more a by product of traffic volume rather than speed?