Should The Motorway Speed Limit Be Raised To 80mph?

For years there's been talk of bumping the UK motorway speed limit up from 70mph to 80mph. But is it a good idea?

08 Mar 2016

Should The Motorway Speed Limit Be Raised To 80mph?

At the dawn of the UK’s motorway network, there wasn’t a speed limit at all. That ended in 1965 as 70mph speed limits were introduced, but over 50 years have passed, so is it time for an update?

Improvements in crash safety, brake technology and even road technology since then have been massive, so it’s no surprise that the idea of an increase in speed limit has been raised by both campaigners and members of parliament in recent years. It’s even been discussed in the House of Commons, but proposals have never been given the go-ahead.

Upping the speed limit would mean quicker journey times and this will benefit the economy, not to mention making long trips less frustrating and slipways more entertaining…

Thanks to new ‘smart’ motorways with variable speed limits it’d be easy to introduce 80mph limits in test areas, or even roll out a higher speed limit on all newer sections of motorway, leaving older, less safe parts at 70mph.

On the other hand, bumping up the speed limit could still lead to an increase in accidents, even if the 315 foot 70-0mph braking distance given by the Highway Code is rather generous (with most modern cars, you’re looking at around half that). You’d get a substantial increase in emissions across the motorway network, too.

So with these things in mind, what’s your opinion? Get voting!

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

This discussion AGAIN…

Everyone does 80 already lol

This is very true

Then everyone will do 90..

Not everyone… I like to go as fast as I deem safe (which is 120 on an empty road)

hell yeah

As they showed in top gear, it’s safe to go a lot faster than the old standard. Because breaking distances have shortened large amounts.

If you install brembo’s, you can go a milion mph XD

I forgot that the UK standardizes the speed limit. Increasing encourages people who were already going 80ish to get closer to 90, so that’s a safety concern.

In the US each one is different. Sometimes 65 mph, sometimes 70, and it confuses many.

I think it’s far more complicated than a yes or no but I think in longer stretches of motorway the right most lane should have a speed limit of 80 to allow thoes who need to be places quickly do so and keep the slower trafic safer.