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
Have any of you ever timed a motorway journey at 70mph and at 80mph? I bet that all of your journeys are only a couple of minutes different in time. The journey from my home to my uni is about 95% motorway and dual carriage way and takes two hours sticking to 70. I did it at 60 one day and it took me 2 hours and 5 minutes, and my mpg went from an average 30-35mpg to 45 for that journey. If I were to do the journey at 80 then the 5 minutes I’d save would not be worth the extra fuel I’d use.
Besides think about why do you want the limit raised to 80? It isn’t exactly thrilling driving at 80 and especially won’t be with everyone else doing the same. You won’t gain any useful time, and you’ll just use more fuel in doing so. If someone can give a genuinely good reason for this then please say so. All this talk about ‘us car guys should be allowed to drive faster because we’re better drivers’ is just rubbish too because you’re only as good as the idiots driving next to you.
Consider when you’re doing 70, overtaking someone behind a lorry doing 56 and they indicate and pull out in front of you. The closing speed is about 14mph and you can probably lost 7mph in the time they can gain 7mph - no incident. Now you’re doing 80 and the lorry is still doing 56; the closing speed is 24 mph. You’ll have to brake much sharper and it’s sharp braking that causes traffic jams. Please, educate yourselves.
Meanwhile in France our government think about to go down to 110km/h (70mph)
Yes, it should, and about the enviornment thing, as Jeremy Clarkson said, “I am well aware of the enviornment, and I am still not intrested”.
110 kmph is way too low in my opinion. I think it even makes you more tired when you drive so slow on a straight road…Where I live, we have 130 kmph limit which seems fine to me. Some drivers drive much faster anyway and even police usually don’t pull you over for driving less then 150 kmph…As long as people watch their mirrors and don’t cut others off, it’s OK.
Avid driving enthusiast myself, I do not think it should be raised. I LOVE my car and the risk of someone smashing it scares me every time I drive. Raising speed limits just worries me more. Always remember that 99% of the driving population has no idea how to control a car.
Higher speeds make people more aware, with the average car being capable of 100mph+ I don’t see why you wouldn’t bump them up even higher, look at the autobahn…
P.S. Bump them up but enforce them properly
I think that even 100mph would be OK as long as roads are in good condition. In Poland we have something around 90mph limit on highways, and imo it’s still a bit low.
Thing is. Over 60% of people on the motorway do 80+ already. It will just mean 90 isnt so bad and 100 you will no longer loose your licence. It will be 110 which probably isn’t that great when there are so many lane hoggers about…
Wasn’t the speed limit set for Ford Cortinas and Morris Minors. Cars with no ABS or ESP and really skinny tyres. Surley 70 then was far more dangerous than our modern cars doing 80.
meanwhile, in canada ontario
there is a whole organisation dedicated to trying to raise the limit from 60 to 70 mph.
In Canada highway speed limit is between 100 and 110km/h (62-70mph)… but everyone going at least 115+ lol