Motorway speed limits....

[Paul1566]

Question... if all lorries where limited to 55mph and had to be able to maintain that speed up any hill thrown at them, would the traffic on the motorways flow better due to the absence of the #### in the removal lorry doing 56mph whilst trying to overtake a grain lorry doing 55mph.........

Spose you can guess what happened on my drive to work........

[flounderbout]

Virtually all congestion issues at current traffic volumes would be resolved if there were a way of forcing chumps to use the innermost available lane IMHO. Drives me nuts. Would like to get a large scrolling LED sign in the rear window saying "Move over you ######" or words to that effect.

[Voodoo-Child]

I dont think calling someone a teabag is very nice.......

[Maverick]

Question... if all lorries where limited to 55mph and had to be able to maintain that speed up any hill thrown at them, would the traffic on the motorways flow better due to the absence of the #### in the removal lorry doing 56mph whilst trying to overtake a grain lorry doing 55mph.........

Spose you can guess what happened on my drive to work........

No because they are now limiting lorries to 52 to save fuel.

[Wolfracer]

I dont think calling someone a teabag is very nice.......

I though it read "move over you sixhash" which isn't very nice to mr Usmani...

http://twitter.com/#!/6hash


then again...




Yep, you're right, he looks a proper 6hash...

[Voodoo-Child]

He's watchin you.....

[Predictable Bob]

Empirical evidence shows that where heavy congestion occurs traffic flow is improved by REDUCING the speed limit - the variable speed limit on the M25 actually works !

On the other hand Henry's got a good point - if people would use multi lane roads as they're intended to be used then there would be less of a problem. Basically if you're not actually overtaking somebody then you should be in the nearside lane.

The OP about trucks passing one another with a 0.5mph differential is never going to go away, lack of power, heavy loads, differences in speed limiter setting all combine to create the situation we all know and love UNLESS we can actually convince truckers to sit behind one another where their speed differential is less then 10mph

Personally I think there's more chance of knitting fog ...

[TonyN]

So you have to wait behind a lorry for 10 mins, big deal.

Is it really worth getting stressed about? Everyone has to use the road.



(My Surf won't do 55 on some hills with a big trailer, you gonna ban that to?)

[flounderbout]

(My Surf won't do 55 on some hills with a big trailer, you gonna ban that to?)

I have a similar problem. My Lexurf won't go that slowly unless I put a big trailer on the back and go up a steep hill...

[flounderbout]

Empirical evidence shows that where heavy congestion occurs traffic flow is improved by REDUCING the speed limit - the variable speed limit on the M25 actually works !

This is true, and the reason is that the vast majority of congestion is caused by ripple bunching - one guy brakes, the next guy brakes a bit more, five minutes later the traffic is stationary and you can't understand why when you get to the front it just disappears. If you reduce speeds you reduce the impact of that effect, since the braking is less severe.
But if people used proper lane discipline, then you would massively reduce the number of big speed differentials in the same lane regardless of the speed limit.
Personally I am all in favour of an 80mph limit. I doubt it will change the speed I drive at, and I am sure the claims that it will reduce journey times are bollox. But the 70mph speed limit was introduced in the 50's when it was a silly speed, whereas nowadays there is nothing unsafe at driving at 80mph (depending on the conditions etc obviously). It is also widely ignored. I think that laws that people basically disregard are bad news and should be changed. Just my view though.

[Rustinho]

The OP about trucks passing one another with a 0.5mph differential is never going to go away

Apart from the M42 (?) where they introduced the "HGV - no overtaking during XXX hours" trial which I think was being rolled out to other motorways too...

[JamesG]

nowadays there is nothing unsafe at driving at 80mph (depending on the conditions etc obviously).

Tell that to the person driving an F reg Fiesta who gets hit by some chump in a 2 tonne 4x4 doing 80 mph!

[flounderbout]

Tell that to the person driving an F reg Fiesta who gets hit by some chump in a 2 tonne 4x4 doing 80 mph!

That is absurd.
You might as well say "tell that to the child who gets hit by some chump in a 2 tonne 4x4 doing 30mph" in support of an argument that driving at 30mph is unsafe. Emotive, but totally illogical.
Driving at a speed unsuitable for the circumstances is unsafe. That might be 20mph, or 90mph. But driving at 80mph in good conditions on a motorway in light traffic is plainly not unsafe.

PS Why an F Reg?

[Voodoo-Child]

Why a Fiesta....Fiat Pandas are far less substantial!

[MWS]

Why has no one mentioned SEP A RATION DISTANCE? IMHO, greater sep a ration distances would be a major factor in increasing road safety. Maintaining traffic flow, reducing cluster braking (or "ripple bunching"), and allowing safer overtaking..............