“Speed kills”, says the cliché. And so do most governments around the world that prefer to keep low speed limits and enforce them by planting thousands of cameras on the roads.
Yet surprisingly, the UK government is proposing a new plan to increase the speed limit on motorways. The announcement came today from Transport Secretary Philip Hammond who announced his intention to raise the national speed limit on motorways from 70 to 80 mph (112 to 128 km/h) as early as 2013.
“I want to make sure that our motorway speed limit reflects the reality of modern vehicles and driving conditions, not those of 50 years ago”, said Hammond. “While we must ensure that our roads remain among the safest in the world, we must also consider the huge economic benefits that can be created by shortening journey times.”
Ministry data suggests that almost half of British drivers today (49%) break the 70 mph limit and the minister believes that raising it would bring them “back inside the boundary”.
Moreover, advancements in the automotive industry as well as the highway infrastructure have contributed to a decrease of more than 75% in the fatality rate since 1965.
"Increasing the speed limit on motorways from 70 to 80 miles per hour for cars, light vans and motorcycles could provide hundreds of millions of pounds of benefits for the economy and I will put forward formal proposals for making these changes later this year," said Hammond.
7 Comments:
Good, 130-140 is what genuinely feels right on the highway.
Pathetically transparent attempt to curry favour with the electorate; emissions up, fuel economy down, increased accidents and fatalities with drivers who are already incapable of paying much attention to what they are doing already.
Hammond's assertion that this would bring drivers back under the law is ridiculous; a tacit admission that if drivers can't obey the law, then the government will change the law rather than fine those breaking it. Mind you, there are fewer and fewer police now...
Stick with the safety of your tricycle.
philip hammond must be richard hammonds long lost brother
Who cares about speed limits anyway! I am doing 120 mph usually on the highway. Besides,the speed limit on a highway is the top speed of your car ;)
What, are the English Mad?? I recall a normal traveling speed of 70-80 on expressways in Michigan in the 1960's, on tube and bias ply ties at that. No one I knew ever was killed because of this kind of speed. The classmates and others killed in car accidents I knew, and knew of, were all driving drunk.
The 55 speed limit was set up to conserve gasoline during the energy shortage, and nothing else. The 55 and staying alive was all bull shit, and certainly is now. Today's cars with better tires and driving dynamic's, not to mention safety features, are 100 per cent safer at 70-80 on appropriate highways than the cars of the 60's and 70's.
Many more accidents ( on appropriate highways ) today are caused by inattentive drivers on cell phones, eating lunch, playing with the entertainment systems, looking at the video screen in the dash for internet sites and directions, than speeds. Speed differential between cars and no lane discipline can and are killers, I will recognize that.
Seriously dude, did you read your own specious diatribe?
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