Topic

Leigh - I have always doubled the two second rule, and increased it depending on speed and weather. Sadly, one can't legislate for all the idiots out there...

Actually you can Dave. You just can't get them to comply with it.

There was probably some resistance to 70 mph back in 1965. It must have seemed like light speed back then. It's good that we've developed some driver safety apps since then. What else do the cars have now, that they didn't have back then?

ABS (Anti lock braking system) for one..

They already had fast cars on the road like this March 1965 Porsche. Top speed 130 mph. There was no criteria, other than the basic driving test, for taking one on the road either. So, the speed limit isn't the only thing that hasn't changed. If Daddy's rich you're away!

True, Leigh.

cjmillsnun wrote: wrote:

talkingcars wrote: wrote:

Smaller (0ver 1.5t IIRC) commercials are now restricted to 60mph.

Didn't realise that... Been out of the industry for 10 years now.

Link to UK speed limits for all roads and vehicle classes.
https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

The bottom line of that table would apparently be news to most HGV drivers I have seen.

40mph limit on single carriageways? - Try 56mph if limited, whatever they can get up to otherwise.
50mph on dual carriage ways? - Try 56mph if limited, whatever they can get up to otherwise.

Leigh wrote:-

There was probably some resistance to 70 mph back in 1965. It must have seemed like light speed back then. It's good that we've developed some driver safety apps since then. What else do the cars have now, that they didn't have back then?

The 70mph limit was introduced to slow people down, people regularly did 100mph on big A roads, dual carriage ways and the new fangled motorways, and there was a lot of opposition to the restriction!
Before that, out of town speed was De-restricted. Even a Morris 1000 could do nearly 90mph.
I know, I was that soldier!

David Aiketgate wrote: wrote:

The bottom line of that table would apparently be news to most HGV drivers I have seen.

40mph limit on single carriageways? - Try 56mph if limited, whatever they can get up to otherwise.
50mph on dual carriage ways? - Try 56mph if limited, whatever they can get up to otherwise.

One has to balance the speed limit with holding up other road users.

Of course, James.

The 70 limit was introduced temporarily in 65, made permanent in 1967. The reason, as David says, was to slow traffic, especially in adverse conditions. The AA amongst others were particularly alarmed when it emerged that AC regularly tested the top speed of Cobras on the unrestricted motorways and fast A roads.

Barbara Castle is often blamed for the limit, but it was Tom Fraser, minister in 65 that introduced it: Castle made it permanent.

Trivia ends. Beeeeeeep.

John and Sue wrote: wrote:

The 70 limit was introduced temporarily in 65, made permanent in 1967. The reason, as David says, was to slow traffic, especially in adverse conditions. The AA amongst others were particularly alarmed when it emerged that AC regularly tested the top speed of Cobras on the unrestricted motorways and fast A roads.

Barbara Castle is often blamed for the limit, but it was Tom Fraser, minister in 65 that introduced it: Castle made it permanent.

Trivia ends. Beeeeeeep.

It wasn't so much as AC testing their road cars it was their Le Mans fastbacks being run in for the great race 180MPH + was the reported speeds on the M1.
I was driven by a mechanic testing a road registered GT 40 along the A12 to Chelmsford at 150MPH and that was just two lanes

The 70 mph saga continuezZzz...

"The limit was introduced way back in 1965 - when the typical family car was a Ford Anglia."

He claimed a rise to 80mph would "restore the legitimacy" of the system and benefit the economy by "hundreds of millions of pounds".

But last year campaign groups estimated that raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph would cost society an extra £1bn a year, including £766m in fuel bills and more than £62m in health costs.

The groups, which include road safety charity Brake, the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) and Greenpeace, also estimated that the higher limit would lead to 25 extra deaths and 100 serious injuries a year, as well as 2.2 million more tonnes of carbon emissions.

However, Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "Once again we are getting confused messages from the Department for Transport on this issue.

"With a little imagination and some investment the Dutch have shown that you can have a safe 80mph limit on the best parts of the motorway network.



I think my next car might be a hurst at this rate.

I voted 80, but quite like the 2 tier system in France where it is lower in bad weather.
However staying with France for a min, I dont know the law there, but I have spent many an hour waiting for one Camion to crawl past aonther on the motorway. At least in the UK there is a third lane to pass them both.