[Si_Crewe]

Originally Posted by jjne

Not necessarily so.

Who is more likely to crash -- the driver who sits at 90, in the inside lane, with nothing else on the road, or the driver who jumps out in front of another driver at 50mph?

Speed isn't everything. The key is using that squashy collection of synapses and neurons in your head. I understand that is too much for people -- to whom I refer to the 56mph comment above.

The other fallacy about this is the idea that a 90mph speed limit would cause more accidents due to increased stopping distances and the requirement for larger gaps etc.

That's kinda like suggesting that the 30mph urban limit is unacceptable because if a person arbitrarily drives everywhere at 30mph they will soon have a collision.

Just because the limit IS 90mph it doesn't mean that all traffic would be doing 90mph all the time any more than traffic currently does 70mph on busy motorways today.

It simply means that people could do 90mph where road conditions allowed it.

[jjne]

Originally Posted by Si_Crewe

The other fallacy about this is the idea that a 90mph speed limit would cause more accidents due to increased stopping distances and the requirement for larger gaps etc.

That's kinda like suggesting that the 30mph urban limit is unacceptable because if a person arbitrarily drives everywhere at 30mph they will soon have a collision.

Just because the limit IS 90mph it doesn't mean that all traffic would be doing 90mph all the time any more than traffic currently does 70mph on busy motorways today.

It simply means that people could do 90mph where road conditions allowed it.

Agree completely -- it's all about the conditions. There is absolutely nothing unsafe about travelling well over 70mph if the road conditions allow it.

The problem is, as threads like this invariably show, too many drivers have a black/white view of the world -- which is usually as a result of having a lazy brain. These people probably are unsafe driving at 90mph, and regrettably this most likely means that a higher limit would lead to more accidents -- not because of the competent drivers, but because of the idiots who'd just set the cruise to the limit, close their eyes, plant themselves in the middle and keep going until they hit something.

[jra]

Originally Posted by Si_Crewe

It simply means that people could do 90mph where road conditions allowed it.

It also means that people could do 90mph where road conditions don't allow it. And they will.

And just because you think you can handle it, many won't be able to with current driving standards, which frankly are often shocking.

You've got to look at the bigger picture, not just in terms of how you would cope.

[d'@ve]

Originally Posted by jjne

Agree completely -- it's all about the conditions. There is absolutely nothing unsafe about travelling well over 70mph if the road conditions allow it..

Originally Posted by jra

It also means that people could do 90mph where road conditions don't allow it. And they will.

And just because you think you can handle it, many won't be able to with current driving standards, which frankly are often shocking.

You've got to look at the bigger picture, not just in terms of how you would cope.

Agree that you can't set individual speed limits - Government has to look at the overall picture and cannot consider the minority of expert drivers with safe powerful cars.

There is also the matter of increasing fuel consumption especially above 70mph - even for high geared powerful cars. Driving at 80, 90 or more unarguably causes an increase in fuel imports, harms our balance of trade, and with our current economic woes, the Nation simply cannot afford it.

Higher than 70mph speed limits is for the foreseeable future a pipe dream. What is more likely is a lowering of speed limits on increasing numbers of roads. I for one can happily live with that.

[David (2)]

Originally Posted by jjne

Agree completely -- it's all about the conditions. There is absolutely nothing unsafe about travelling well over 70mph if the road conditions allow it.

The problem is, as threads like this invariably show, too many drivers have a black/white view of the world -- which is usually as a result of having a lazy brain. These people probably are unsafe driving at 90mph, and regrettably this most likely means that a higher limit would lead to more accidents -- not because of the competent drivers, but because of the idiots who'd just set the cruise to the limit, close their eyes, plant themselves in the middle and keep going until they hit something.

ditto.
what we have today is a situation where everyone is told what is the right way of doing things, but who are the experts that decide this? From being on DS we appear to have the same thing with driving instructors. I remember the comments "3rd gear=30, 4th=40, 5th=50mph. This clearly to my way of thinking is the wrong way to teach as each model of car will be different, and it doesnt take account of situation awareness such as going up an incline and reaching higher speed, but changing up means loosing all the momentum.

[lemoncurd]

Originally Posted by David (2)

I remember the comments "3rd gear=30, 4th=40, 5th=50mph.

I'm surprised anyone even thinks of things like that in this day and age, when our cars even have a message on the dashboard saying " ▲SHIFT ".....

[David (2)]

some cars do, a lot dont.

[jjne]

Originally Posted by lemoncurd

I'm surprised anyone even thinks of things like that in this day and age, when our cars even have a message on the dashboard saying " ▲SHIFT ".....

Now there's a good idea... a nation of people so blinkered by their desire to save 2p that they drive looking at the dashboard rather than the road ahead.

Yes, yes we do need speed limits to be reduced, if this is the level to which we have sunk.

[MrQuike]

Originally Posted by jjne

Now there's a good idea... a nation of people so blinkered by their desire to save 2p that they drive looking at the dashboard rather than the road ahead.

Yes, yes we do need speed limits to be reduced, if this is the level to which we have sunk.

It's almost inevitable.

[habby]

They can raise it if they want, but I already do 80/90 on a clear road anyway.

If you're in control of your car & know what you're doing it's fine.