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Motorways 'Not Safe Enough' To Handle 80mph Limit, Report Says

PA/The Huffington Post UK  |  Posted: 14/05/2012 10:54 Updated: 14/05/2012 10:54

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Motorway Speed Limit
Motorway speed limit changes were proposed last year by then Transport Secretary Philip Hammond

Motorways are not safe enough to cope with raising the speed limit from 70mph to 80mph, according to a report today.

The Government intends to consult on introducing an 80mph limit on English and Welsh motorways.

But England's motorways do not provide enough protection to drivers and car occupants for an increase in the limit to be considered, the report from the Road Safety Foundation (RSF) said.

It added that there would be a rapidly-rising risk of shunt crashes from the sheer volume of traffic using the motorways.

The report also said there were widespread faults in the protection given to drivers to prevent them running off the road on motorways.

The RSF also cited the problem of pedestrians on the hard shoulder, roadworks, extreme weather and spillages from vehicles.

The foundation said it recognised the argument that respect for the 70mph limit was poor and it did not dismiss proposals to raise the limit.

But the report concluded: "Drivers who want to are already travelling at 80mph when they can. Economic benefits only arise if '80 means 90' and opinion surveys show no public support for that.

Proposals to bring in 80mph limits were first put forward in autumn 2011 by the then Transport Secretary Philip Hammond. If a higher limit is introduced, there would still be some sections of motorway where the limit would stay at 70mph.

"However, large economic benefits arise from fixing the motorways systematically rather than raising the speed limit."

Roads minister Mike Penning said: "The Department for Transport is carrying out work to assess the potential economic, safety and environmental impacts of trialling 80mph speed limits on motorways where variable limits are currently in place.

"This work is on-going and no final decisions have yet been taken about which stretches of motorway would be included in any proposed trial.

"We plan to bring forward detailed proposals and start consultation during the next few months."

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sparky42
41 Fans
03:43 PM on 05/14/2012
Even Ireland has gone up to 120km and most drive them at 130km on the motorways and dual carriage ways made to motorway standard. These roads are still the safest in Ireland. Its the single carriage ways that have the most accidents.

I think this is just an issue of "that's the way it is so any change is bad."
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scouse55
131 Fans
03:06 PM on 05/14/2012
Strange then that the limit in France being 80(130Km) seems to work OK there,
and in Germany there is no limit on many parts of the Autobhan.

So why is here in the UK we have to be so bloodymindedly different to our Continental neighbours?

I used to regularly drive at well over 130 MPH here in the UK, before they brought in the limit of 70, never had an accident, yet hit the motorways from London to Manchester every weekend, and mainly in the worst part of the day, dusk.

Just another case of the control freaks throwing in their two penn'orth again.

Only idiots drive off motorway at excessive speeds, on motorways with traffic all going in one direction, speed is less a cause of accidents than drink, drugs. and plain bad driving.
Most driving exceeds the 80 line already on M ways, so what's the intention of these 'experts' who once again are ignoring the facts and stats, in order to push their agenda.

Are we all, like the class of school kids getting penalised because the guilty one will not own up, going to be punished because some use drugs, drink, no insurance etc and get behind the wheel?

What with the cost of fuel. and all the other regulations now and proposed, maybe the intent is for the average motorist to be drummed off the roads altogether, leaving them for just those with plenty of cash to spend.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
GingerlyColors
No will to change it, no right to criticize it
72 Fans
12:27 PM on 05/14/2012
Raising the speed limit to 80mph will only result in more accidents, therefore more motorway traffic jams. I live in Preston where the M6 passes the city. North of Preston there is a 15 mile stretch of motorway without a junction before the turn-off for Lancaster south. There has been numerous occasions where an accident near Lancaster has caused the traffic to back up all the way down to Preston then south of Preston, causing motorists to turn off there and try and find an alternative route through the city causing a gridlock there. Personally I nearly always avoid the M6 between Preston and Lancaster, using the A6 or back roads since I was caught in a horrendous traffic jam one New Year's Eve. If they raise the speed limit then personally I will end up avoiding the motorways altogether if at all possible so if selfish boy-racers want to cause an accident they can do so without involving me and ruining my day.
Furthermore during the recent surge in fuel prices motorists have actually driven slower on motorways to save cost and this has actually resulted in less jams and snarl-ups and therefore people getting to their destinations quicker. Raising the speed limit will result in higher consumption of fuel which is unfortunately a finite resource.
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lawblynn
38 Fans
12:22 PM on 05/14/2012
It is not the roads or motorways that are not suitable for the increase in the speed limits, it is purely the appalling driving skills and road and lane awareness of the drivers, particularly the HGV drivers and the White Van man who believes he has the right to tail gate all vehicles out of his way. Having driven extensively in the UK, Europe, and the USA the UK is by far the worst. Poor lane disipline, driving too close, leaving braking to the last minute , failing to indicate, and using speed to bully other road users are some of the problems. The driving test must be much more stringent, and every driver should sit a re-test within 5 years of obtaining a licence and every 5 years on. An option is that all drivers must take an Advanced Drivers test will make our drivers competent and assist to drive down the excessive insurance chargers which can only be seen as profiteering by the insurance companies. Putting the Vehicle Excise Licence costs and a standard insurance charge onto the cost of fuel will reduce the administration costs associated with both procedures, and will ensure that the users of the roads are charged by the mile they travel so the costs are borne by the high users and not just a blanket charge for all.
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scouse55
131 Fans
03:15 PM on 05/14/2012
You can be tested every five months as far as I am concerned, but keep your suggestions to yourself, I have held my licence for cars and m/c's for over forty years and do not need testing every five years, just to suit some harebrain, who obviously can afford to have the road to himself should his suggestion gain weight.
Not all have the money to pay for all these idiotic ideas that will simply plump up the income to the exchequer.

That department already takes far more from the motorist that it has or will ever put back for the driving public, so as I say, ideas like yours come from a sense of frustration because you have been cut up a couple of times by a white van or a artic.

Maybe you should look to your own road behaviour before criticising that of others.
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lawblynn
38 Fans
04:09 PM on 05/14/2012
The fact your a re a bloody scouser says it all, what a waste of skin, do the world a favour and go jump in the shitladen mersey
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