National UK speed limit sucks.

[M5Rick]

70 mph maximum where permitted is nothing short of ludicrous for cars that nowadays little more than tick over at that speed. Compared to Germany where drivers have much more speed freedom on their roads, UK continues to remain in the distant past with a set speed limit that was made seemingly in the stone age.

[BroDoze]

Wow. Unfortunately this is the tip of the iceberg with UK’s lost freedoms.

Forever gone. We’re in the same battle for freedoms in the US.

[maticCRO]

For some areas, like parts of USA highways that go through unpopulated parts or deserts, why not put a 90/100mph hour limit?I guessing in UK you also have such parts where people could drive faster. I get that some parts are more dangerous, and some people feel safer driving 50-60mph,but I think it wouldnt hurt to increase max speed limit to 90mph where it is convenient. Also, there are less and less parts of the German Autobahn that are without limit, they are heading in the direction of everything being 80mph/130kmh limited...

[RM7]

Then stop crashing into stuff.

There's a road here they took from 45 down to 40 and people literally can't keep the car in between the two white lines on it (before they lowered the speed), they drive in the shoulder.

The will to have higher standards for driving testing, recurrent testing, automobile safety (in terms of shoddy modifications and general upkeep), enforcement of traffic laws, is just not there. If this will was there, then yes, there could be a discussion about higher speed limits.

People just want to get in their cars and play with their phone these days. Every single person with a "phone mount" in their dash is prioritizing this over driving. It's out of control. You can't even begin this discussion until something is done to regain control of that.

[Brandoch]

It's not about how fast a car can go in modern times, it's about human reaction times.


Going 100 MPH while people are still playing with their phones.
NO THANK YOU!

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by BroDoze

Wow. Unfortunately this is the tip of the iceberg with UK’s lost freedoms.

Forever gone. We’re in the same battle for freedoms in the US.

Lol equating freedom to speed limit is really silly. But yeah they should be raised.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Brandoch

It's not about how fast a car can go in modern times, it's about human reaction times.


Going 100 MPH while people are still playing with their phones.
NO THANK YOU!

Agree but for the cars we have now they can still be raised.

[Brandoch]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Agree but for the cars we have now they can still be raised.

Why? Do you not value your life?
The crap that people do on the roads with out having higher speed limits is scary enough.

As an enthusiast I want fast. But as a married man who has already had a VERY HORRIFIC car accident because someone couldn't go the speed limit in a school zone, I choose slower speed limits.

[jaffles]

Think its more about revenue than safety.

Down under revenue almost doubles every two years from traffic offence but the road toll remains a justifiable 1200-1300ish a year.

Speed cameras of all sorts pop up like mushrooms and never in the black spots, 98% the time at the bottom of a hill. They keep lowering speed limits regardless of vision and surface, and they chop and change from 50 to 70kmh so much few can recall what zone they are in so a trend of 45 is emerging if you fear flashing for cash. You can be the head of 15+ cars and drive 10+ under, not indicate, or park half on the road and that's OK. But do a frustrated pass on double lines and god help you.

No license retesting, no driver trailing or advance driving encouragement, no leniency or policing, just penalties.

Cars are safer then ever, accelerate like never before, stop on a dime, won't go sideways if you try and steer better than ever; but speed limits remail as if we are in the 20s. My wife has no idea what here car is cable and not willing to see, so she is one of those brain washed 45ers.

People ate, drank, smoke, sat next to each other with arm around. Indicated, changed gears, changed radio stations, checked the mirrors and even read the street directory on their lap while driving a car that handles nothing like today. Perhaps phones are responsible for drivers not paying attention, but think its a bit of a cop out when you see how many people are using phones. I drive a truck so can look down.

As I said, think its more about revenue on justifiable safety on the back of year after year after year road tolls stats that is proving itself no more then the Mean of population driving cars.

You don't see them getting tuff on KFC because someone got heart disease. Or Jack Daniels because of kidney failure. Or ? big company for paying no tax. But speeding = death 100% of the time, just ask our governance.

[ShocknAwe]

It's phones.

Roads are massively unsafe because of phones. Not because people are talking to each other with them, it's because they're doing literally everything else but driving.

That includes infotainment systems in cars.

[jaffles]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

It's phones.

Roads are massively unsafe because of phones. Not because people are talking to each other with them, it's because they're doing literally everything else but driving.

That includes infotainment systems in cars.

Could be and probably is, be good to see stats on car accidents per head of pop before and after phones or car touch screens.

I look down and at least 50% of drivers are texting. BUT have crashes increased per head of pop?

Governance have speed limited my truck through manufacturing to 100 because we tend to kill everyone if we have a mishap. Or so governance makes out. Why not cars? Cap them at 100 by default or satellite in the name of safety. Why not encourage manufacturers to install tech to block texts or internet and allow only navigation or emergency calls, or voice controlled calls only? We have car controlled emergency braking and auto distance cruise control nowadays introduced my manufacturers. Why not at phones if they are the root cause.

It seems to me jobs, votes and money. Safety is just the tool to promote making it. Imagine telling every road user and manufacturer from pov to the richest, you car will only do 100, or its satellite controlled to do 40 like in pit lane where governance deems. Wouldn't sell, get a vote, or raise revenue from fines, but would keep us all safe. Its just the bullshit kind of world we live in.

I'm looking at spending money of taking my 16yo son and his mate to race driver training, drift school, and whatever else. Why...they are 16, like cars, its fun, not that expensive, and it addresses safety and car control. But governance will have none of it but ping him for doing 65 in the 60 zone. Or $1250 for touching a phone as my wife just discovered.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Brandoch

Why? Do you not value your life?
The crap that people do on the roads with out having higher speed limits is scary enough.

As an enthusiast I want fast. But as a married man who has already had a VERY HORRIFIC car accident because someone couldn't go the speed limit in a school zone, I choose slower speed limits.

Because we have better brakes and safety systems to allow the increase.

I'd say 120km/h speed limit would be fair and a good start.

EDIT: I realise also you are talking about school or areas like that. I am pretty much talking about highway only here (although neighborhoods wanting to reduce limit to 30kmh is pushing it IMO)

[BlkGS]

If it was really about phones, we could just make it so that phones' screens shut off if they're moving over 15 mph or something like that. Inconvenient for passengers, but we claim.to care about safety over convenience.

What it really is, is old people crapbox cars. The highest limit we have in the US is 85mph. That means that's the fastest LITERALLY ANY car is allowed to go. You're thinking about "hey my Maserati does 185", but on the flip side that means some tweaker's 1984 Subaru that hasn't had working shocks since 1990 and is on $30 used tires is allowed to go that fast too. Or grandpa that is just lucid enough to keep his license... Because we don't make high risk drivers re-test annually.

[ShocknAwe]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

If it was really about phones, we could just make it so that phones' screens shut off if they're moving over 15 mph or something like that. Inconvenient for passengers, but we claim.to care about safety over convenience.

What it really is, is old people crapbox cars. The highest limit we have in the US is 85mph. That means that's the fastest LITERALLY ANY car is allowed to go. You're thinking about "hey my Maserati does 185", but on the flip side that means some tweaker's 1984 Subaru that hasn't had working shocks since 1990 and is on $30 used tires is allowed to go that fast too. Or grandpa that is just lucid enough to keep his license... Because we don't make high risk drivers re-test annually.

Yeah, no. It's the phones.

The crapbox cars drivers aren't running off the road or slamming into head on drivers in the oncoming lane for no reason other than because they're staring at a screen instead of the road.

Usual play around here is not paying attention. Then at some point preventable disaster strikes. Can't stop in time (brake lights on for a while plenty of warning) or makes a tight angle turn to try and get wheels out of the soft shoulder by the drainage culvert. Sends the car high speed into oncoming traffic or badly rear ends the car in front or spins out /barrel rolls into the trees.

See it literally every day here

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Yeah, no. It's the phones.

The crapbox cars drivers aren't running off the road or slamming into head on drivers in the oncoming lane for no reason other than because they're staring at a screen instead of the road.

Usual play around here is not paying attention. Then at some point preventable disaster strikes. Can't stop in time (brake lights on for a while plenty of warning) or makes a tight angle turn to try and get wheels out of the soft shoulder by the drainage culvert. Sends the car high speed into oncoming traffic or badly rear ends the car in front or spins out /barrel rolls into the trees.

See it literally every day here

The sad part is we could.fox that TODAY. Pass a law that forces the screen to be disabled above 15 mph unless airplane mode is on. Require compliance for any smartphone sold new, and any phone sold within the last 2 years have it pushed out as a critical OTA update.

But we would have to get past all the money Big Tech would throw at making sure that doesn't happen.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

If it was really about phones, we could just make it so that phones' screens shut off if they're moving over 15 mph or something like that. Inconvenient for passengers, but we claim.to care about safety over convenience.

What it really is, is old people crapbox cars. The highest limit we have in the US is 85mph. That means that's the fastest LITERALLY ANY car is allowed to go. You're thinking about "hey my Maserati does 185", but on the flip side that means some tweaker's 1984 Subaru that hasn't had working shocks since 1990 and is on $30 used tires is allowed to go that fast too. Or grandpa that is just lucid enough to keep his license... Because we don't make high risk drivers re-test annually.

Business rules. Phone companies want you to use your cell phone and have no restrictions on it. How do they know it's the driver vs. a passenger? What about actual emergencies when someone needs to make a call?

I agree, there are ways it could be designed out, but there will be ways people "fool" the system and bypass it, so it may not be practical and basically pissing into the wind as well as the money spent down that hole.

I agree with you on the cars...and the tires...and the brakes. In Germany they have roving patrols that set up checkpoints to do inspections on cars.

You want autobahn speed limits? You need autobahn regulation. Everything costs money and who wants to be the politician that will introduce something that will cost more money, even if there is a benefit?

But inattention to driving is absolutely a systemic problem right now and primarily because of phones. In my 35 or so years of driving, except for the last 10 years, I've never had to lay on the horn at intersections cause some idiot was playing with their phone instead of watching the light...Who is on the freeway going 10mph slower than the SPEED LIMIT? It's some idiot on their phone talking away. They hold their phones when they are in cars that have phone connectivity. IDK if they are face-timing or what, but it is absolutely out of control. It's all ages, from kids to 80+ year old drivers.

This is by and large what people want to do in cars. If you don't keep your phone visible or have it in a holder when you drive now, you are in the minority. This is coming to a critical point, but I think all governments are going to do is design the "driving" part out of driving, having the car take over. Again, the will of the people is just not there for actual enforcement and not playing with phones while they drive.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

But we would have to get past all the money Big Tech would throw at making sure that doesn't happen.

100%

[NickyC]

70mph is the highest posted limit in the state in which I live, but that's basically for people in the slow lane it seems. It's a whole lot different here however as we don't have speed cameras everywhere like the UK. (They tried the camera nonsense here years back and we fairly swiftly got them all removed). If the police/HWP want that ticket money here, they have to do it the old-fashioned way.

We get a pretty nice cushion around here I must say. I think you generally have to be 15+ over to really draw any attention.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

The sad part is we could.fox that TODAY. Pass a law that forces the screen to be disabled above 15 mph unless airplane mode is on. Require compliance for any smartphone sold new, and any phone sold within the last 2 years have it pushed out as a critical OTA update.

But we would have to get past all the money Big Tech would throw at making sure that doesn't happen.

My phone is an old Pixel 3 and already does this. It goes into do not disturb mode in cars. You can manually turn it off and set it to disturb me mode, but I don't mind it at all!

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Brandoch

Going 100 MPH while people are looking at their iDrive screens and focusing hard to make a touch selection.

NO THANK YOU!

there i fixed it for you!

[GuidoK]

In the Netherlands the speed limit is 100kph (62mph) for the last few years now....
Due to enviromental reasons.... (at night the speed limit is 120/130kph depending on which highway)

That said, traffic fines in the Netherlands are really high.
Having a phone in your hand while driving: €430 ($500) (excl €9 administration costs)
10mph speeding on the highway: €166 ($193) (again excl €9 administration costs)
etc etc
Lots of camera's everywhere, including hard to spot mobile camera's. Radar detectors are highly illegal and are actively tracked down with anti radar equipment.

[MaxA]

I just had a look and as far as I can make out, there are lower limits in Europe: it's 110kmh in Norway, and also in Albania, Belarus, Moldova. It's 90kmh in Iceland and Andorra. And 80kmh on Malta.

The UK is 112kmh, but in my experience the inside lane is between 56-59mph due to speed-limited lorries, the middle lane is about 59.1-60mph for all the middle lane hogs who are "overtaking a lorry (in the next county)" and the outside lane is 61mph+ for everyone else, including BMWs.

As much as you might want to travel faster, that's a lot of traffic in the outside lane, all lined up and flashing each other, trying to do 80mph.

As far as the rest of Europe is concerned, about half the countries are 120kmh (so a solid 8kmh more than the UK) and the other half a more reasonable 130kmh. Poland is the outlier at 140kmh.

You might want to drive on the unlimited autobahns in Germany, but they're fast disappearing, and most of the time, you're playing dodgem's between the lorries at 80kmh and the nutters going let's say 'very quickly indeed' on what is still a two lane highway, and the chances are your car isn't actually fast enough to keep up. Much of the time the recommended 130kmh is optimistic.