Proposed speed limit change

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by orose

OK... it's a national speed limit unlit A road, and I'm catching a small car (and from the SMT seat, I can see over its roof to the limit of its headlights). The right hand bend ahead is sharp enough to keep oncoming cars out of range of the lights until after the driver would spot them, so dipping the lights 100 yards before turning in disadvantages me and the driver by hiding all the possibilities a country road can throw at you in the way of small animals and such like.

Better to dip your lights and slow down a bit if in doubt than to blind some poor bugger coming the other way and smash each other to bits. IMO.

[Red Herring]

Originally Posted by orose

Like all situations, it's difficult to explain to someone who wasn't there - it just struck me as odd, as it felt like a situation where there was nothing to gain from dipping his lights.

Back to the original topic though, I'm not certain about the idea of raising the limits unless you're going to include other vehicle classes in that. It already seems bad when limited lorries dive out into lane 2, so a speed difference of 25mph in that situation instead of 15 strikes me as increasing the risk for minimal gain.

Now that I do understand, and agree with. The issue is all around driver awareness and unfortunately the majority of drivers in the UK simply cannot get their head around how a little consideration for each other would improve both safety, and traffic flow. Increasing the speed differential without changing driver attitude will lead to more incidents, however given time (and the hard school of experience) it would eventually arrive the hard way. I just don't think a change in the speed limit is necessary, but since when has that made the slightest bit of difference to government policy. The question is...will it win them votes?

Incidentally, it's not specifically illegal to overtake on the nearside, and I do have a provocative argument as to why it may be safer..... but we'll save that for another day!

[Bluepete]

Originally Posted by Red Herring

Incidentally, it's not specifically illegal to overtake on the nearside, and I do have a provocative argument as to why it may be safer..... but we'll save that for another day!

Shhhhh! Don't tell them that!

Pete

[Dave20046]

elaborate!

Incidentally, it's not specifically illegal to overtake on the nearside, and I do have a provocative argument as to why it may be safer..... but we'll save that for another day!

That's good, as i have been known to do this at times.

Another general motorway driving point, over the last couple of weeks i have been driving with the mrs and as you pass a slip road entry, she is of the opinion that it is my reponsability to move from lane one to two to allow entry on to the motorway for vehicles on the slip road, meh, i always thought it was their job to adjust their speed to facilitate entry onto said motorway, not every body else get out of the way i'm coming on

Responsibility, no.

But if the next lane is clear and you can move over then why not? It's courteous and just makes things easier for everyone.

[widepants]

I have spents months in Germany visiting family ,and thousands of miles on the autobahns.Om more than one occasion I have sat quite happily in the inside lane watching "Mr English twonk" getting literally pushed out of the middle lane by an irate German trucker.We used to wait with anticipation whenever we saw the "mid lane hogger".
Any one else seen this type of thing.There's no way am I waiting out there for that to happen to me ,or to get a couple of tons of BMW up my chuff , at over a ton

Originally Posted by widepants

Any one else seen this type of thing

Not that I can admit to on an internet forum.

Its probably been said but i cant be arsed to read 5 pages. It wont make the slightest differnce, People drive at what ever speed they want on a M-way anyhow. Be it 55 behind a truck or 100+ trying to get past everything.

The only time the speed limit is adhered to is when on that rare occasion people see a police car in the middle lane.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by oOTomOo

Responsibility, no.

But if the next lane is clear and you can move over then why not? It's courteous and just makes things easier for everyone.

I travelled the length of the M40/M42 and back at the weekend.

The ONLY congestion was when approaching junctions where suddenly you have 3 lanes of traffic trying to fit into 2 lanes JUST IN CASE someone happens to be on the slip lane at the other side of it.

I was pleased to see quite a bit of good lane discipline, there were times when all I could see ahead and in my mirror were vehicles in Lane 1, with people popping out into lane 2 to overtake then pulling back in.

Yes there were some twonks sometimes but all in all good behaviour.

As for the speed/time taken versus costs, I got to Shropshire on about £17.50 of fuel, on the way back, I was 20 mins quicker but it cost me about £2.50 more.