Should The Motorway Speed Limit Be Raised To 80 mph
The motorway speed limit debate has been on and off now since as early as 2011. By and large, the intention is to increase the limit from 70 to 80 mph. The government decided to backheel it last time but surprisingly this was not due to the extra dangers of higher speeds. The deciding factor was actually down to the extra pollution caused by a 10 mph hike in speed. In this article let’s have a look at the pros and cons to decide should the motorway speed limit be raised to 80 mph.
Previously –
Until now and certainly during the 2011 debate, fully electric vehicles or (E.V’S) were still full-on science fiction. It was accepted that nearly all the vehicles on our roads were fossil fuel-guzzling monsters. For this reason, the government’s estimation back then was if you increase by 10 mph you will generate up to a whopping 2.2 million tonnes of extra CO2 per year. However, that was before we started taking electric cars seriously!
Electric Vehicles (E.V’S) Are Coming
Could any concerns about additional pollution start to become null and void when the electric vehicle or (E.V.) inevitably takes over? With E.Vs on their way pretty soon could this be a good enough reason for a rethink of the national motorway speed limit.
Here’s Pass Me Faster’s for and against on things.
Yes The Speed Limit Should Be 80 mph On Motorways
Gary Quail – Pass Me Faster Whitby Team
Increasing the speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways just brings us in line with other neighboring EU states. Their economies already benefit from reduced congestion, driver stress and also much shorter travel times. With fatigue causing more accidents than drug-driving I’m sure you’ll agree shortening travel time is a good idea.
Take an honest look at 70 mph motorways at the moment when you ask this question. Apart from the slower moving heavy goods vehicles, how many cars are already traveling at 80 mph and not being prosecuted? With advancements in braking technology, stopping distances are also a lot less than they were 15 years ago.
It would also seem popular public opinion favors an increase in speed. A survey by the campaigners against charges and taxes on UK motorists Fair Fuel UK showed – 4 out of 5 motorists believed an increase in speed is a positive step forward.
Research would suggest our motorway networks are the safest around. This coupled with our smart motorways and safer modern cars I can only see how an increase can benefit us.
No, The Speed Limit Should Stay At 70 mph
Neil Patel – Pass Me Faster York Team
If we’re wanting to think of safety then increasing the speed limit is never going to make our roads safer is it – come on! With the argument, modern vehicles brake in shorter distances why not just bask in a 70 mph safety bubble these advancements have given us. It seems strange that these advancements make things safer so immediately we think of ways to push the risk back up again.
A study by the RAC Foundation suggests that an increase of 10 mph on UK motorways could result in an extra 18 fatalities per year. That’s not to mention the amount of extra minor bumps and collisions we can expect. All this just so we can get somewhere ten minutes quicker!
Something I heard the other day was ‘how many people do you see already driving at 80 mph. Most drivers sit at 80 mph anyway so what’s the problem increasing it to 80 mph.’
The problem is if we increase to 80 mph these people will now just happily do 90 mph instead!
Furthermore, think of the novice driver. We all know how scary it is the first time they get their foot down on driving lessons and push up to 70 mph. With learner drivers now allowed on motorways, how will they cope with the additional speed?
Final Thoughts On Should The Motorway Speed Limit Be Raised To 80 mph
It does look like the environmental issues of an increase in speed limit do seem to be coming to an end. However, we can’t just dismiss the safety side of things. For the many experienced motorists that extra 10 mph won’t seem too much to handle. For a learner driver now allowed on a motorway, it may be a lot more daunting.
With car braking systems always improving why stoke the danger back up with a 10 mph rise. By increasing speed limits we add unnecessary danger to gain 5 or 10 minutes on our journey!
Is it worth it?
