80 MPH on our Motorway's?

I say yes, it's common sense to increase the speed limit on the Motorway to 80 mph!

Further, I suggest we don't have a maximum speed limit on the Motorway, but we should have a MINIMUM speed limit in place!

What do you think members?

Wholeheartedly agree.....although i think there has to be a maximum somewhere as there are so many production cars out there now that can cope with 130-140-150 quite easily. But back to the topic in hand.....if you are driving at the current limit 70, you will be passed by more cars that you are passing. As to a minimum speed how to do you calculate it.....30 or 40 is ridiculously, probably even dangerously, slow, just look at how slow you think you are going when you hit the controlled 50 sections for road works etc. HGV's are (allegedly) limited to 56 on motorways although a lot are still unregulated. So would 50 or 60 be sensible??? But although I agree with a minimum in principle I think it would be very difficult to police.....

This also blends in to having proper instruction in the driving test for motorways, not just a quick trip now and again when taking lessons, but maybe that's changed in the 40+ years since i passed my test ! ! !

It may well have changed Dave, as far as I've always been aware, it's illegal for learner drivers to use the motorways---also with other classes of vehicles too;  they used to be signed on motorway slip roads, but all these prohibited notices seem to have long disappeared.

But, you might also recall the round white sign/black diagonal originally meant speed derestricted, not national speed limit applies, which were used for motorways and other roads where there was no speed limit.  In Dec 1965, a temporary 70 mph speed limit then applied to motorways, and in 1967, was made permanent, but I do wonder why so many drivers think 60 mph is the mximum for dual-cariageways? Wasn't the 60 mph revised reduced limit put back to 70 mph in 1979 for dual carriageways? 

Minimum speed limit on motorways? Might be if sign posted but I've never seen that situation. The prohibited vehicles generally excluded those not capable of more than 30 mph. The slowest things I've seen on a motorway were two cyclists pedalling along on the outside lane of the M5 once oblivious to the cars whizzing past them, and a Morris Marina on the M4, again in the outside lane, doing around 30 mph with a long tail back of cars behind him.

Car brakes have improved but only WHEN you put your foot on the brake.  At 70 mph you see "something", the brain says danger.  A message from the brain goes to your foot.  It takes "x" amount of time.  At 80mph you have travelled a greater distance.  Your thinking / reaction time has not improved. Not only is there no such thing as "instant braking" but you cannot do "instant steering"

 There will be more accidents if the limit is increased and more deaths.  Less people will reach old age.  Less money will be spent on old age pensions.

Now, did I not hear that Tory boy Dave Cameron wants to reduce the benefits bill ?   

I could change my mind.  If they built a 6 lane motorway across the playing fields of Eton.  " I say old bean, one really has to leap out of the way when the idiot brigade do 100mph straight at us"  "Indeed old chap, jolly good sport, stiff upper lip and tally ho"  "Daddy has just robbed a bank"  "What with a gun ?"  "No, he is the Chairman, just got his bonus" 

Hello Dave and don't Mock me !!!!! its i not o !

Went for a facial scan this morning, pain could take weeks to go, but nothing really nasty found.  Anyone with a TMJ problem will know what its like.  How are you Dave ?  

I think...if they have an three car lane...that the inside land should be for those not exceeding 80 mph... but driven with adequate space between the next car...any other cars should be 50 mph outside land and 60 to 70 middle lane..there again adequate space given to the length of the car ahead of you.  On an two land road..no excessive of 70 mph. It depends on the road also...you try to drive that fast on some of our mountainous roads in winter and your asking to kill yourself at times. Driving faster greatly reduces your galoline mileage.

But...there are times...and I had one of them...where on the freeway, going 70 mph I saw an car off the road in front of me and the guy let his dog out of his car on the driver's side of the freeway..it ran across the lanes...I think the car next to me and slightly behind me may of injured it..as he stopped. At 70 mph, and swerving, it was all I could do to hang on for control and over come this without hitting the center guard-rail. It left me pretty shook up at the time...and you wanna bet I finished the drive not going that fast. I was on an straight section of the road at the time...but it could of cost me my life in ways...and speed had an lot to do with what was going on....even though I was not breaking the law.

It's been my experience, at least over here, that the flow of traffic is typically about 10 MPH over the posted speed limit.  So that means if they raise the limit to 80, people will soon be tooling along at 90, which is way too fast.  The problem with different people driving at different speeds is that everybody's always changing lanes.  Or you get somebody crawling along in what's supposed to be the fast lane.  The motorways would work better if the passing lanes were just for passing, like on the German autobahn.  Our freeways here are mostly 4 to 6 lanes wide, so we have people zipping all over the place.

Reminds me of an old saying:  Anybody that's driving faster than you is a maniac, and anybody driving slower is an idiot.  :-)  Right?  lol

BTW, that's one of my favorite British phrases - dual carriageway.