Case
for Yes
It’s about time the speed limits on
motorways and dual carriageways are increased to match EU states. Driving at 80mph, where it’s safe to do so, would lead to
positive benefits to the economy, travel
times, congestion and driver stress .
With modern technology, cars’ stopping
distances are so much less than 20 years ago and majority of drivers drive at this speed
without being prosecuted. In a FairFuelUK survey of 26,000 drivers, 4 out of 5
respondents thought an 80mph limit is now acceptable and should be introduced.
But, if the speed limit is to be changed to 80mph officially, there is of
course a risk that the new default breaking of the limit becomes even higher.
But that could be countered by having severe punishments for anyone driving
over 80mph and more police patrols.
Our motorways are relatively safe to drive roads on the entire network and, combined with
the high safety quality of modern vehicles, it justifies increasing the legal
limit.
With smart motorways and their information
gantries, variable mandatory speed control could be enacted to suit conditions
such as bad weather and congestion, so ensuring safety is the paramount
consideration.
Case
for No
Essentially, the question of 80mph limit is one of safety. Would increasing
the speed limit to 80mph make motorways less safe? Evidence gathered in 2012
from our friends at the RAC Foundation found that increasing the limit on
motorways could result in an extra 18 fatalities per year and a rise in overall
collisions, though of course, journey times would be marginally quicker.
There is also be concerns about default speeds. At present, the RAC’s research suggests that just over half of drivers admit to breaking the current motorway speed limit, and the average highest speed drivers admit to doing is closer to 80mph. How would we then guarantee that increasing the limit to 80mph would not lead to those drivers already admitting to breaking the current limit, driving at 90mph instead? Finally, smart motorways, where the hard shoulder has been converted into a permanent running lane, are becoming ever more prevalent as a way to increase capacity. While the prospect of breaking down in a live lane with no hard shoulder is already frightening, it would be even more so with vehicles potentially travelling at 80mph towards stationary vehicles.
There is also be concerns about default speeds. At present, the RAC’s research suggests that just over half of drivers admit to breaking the current motorway speed limit, and the average highest speed drivers admit to doing is closer to 80mph. How would we then guarantee that increasing the limit to 80mph would not lead to those drivers already admitting to breaking the current limit, driving at 90mph instead? Finally, smart motorways, where the hard shoulder has been converted into a permanent running lane, are becoming ever more prevalent as a way to increase capacity. While the prospect of breaking down in a live lane with no hard shoulder is already frightening, it would be even more so with vehicles potentially travelling at 80mph towards stationary vehicles.
What do you think ?
