Interestingly (or mind numbingly boringly depending on your view), I sat on the M2 yesterday at a steady 80mph for 12 miles and don't think more than a handful of cars passed me. Most drivers are happy enough sitting at 55-65 these days (albeit in the outside lane). Same on single carraigeways, very little people seem to do the full 60mph these days for some strange reason.
70mph is fast enough, to many unaware and stupid drivers on motorways. I do 250miles a week on the m2, been doing it for 10 years and some of the driving ive seen just leaves me speechless. 100mhp would just be a blood bath.
Yeah, in theory. The reason why we have a limit of 70 is cos there would be people hammering down the motorway at 120, 140, and faster, in all conditions. You know they would do it. In other countries where its always had no limit like germany they are used to it and trained for it but if you really think everyone would still do 70 - 80 here if the limit was lifted then you aint wise.
its just plain dangerous doing 45 on the motorway, if i come round the corner behind you at 85 or 90 which a whole lot of people will then ill near be into you cos its like your basically sitting still and im doing 50 lol plus on the motorway its harder to judge how fast the car in front of you is going if its a little way in front, so somtimes the faster driver coming up behind doesnt realise until its too late, near happened me last night some corsa was actually doing less than 40 im sure it happens quite regularly as well there are a lot of r plates doing 40 ish on the motorway and its ridiculously dangerous imo my girlfriend is doing her test and i have told her she has to do 60 at least on the motorway tbh R plates should be abolished they were put in here as a tester for the whole uk and then they decided that they are actually a **** idea so the rest of the uk didnt get them but they didnt bother taking them out here
A fair percentage of the rest of the world think it's a good idea to restrict new drivers, and have a lot more restrictions than just driving at 45 mph. In many countries a new driver can't drive between 11pm and 5am, or carry passengers under the age of 20
I think that there should be a slight increase cos 70 in a long flat motorway esp when there arent many cars about is pretty hard to stick to. and why they turn the westlink-y bit into a 50 is beyond me. perhaps a 60 cos I can understand a slight decrease cos of bends etc. my car ain't fast but borrowed my dads at the weekend cos mines fcuked at the minute and i was speeding without even realiseing and that was only a 125bhp 1.9 tdi so those of you who have much faster cars must find it even harder. I also think that people should be taught how to drive on motor ways and in national speed limits cos it's disgraceful the way people drive. 45 for r drivers is a constant arguement due to the fact that they have never driven that fast but i'm sure that its terrifying driving at that speed with people flying all round you. old people is another thing. old people who sit at 30-35 everyway is mad. on the way home from castlewellan at the weekend i was 2 cars behind a nissan micra driven my an old couple at 35 and needlessly braking at corners too (using the term corners lightly - perhaps bend in the road would be more appropriate). Driving too slow is as bad as speeding. my granny is scary to be out with in the car cos of the way she drives. braking comeing up to GREEN lights just in case it turns! wtf?! I like to use the speed when I can, if its a 60 I wil drive at 60. when its a 70 i will drive at 70. if my mum is with me she'll tell me to slow down "just because its a 70 doesn't mean you have to drive at 70" maybe not but I have every right to do give over! that's were the problem starts on the motorways etc and in dual lane carriage ways with slow drivers hogging the overtaking lanes. if they have to leave in that lane they will sit in for about 2 miles before. or when people drive in the fast lane regardless of speed and will not bugde. what can you do then? you can't make them move. some people just do not understand and it's so fustrating. then you get the wee ****s who are solely out to cause havoc by holding up lanes then speeding off and undertaking. they should be shot. rant over.
I think 70 is fine for the uneducated drivers over here. It is the people and the general attitude and lane-hoggers that is the problem. In Germany a lot more fines are given out for tailgating than speeding, as speed in itself is viewed as not dangerous, but speed in the vicinity of others is deemed to be. The cops there sit on the autobahn bridges with cameras that can measure distance between cars and if it is deemed to be too small they fine on the spot. Driving theory is also learned in school from an early age so people are aware of the actual laws and understand them and the reasons behind their implementation. Lane discipline here is ****e and that is the main reason the speed limit should be kept as-is. I travelled as a passenger to Larne from Belfast yesterday with a lad from work who sat in the outside lane (where possible) the whole way. After being undertook twice I asked him why he was in the overtaking lane and he said he wasn’t going slowly so had no reason to be in the slow lane Imo the police should have a campaign promoting correct lane discipline and punish those who don’t use lanes correctly /Rant over
It being hard to stay under 70 doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe to do over 70. Have you ever been on the Westlink when the traffic merging from Clifton street has been backed up. Imaging ploughing into that at 70. There are too many entrance and exit points onto that road for it to be any faster than 50. I get held up many mornings due to accidents on that stretch of road