General: Revision of Motorway Speed Limits and Rules

[Daim]

Originally Posted by volvorocks

Agree.I will second this.

A few years ago I was driving in Germany whilst staying in Waxweiler.

I was driving at 90kph in a 90kph zone. Or so I thought.

What I didnt realise was that if there is a residential area eg a house then the limit drops.

I was nicked for speeding doing 90kph in a "70kph" zone that I thought was 90kph.

The Police asked if I spoke German and I said no. I do though although it needs polishing.They laughed and joked about nicking "tourists" which was true as the German registered car that overtook me wasnt pulled.

The speed camera was in a grey wheelie bin further down the road.

I had to pay up despite me saying "no money" as they wanted to take the car off me or at the very least my laptop and cameras etc

Daim...is this allowed?

Grrrrrrrrr

Yes it is. European law! If I get caught speeding in the UK, they can claim off me the moment I am caught. As tourists have to pay more (your fine would have been about 25€ for a German or a German registered person) they tend to take them before...

Originally Posted by lillia

Thanks for letting me know that! I have to admit that I have rarely driven below 130 km/h in Germany, and my normal speed there is 160 km/h. Sometimes a little bit higher. I have been limited to 80 km/h when there are roadworks on the A1, as there always are. Never, ever got a ticket and there have always been cars going faster than me. The conventional wisdom in Sweden is that you can (still) drive as fast as you want on the autobahn in Germany. We have never got our heads around the idea of limits there. Please don't tell the police!

The Autobahns are everything else than "unlimited". I live along the A1. Alongside Bremen, the Autobahns are limited to 120 km/h. Leave the state of Bremen, and the limit is PARTLY lifted. The A281 (in Bremen) is limited to 80 km/h. The A27 from Achim (Verden in Lower Saxony) is limited to 120 km/h. From the "Bremer Kreuz" (cross between A1 and A27) towards Hannover is no limit. The A28 (joining the A1) is limited for a long time to 100 km/h.

A lot of Autobahns have limits... But most will expire at certain times of the day! I even know of 1 Autobahn with a limit of 60 km/h - but that is due to the really bad conditions... Just because others are going faster, it doesn't mean that they won't track them down... Like said, there are cameras everywhere. Alone in my area here around Bremen, there are something like 7 speed cameras which are fixed (non moveable). And then another 20 or so which are mobile! Again, like said, civil police cars... You'll be amazed what they tend to drive... Sometimes an old 5 series BMW, sometimes an Audi A4. Or even a Dacia Logan! Yes, I've seen a Dacia Logan police car!!

[T4Rick]

I was on the way back from kirby stephen a few month back doing 56mph empty with cruise control on and an artic flew past me doing at least 80, how i dont know and it was an english trailer and further down the road i saw the same artic tapping his brakes trying to scrub off some speed.There wasnt a prayer i could keep up or get near it

[prionailurus]

Originally Posted by lillia

I would say that it would be much better to (1) raise the speed limits on most UK motorways and dual carriageways after having improved the road surfaces, and then (2) direct the slowpokes to alternative routes. (3) Use the speed limits as guidelines, rather than absolutes. For example, drivers on the autobahns in Germany routinely drive at 160 km/h even though the signs say 120 km/h and aren't chased down and prosecuted for it.

Coming back from Oxford on the M40 this weekend I was enraged at the staggeringly HIGH number of motorists pottering along at 40 - 50 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone! And many of them had decided to take up residence in the middle lane, with 3 or 4 brave ones occupying the outside (third) lane at various intervals. Oh for a big snow plow when one needs it!

Motorways are for people who want to get to places, not for sightseeing.

I am of the opinion that much of the congestion on certain roads and motorways is due to the fact that too many people are hell bent at driving below the speed limit. No wonder people speed when they finally get a bit of clear road. I am usually calm on the roads, but am finding it harder to suppress my irritation at people who will be doing 38 mph on a 40 mph road, only to slam on the brakes and slow down to 30 mph the minute they see a sign with a camera on it.

We moralise way too much over the use of speed in this country. There is nothing wrong with driving fast, as long as one is not reckless.

While I'm ranting, I find that the roads appear to be designed to punish anyone who wants to go above 50 mph. The outside lanes, in particular, appear to have been deliberately designed to guarantee a harsh, bumpy ride. The UK needs to facilitate road users, not punish them. The only ones benefiting from poor road surfaces at the moment are petrol stations and car mechanics (oh and the tax man).

I agree with this just about entirely, but the bit I've bolded...thank #### for that, I'm not the only one! Why do people do this. The number of times I've screamed in the car the words "what you braking for it's a f##king 40 limit man, shift". Then they look at you with anger because you flashed them once to remind them that they're holding up the car behind by doing 25% less than the limit.

[SonyVaio]

Originally Posted by prionailurus

Why do people do this. The number of times I've screamed in the car the words "what you braking for it's a f##king 40 limit man, shift". Then they look at you with anger because you flashed them once to remind them that they're holding up the car behind by doing 25% less than the limit.

It's quite simply because they are the ones that are not paying any attention to what they are doing. Complete thumb up bum with their head in the clouds and then get all spooked because they've seen a camera sign, then it's case of 'BRAKE!!' as they say to themselves 'where am I' 'how fast am I going' 'what's the speed limit' and because they havn't got a bloody clue what they are doing they BRAKE!

Yes I'm a +1 about being iritated by these type of drivers. If they just paid more attention to driving and doing what they are supposed to be doing on the road, it would be far better for all.

[fenton_jd]

It's virtually impossible to use cruise control on UK motorways.

You set your cruise control to 70, yet every lane you try to go in theres a problem:

70mph in the outside lane? - HGVs limited to 55mph block your path
70mph in the middle lane? - HGVs overtaking outside lane HGVs at 56mph
70mph in the inside lane? - BMWs/Audi's fly up behind you at 90mph till you move.

[volvorocks]

Originally Posted by fenton_jd

70mph in the outside lane? - HGVs limited to 55mph block your path
70mph in the middle lane? - HGVs overtaking outside lane HGVs at 56mph
70mph in the inside lane? - BMWs/Audi's fly up behind you at 90mph till you move.

Dont you mean

70mph in the inside lane? - HGVs limited to 55mph block your path
70mph in the middle lane? - HGVs overtaking inside lane HGVs at 56mph
70mph in the outside lane? - BMWs/Audi's fly up behind you at 90mph till you move.

[Chrali]

Originally Posted by volvorocks

Dont you mean

70mph in the inside lane? - HGVs limited to 55mph block your path
70mph in the middle lane? - HGVs overtaking inside lane HGVs at 56mph
70mph in the outside lane? - BMWs/Audi's fly up behind you at 90mph till you move.

Nah I think hes got it spot on, especially BMW drivers

[arcturus]

Originally Posted by lillia

I would say that it would be much better to (1) raise the speed limits on most UK motorways and dual carriageways after having improved the road surfaces, and then (2) direct the slowpokes to alternative routes. (3) Use the speed limits as guidelines, rather than absolutes. For example, drivers on the autobahns in Germany routinely drive at 160 km/h even though the signs say 120 km/h and aren't chased down and prosecuted for it.

Coming back from Oxford on the M40 this weekend I was enraged at the staggeringly HIGH number of motorists pottering along at 40 - 50 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone! And many of them had decided to take up residence in the middle lane, with 3 or 4 brave ones occupying the outside (third) lane at various intervals. Oh for a big snow plow when one needs it!

Motorways are for people who want to get to places, not for sightseeing.

I am of the opinion that much of the congestion on certain roads and motorways is due to the fact that too many people are hell bent at driving below the speed limit. No wonder people speed when they finally get a bit of clear road. I am usually calm on the roads, but am finding it harder to suppress my irritation at people who will be doing 38 mph on a 40 mph road, only to slam on the brakes and slow down to 30 mph the minute they see a sign with a camera on it.

We moralise way too much over the use of speed in this country. There is nothing wrong with driving fast, as long as one is not reckless.

While I'm ranting, I find that the roads appear to be designed to punish anyone who wants to go above 50 mph. The outside lanes, in particular, appear to have been deliberately designed to guarantee a harsh, bumpy ride. The UK needs to facilitate road users, not punish them. The only ones benefiting from poor road surfaces at the moment are petrol stations and car mechanics (oh and the tax man).

As has been stated ad nauseum on this forum, it's a maximum not a target

[christheancient]

I would like people to see this video - which somebody sent me. It is, sort of, in two parts, urban road speeding and open road speeding.

The only comment I make is that the distances quoted in the film ar braking distance only... not overall stopping distances.

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/...ancient/speed/

[SonyVaio]

Originally Posted by arcturus

As has been stated ad nauseum on this forum, it's a maximum not a target

Your right it may be a maximum and not a target but if these people would also follow the rules and regulations of the road 'Road Traffic Act' and its practical application 'Highway Code' then there would a lot less pee'd off people on the road. Just pass the vehicle you are overtaking and move back to the left hand lane and get out the way for faster moving traffic?? How hard can it be? Works really well in a lot of other countries. I do think it perfectly acceptable in slow moving or queuing traffic.

The self righteous tw*ts that think it is their job to police the road and sit holding everyone up just so they can sit smug and smile to them self, relishing in the fact that they know they are just pi**ing everyone off behind them or causing them to illegal maneuvers by undertaking.

In reality these people sit hogging the middle/outside lanes sitting at bang on 70 or under 'ON THEIR SPEEDO', the fact is their Speedo is anything up to 10% inaccurate so in reality are only doing 64MPH!!

It' is about time these people got a life and stopped endangering other road users by their ridiculous actions by causing frustration and impatience in other road users. These are also the same people that will deliberately speed up and often in excess of the limit (when it suits them) just to ensure you can't pass on the inside, once again only to boost their self righteous ego.