If there was no speed limits on motorways......

Laughing said:
If you really want to drive fast take your car for a track day. I have had 17 5 out of my Rx8. On motorways don't go above 80, too many cameras and poor drivers.
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I went on one years ago near Silverstone, it had various events. Big wheeled stuff, then cross country, finally adapted race cars with one circuit as a lesson.

I was terrified, people were flying past an unreal speeds. I was glad to get in for the coffee. Never again.
 
Presumably you’d still have 2 lorries doing 60 in 2 of the 3 lanes though so you’d never get past 80
 
Vzzzbx said:
I've always been of the opinion that raising the speed limit to 70 for HGVs on dual carriageways and motorways would be better raising the speed limit for cars. If you speed up the left hand lane then it will improve the flow in the other 2 lanes as people are more likely to keep left.

The current speed limit and prosecution speeds are good enough, and as someone said above if you raise the limit people just drive slightly quicker than that limit.
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Perhaps, but it in no way considers the safety implications of allowing HGVs to go faster
 
Sergio said:
The problem with this topic is would you also be happy to change your tyres once maybe twice a year? Germanys legal limit is really high for tyre tread, thats where this country get a lot of its part worns from. Personally i'd be happy at 85/90 but wouldnt be happy about others driving at that, especially older people trying to overtake somebody doing 60 and im flying past them
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good point, the speed limit should probably be based on the lowest common denominator. If we had a 100 limit on the motorway, 50% of people would be petrified as cars whizz past at 100, and a hinderance to cars doing 100 because they don't really go over 60 themselves, then it just makes the whole motorway environment exponentially more dangerous. Also 100 in heavy rain for most cars would be dangerous, but 80 for most modern cars would be fine.

Personally I would feel comfortable in myself doing 85-90 but would worry that some idiot pulls out in front of me at 60 without looking. I do think 70 is too low with modern cars, with anti-lock brakes, better quality braking systems, driver awareness aids, anti-roll bars, airbags etc. The 70 limit was introduced in 1965, the image below is of a popular car from that era, that if it crashed at 70 would be fatal for all, as it had none of those, plus the handling would be appalling at that speed, and brakes would take maybe twice as long as a modern car to stop you.


So with that in mind I would think a speed limit of 80 should be discussed.

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Nano said:
Cruise control on my car decides on the gap. Set the speed and it does the rest itself. Speeds up to max if there's nobody in front. Matches the speed of the car in front when there is. Keeps me in lane as well.

I think 90 is fine. Wouldn't be in my old car. That used to vibrate if you got to 80. Not very efficient driving at 90 though so 80 is probably better.
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That will be your Adaptive Cruise Control slowing you down when there's traffic in front.
Normal cruise control wont slow you down.
 
fmttmadmin said:
Pretty stupid irresponsible thread.
What speed would you cruise out in a town centre or through a crowded housing estate?
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What is irresponsible about it?
Are you suggesting that all Germans are stupid and irresponsible, because it is probably a question they have to regularly consider.
Nobody mentioned speeding through a town centre or a crowded housing estate (apart from you that is).

About 80mph would be my limit btw.
 
I do wonder as cars become more automated whether speed limits could increase significantly. Most incidents are human error. Remove the human as the decision maker and cars can travel faster with fewer risks. My car is already mostly autonomous on a motorway. It is only other drivers I have to occasionally react to.
 
If there is no other vehicle on the road for a mile and good visibility, can you really be said to be speeding? See also 'If a leaf falls in the middle of a forest' etc.
Maybe the speed limit should apply only to overtaking?
 
Same_as_before said:
I went on one years ago near Silverstone, it had various events. Big wheeled stuff, then cross country, finally adapted race cars with one circuit as a lesson.

I was terrified, people were flying past an unreal speeds. I was glad to get in for the coffee. Never again.
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You do have ambulances scattered around, no one is going the wrong way round the track, another big plus. I have done it a couple of times in my own car but the tyres ain't cheap.
 
Priv said:
About the same as you, Fastest I’ve driven on a road is 140mph.
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Same for me, I've managed to hit 140 MPH

I think I'd feel comfortable around 90 to 100. My last car was a neast and could cruise at 110 all day if necessary. New one is smaller so I'd go slower. Current speed limits are based on a ford anglia and, as such, are FAR too slow.
 
Vzzzbx said:
I've always been of the opinion that raising the speed limit to 70 for HGVs on dual carriageways and motorways would be better raising the speed limit for cars. If you speed up the left hand lane then it will improve the flow in the other 2 lanes as people are more likely to keep left.

The current speed limit and prosecution speeds are good enough, and as someone said above if you raise the limit people just drive slightly quicker than that limit.
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Problem is HGV's can't stop anywhere near as fast, and can do a lot more damage when they don't. But you're right that it would make a massive difference.
 
I have lived around the west country and every year, you can spot the drivers with motorway experience against those who only drive to Devon & Cornwall once per year. The understanding of lane discipline is massive, also the correct use of speed.

The thought that the speed limits are increased for everyone is frightening. Often speeds are reduced to stop the slowing wave from forming around junctions. I have learnt over the years it is easier and less stressful to join the lorries on the inside lane, often you only lose a few minutes on your journey time.

It isnt that I am against speed, I ride a bike capable of 180mph and only really gets into its stride above 80mph, but I have my fun on the track and not the road.
 
Randy said:
Why is it an irresponsible thread? It's a good discussion I think. The Germans seem to have the autobahn nailed down, I don't think the OP was suggesting every motorway in the country should have no speed limits.

How many people do 50mph all the way down the A66 around Middlesbrough and Stockton. Not many I'm guessing.


Love cruise control though. Will quite happily set it at 70mph on a motorway and the engine shuts down two of its four cylinders and plods along smoothly and quietly.
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I'm one of those who does 50 on the A66 and I always try to leave a safe gap so those who think it is a race track don't end up taking my front end off when they realise they need to take the slip road.
 
137 on I-29 from Sioux City to Omaha. It was very flat the road is straight, there were barely any other cars, and you could see for 3 or 4 miles. I'd have done more but the limiter on the car kicked in ('98 Pontiac Grand Prix).
 
dooderooni said:
I'm one of those who does 50 on the A66 and I always try to leave a safe gap so those who think it is a race track don't end up taking my front end off when they realise they need to take the slip road.
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Oh I've no doubt there are those who do 50mph. Is this turn off you speak of after the cannon park turn off by any chance?
 
wilkos_perm said:
The statistics for accidents on the Autobahns are far worse than UK motorways, and Germany isn't anywhere near the top end of the safest places to drive in Europe.
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Consider me educated. But the German folk must accept this or they wouldn't use the road right?
 
Randy said:
Oh I've no doubt there are those who do 50mph. Is this turn off you speak of after the cannon park turn off by any chance?
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Yarm, Stockton, Thornaby, Teesside Park, any of them really when it's busy.
It's one of the worst stretches of road I've driven on, including on the continent.
 
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