[Robboc]

I agree. The inside lane is usually pretty clear. Great for fast undertaking manouvres.

135 should be the speed limit. After that things start to shake a little.

[jcwjim]

Hate to be a killjoy but it's more likley to be changed to a 60mph limit!!!!

What with all the enviromental concerns these days I expect it to be reduced to lower emissions not that it will help much when you get caught up in traffic and the speed drops to more like 30 mph.

I'm all for increasing it though.

[wiggis]

More people would use the inside lane if it wasn't strewn with large pieces of shredded tyres from undermaintained crappy HGV's which have thrown them off, diesel spills and other general skid inducing crap, as well as 6 inch nails and other flotsam that has flown off the back of pickup trucks and other similar industrial vehicles.

Would like to bet that the majority of the poor sods sitting on the hard shoulder with punctured tyres obtained their puncture after driving in the inside lane and picking up a piece of shrapnel as per above.

I vote to keep the limit at 70 mph until such time as the peanut brained majority learn how to operate a vehicle properly at that kind of speed - i.e. until the driving test is a lot more thorough, and includes lesson on motorway driving.

[JG.26]

Quote: Originally Posted by Robboc (original)

I agree. The inside lane is usually pretty clear. Great for fast undertaking manouvres.

135 should be the speed limit. After that things start to shake a little.

I hope that is not indicative of your own driving style?. That is precisely the reason why I try and avoid motorways. Undertaking at high speed is both irresponsible, highly dangerous and says 2 fingers to the person being undertaken and is more likely than anything to cause agro and hence a serious accident. Undertaking really gets up my nose as it's pure poor driving manners

Read the highway code

[MINI-Morgan]

Yes and no......

Yes it should be variable speed limit e.g. 85mph dry and 70mph wet or something.

No cause there's too many drivers that cant manage to even drive at 70mph without crashing into everything in site.

[Fin]

There have been some interesting points raised. I see many of us are of the general consensus that there are many road users who are far too incompetent to go any faster.

Wiggis: I agree with you on the FOD that can be encountered travelling in the 'slow' lane from all kinds of vehicles. I recently saw a programme where VOSA were spot-checking HGV's, and the huge numbers of them that were unroadworthy, coupled with drivers that had been driving for 14 hours straight scared the hell out of me. I am even more wary when passing HGVs. And I agree, Motorway driving should be a mandatory part of the driving test.

jcwjim: It is a worry that the government will reduce the speed limit to reduce emissions.

I really get frustrated when I hear the government lecturing us on global warming. Then the newspapers and TV bombard us with cherry-picked data. There are two seperate issues: Global Warming, and Greenhouse gases. Global warming simply implies that the world is getting warmer, which is something I agree with as the data backs up this claim. We are releasing greenhouse gases, mainly in the form of carbon dioxide. The carbon cycle removes huge amounts of carbon dioxide, and I simply don't buy the fact that our burning of fossil fuels has affected world temperature too such an extent. To me a far bigger player is the Sun, which has been going through a period of increased intensity for the past 300 years. As once said, 'When the Sun sneezes, the Earth gets a cold'.

That is not to say that greenhouse gases don't affect our climate, there is data that states this is the case but I don't think it's the whole story. It's just this is the only data that is ever reported to Joe Public, and I get angry. Personally I think we should move away from fossil fuels, as they are very dirty and can affect human health. Plus they will most likely run out in our lifetime. But rather than tax everybody, which is what our government seems to want to do, lets give tax breaks to companies that invest in and bring hydrogen fuel to the market. And then tax breaks to people who buy hydrogen fueled cars.

I've gone off on one again haven't I? However if we had Hydrogen fueled MINIs we could drive at 80-90mph without increased carbon emissions And if that stops the government rushing in stupid legislation because everyone has jumped on the carbon emissions band wagon, then I'm all for Hydrogen.

With regard to people going maybe a further 10-20mph over a new higher limit, what if as stated earlier in the replies the law came down very hard on those speeding over the new limits? Or strict variable limits based on the paramaters I mentioned at the start of the poll, which makes the decision of the 'safe' speed to drive at for everyone, including the morons who have no grasp of safe driving speeds?

[ButtonIt]

I was overtaken by a van yesterday on the M6, trouble was the van was on it's side and sliding up the central barrier

The speed limit is fine as it is.

Think of it this way. Lets say that at the moment most people do 85 in the dry and maybe drop slightly to 65 if it's raining. If we up the speed limit to 100mph then people will be doing 100-105 (people always want a little bit more) in the dry and maybe drop to 80-85 in the wet. Recipe for nastiness if you ask me. People will not drop from 100 to 65 just for a bit of rain.

[Capsaisin]

Quote: Originally Posted by SC06GVK (original)

its not going to happen so dream on

You are just so right. The political solution - do nothing.

[Kaj]

lets be honest its not going to happen. but if it did i think they should make the m6 toll as fast as you can go which it practicaly is anyway and just ban police from it unless there is a acident.

i say it pracitly is since they dont mind mr lambo doing 120 odd but as soon as mr mini comes along doing the speed limit with no front plate after some *****'s nicked it, there more than willing to pull him over and give him a bolocking and a VD slip but they didnt care who nicked it!.

[AMT]

I think the only way we're going to get higher speed limits is via the introduction of flexible limits, for instance 60 in the wet, 80 in the dry etc.

It would be nice to have some more toll-roads with higher limits. The M6 Toll is smooth and very quiet, and easily capable of a higher limit

[Parc77]

Yep the political situation is madness co2, speed limits, driving test (lack of how to drive), not building more roads, stealth tax, lets all ride a bike to work groups ( 2 day trip to work anyone), its a hobby and a passion for millions driving a car,, as well as an essential tool for work, a sensible solution instead of no brain schemes would be better but all these silly ideas amount to a government that havent got a clue.

[ASTON]

I think people should learn to drive properly on it first I just hate those middle hoggers . 70mph is to fast it should be drooped to 56mph

[Olly.]

Considering how excellent the German roads are perhaps we should take note from them?

[JDinho]

The Government are more likely to reduce speed limits since they think we are incapable of making reasoned decisions anymore.

I personally wouldn't want it any higher there are too many muppets on the road anyway, safer cars with better breaks can't correct the driving errors of a &%$! behind the wheel. Most of the time its bumper-to-bumper on UK roads, so a higher speed limit prob wouldn't help much.

[manwithnoname]

The current speed limit is archaic and needs to be brought forward into modern times.

Motorways should have a limit of at least 90 mph.

[manwithnoname]

Quote: Originally Posted by ASTON (original)

I just hate those middle hoggers

People who lane hog should be given a £1,000 fine, have 6 points added to their licence and have their car crushed. Then they won't be doing it again in a hurry.

[Lorri]

Quote: Originally Posted by manwithnoname (original)

The current speed limit is archaic and needs to be brought forward into modern times.

Motorways should have a limit of at least 90 mph.

That's fine in countries where there's much less traffic... there's far too much here

[linners2005]

As a 19 year old driving a MCS i can say that it should stay at 70mph

At 70mph most people do 80mph and the police aren't bothered (unless they've had a bad day)

Where as if it were to go up then people would think 10mph over the new limit would be acceptable and then more and more people would be speeding.

Just my opinion though, each to their own

[Benmk]

im not sure if it has been mentioned but surely its just as dangerous to snail along on a busy or fast motorway just as it is to exceed the speed limit.

I think 80 would be a really good start on motorways.

When driving in France last summer i noticed the speed limit changes between wet and dry but in addition the roads are smooth and clean and people obey the rules in addition to being curtious to other road users.

It makes driving the motorways smoother and quicker.

In Germany they have no limits on certain motorways but people tend to drive without error - right in the middle of the lane, high concentration, etc etc.

I dont think our authorities can really be pushed for change.

And that goes for rediculous parking restrictions and road taxes (that dont get used to fix the roads) aswell!!

[Fin]

As a 19 year old driving a MCS i can say that it should stay at 70mph

After seeing your MINI rallying video, I don't believe you!