Considering Speed limits were 1st introduced to reduce fuel consumption, has the law been taken too far?

Question

This IS a fact, speed limits were 1st introduced nationally during the north sea oil crisis (put to the media as a way of making safer driving).

However on the motorway at night, surely a 100mph speed limit between 12pm-5pm is reasonable with the greatly reduced traffic.

Answer 1

Speed limits were NOT introduced because of the oil crisis, speed limits on the motorway were introduced by Barbra Castle because some nut in a E-Type over did it on the M1 and took out another car and its occupants along with himself, and the 70 MPH limit was implemented then. There was a 50 MPH speed limit put on the motorways in 1973 because of the oil crisis. You are right though, they are far too over the top about speeding nowadays, too much emphasis is placed over it, especially cameras, they are such a ridiculously draconian measure. I actually think all this thing about speeding and criminalising drivers is a ploy to put you off driving, thus lowering car usage, typical of our slimy government! Seemingly Labour has always been anti-car......The aforementioned Barbara Castle of the Labour party was responsible for the 70 MPH speed limit, see here http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=1723&language=eng

Answer 2

Can you back up your claim that Speed limits were introduced to reduce fuel consumption?

Anyway, assuming that your "12pm-5pm" is a double typo, no a 100mph night time speed limit is not reasonable. The speed limit has to take into consideration every vehicle that is to use the road, and it would not be safe to have some vehicles doing 100mph, whilst others cannot go over 70-80mph safely.

I think a speed limit of 85mph would be the maximum we could move to purely on a safety basis - after all, not every driver is comfortable driving on the motorays now at 70!

Answer 3

The premise of your post is wrong, in the UK they were originally developed because of automobile accidents.

"The first British motorways did not have speed limits. However, after a series of multiple crashes on motorways mainly in fog, an experimental speed limit of 70 mph (112 km/h) was introduced in December 1965,[3] and made permanent in 1967. It was reduced to 50 mph (80 km/h) in response to the 1973 oil crisis and restored to 70 mph (112 km/h) in 1974. The Association of British Drivers has called for the limit to be increased. The opposition Conservative Party is proposing to raise the limit to 80 mph (130 km/h) where appropriate. The speed limits were established based on the performance of a selection of typical British 1960s vehicles"

Answer 4

Rules are there to be broken....you'd find that people would instantly start disrespecting the new limit....most people do around 100 instead of 70...so in a crude way you can say that they would start doing 130 instead of 100....

Cars become dramatically less efficient when they travel faster...they generate more air resistance and friction on the road. Eventually the increase for demand would mean a price increase...not good considering the cost to your pocket and to the enviornment. Cars already pose a serious risk to the enviromnent and this would surely make them worse.

Most cars also handle badly at high speed. Given the state of some of our roads & motorways this could prove fatal for a lot of people.

Speed limits are neccessary. Even countries like Germany (famous for no limit Autobahns) are realising this and are getting round to regulating their roads more...

Answer 5

I would suggest a top speed on motorways of 80mph. This is what most do already and it is perfectly safe under normal conditions. Speed limits are now nothing more than a "cash cow" for the police and has nothing to do with safe driving any more.

The flashing speed limit signs what go off when you are over the limit are a much safer and instant form of road safety as they let you know of impending danger areas immediately rather than a week later when the gatso camera fine lands on you're mat...

Speed limits = "cash cow".... remember this......

Charlie

Answer 6

They were introduced during an Arab Israeli war, 73 I think and went down to 50 and back to 60 on A roads etc.
I still got the scar from losing concentration in a 50 limit and hitting a Vauxhall Viva, I had two bad crashes with the 50 limit in, nothing serious since.
I think all speed limits should be advisory, I came down the M4 at a ton 1 icy night pre Gatso, I was freezing, the Guzzi kept my knees warm but not my feet , couldnt feel them, had a massive slide at one stage, but got home in one piece, I dont think would have got home if i had gone slower, I needed adrenalin to stay awake. Anyway why the ton, krauts have no limit at all.

Answer 7

Speed limit introduction was in no way caused by the oil crisis. They were only to make the motorways safer for all. Don't want speed limits??? Move to Germany.

Answer 8

motorway speed limited in 1964 after an AC cobra production car topped 183 MPH on the M1. This raised concerns in uk parliment, so the legend begins that a speeding Ac cobra is responsible not fuel saving. But yes i agree between midnight and 5 AM Lets go wild!!!!!

Answer 9

Speed limits were introduced many years before the 'North Sea oil' crisis - that is a fact, whatever you mean by the 'North Sea Oil crisis'.

Answer 10

I don't think that a 100 mph speed limit would ever be safe. Many vehicles, especially trucks, cannot go that fast and the slow moving vehicles would increase the danger.