How fast do you drive on the motorway?

[The Barlow Boy]

Derestricted country lanes are 60 not 70. As for 120 mph, there are people in this thread claiming that it's safe to drive at 120 mph. If it really was safe then why is there a speed limit?

You're doing it again. There are NO deristricted public roads in the United Kingdom save for the Isle of Man. Many country lanes around here (east Surrey) are restricted to 40.
There's a speed limit on motorways because a blanket limit was imposed in 1967 when cars had the crashworthiness of a biscuit tin and were at their upper limits - for the most part - at 70 on their wobbly suspension and crossply tyres.
Crash and roll at 70 in a Morris Oxford and it's good-night nurse. Do the same in a Golf, strapped in with four airbags deploying and crumple zones absorbing the kinetic energy and it's likely you'll walk away. That's why.
You're beginning to remind me of one those Victorians who used to get a fit of the vapours after claiming that a train travelling at 40+ would cause the occupants to suffocate.
Now, for the last time, driving at 120 in a modern properly maintained car with an experienced driver on a motorway in clear weather with light traffic is no more dangerous than driving at 70. Speed doesn't kill, inappropriate speed kills. That means the wrong speed in the wrong place.

 

[OxtedL]

Isle of Man in UK? (Sorry, but advance warning...)

 

[Sam Bentley]

Actually, most of those (apart from the Polo, Corsa and 207) can probably top 150.

only the high performance versions if any

eg a BMW 318d will reach 130, not 150

 

[Zoe]

You're doing it again. There are NO deristricted public roads in the United Kingdom

Yes there are, many roads are deristricted. This is not the same as saying there is no speed limit.

 

[OxtedL]

only the high performance versions if any

eg a BMW 318d will reach 130, not 150

You appear to be ignoring that very few cars could regularly reach 100mph when motorways were conceived.

 

[90019]

only the high performance versions if any

eg a BMW 318d will reach 130, not 150

Please provide your figures for the 1960s.

 

[GearJammer]

Yes there are, many roads are deristricted. This is not the same as saying there is no speed limit.

Which roads are derestricted then? I want to go drive my car down them at 150mph!

 

[Zoe]

Which roads are derestricted then? I want to go drive my car down them at 150mph!

I just said derestiction is not the same as not having a speed limit. All roads in Britain have speed limits, even de-restricted roads.

 

[90019]

I just said derestiction is not the same as not having a speed limit. All roads in Britain have speed limits, even de-restricted roads.

A road is either derestricted or has a speed limit, they are mutually exclusive.

National Speed Limit is not derestriction.

 

[OxtedL]

There is clearly some disagreement about the definition of de-restricted. Drop it?

 

[Sam Bentley]

Please provide your figures for the 1960s.

why???

 

[Zoe]

A road is either derestricted or has a speed limit, they are mutually exclusive.

No they are not, a de-restriction order does not result in no speed limit.

 

[OxtedL]

why???

Because you were trying to argue something based on something that wasn't true. Now, your figures please.

 

[GearJammer]

All roads in Britain have speed limits, even de-restricted roads.

Well if a road has a speed LIMIT then your speed is RESTRICTED to that speed LIMIT!

 

[Zoe]

Well if a road has a speed LIMIT then your speed is RESTRICTED to that speed LIMIT!

If you don't like the use of the word, go and complain to the Secretary of State. If a de-restriction order is made there will legally still be a speed limit.

 

[OxtedL]

Maybe this one has been pedanted about enough?

 

[GearJammer]

If a de-restriction order is made there will legally still be a speed limit.

Then its not de-restricted is it if theres a restriction on speed........ what else is there to be de-restricted of?

 

[Zoe]

Then its not de-restricted is it if theres a restriction on speed........ what else is there to be de-restricted of?

Legally it is a de-restricted.

 

[GearJammer]

Legally it is a de-restricted road.

De-restricted of what?

 

[OxtedL]

Circles.

 

[jon0844]

The de-restricted sign used to mean just that, but now it means national speed limit (as published by the Government), which is as of today 60 and 70mph for single/dual-carriageway.

So, it no longer means de-restricted, or indeed 'No Speed Limit' as many people say. It's a common mistake or misunderstanding, like people talking about 'road tax'.

I can assure you there are no roads that are actually de-restricted here! But, I am sure the Government could reinstate the sign as meaning what it originally did if it so desired.

Perhaps you're right in that there are traffic orders that still refer to roads as de-restricted, but then there would be some act that SUPERSEDES it, so you'd still be wrong.

After all, why do you think the sign is designed like it is? It's because it cancels out whatever speed limit followed before it.

 

[Zoe]

I can assure you there are no roads that are actually de-restricted here! But, I am sure the Government could reinstate the sign as meaning what it originally did if it so desired.

As I say, legally de-restriction of a road doesn't result in the road not having a speed limit.

 

[GearJammer]

now it means national speed limit (as published by the Government), which is as of today 60 and 70mph for single/dual-carriageway.

Yeah we all know that........ except a certain someone, who clearly ain't got a clue!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

the road is de-restricted if a de-restriction order is made.

de-restricted of what??????????????????????????????????

 

[Zoe]

Yeah we all know that........ except a certain someone, who clearly ain't got a clue!

As I say go and compain to the secretary of state about de-restriction if you don't like it. Legally it is used.

 

[GearJammer]

As I say go and compain to the secretary of state about de-restriction if you don't like it. Legally it is used.

I give up, she ain't got a clue!

 

[Zoe]

I give up, she ain't got a clue!

I know what I am talking about.

 

[Striker]

what about someone with only one leg? are you saying they shouldn't be allowed to drive?

Disability and lack of ability are not comparable.
To draw that sort of conclusion from what's been said is, frankly, moronic.

He clearly did not include people who have to drive an automatic for medical reasons.
The fact you took it so literally is very telling about you.

Yes, that is perhaps the biggest catch to any speed limit rises... motorways were simply not originally designed with it in mind

Interestingly, our motorways are generally far more suited to high speed driving than a lot of the German autobahns, which can resemble our A roads.


Thank you. I did make it quite clear in a post in this thread that "unless you need to drive an automatic for medical reasons"..........

 

[jon0844]

Zoe is right in that there IS still the use of 'deristrictions' in traffic orders on roads today - but it is purely because the sign COULD return one day to meaning just that.

If that sign is used, it must be perfectly clear that it could go from being National Speed Limit to no limit/no restriction - and this has to be taken into account on the road design and planning stages. However, it's arguing for the sake of arguing, as it serves no purpose to this thread. Pedantry at its finest!

Whether a road is derestricted or not, there will always be a limit (as at today anyway!). However, where it's clear that a limit should be imposed all the time, there may well be a 60mph sign instead of the NSL sign - so it would remain at 60mph limit if we did drop the maximum limit - which I am pretty certain will never happen.

I am sure I've seen roads with 70 signs, and certainly 60, instead of NSL. There are also signs that end in 5mph numbers, and one area near Cambridge that went for 19mph - supposedly to make people pay more attention, but more likely a cheap publicity stunt to get people to visit and buy one of the new build homes!!

 

[Hydro]

I am sure I've seen roads with 70

Scottish entry slip roads are normally signposted 70.

 

[Zoe]

Indeed, if a road is de-restricted then it wouldn't require any revocation orders to remove the speed limit completely. The reason you see "70" signs on some special roads is that for that type of road if it was de-restricted then there really would be no speed limit at all. So a speed restriction order must be made.