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80mph limit on M-ways backed by AA
Mark Townsend, transport correspondent Sunday May 8, 2005
Britain's 70mph motorway limit must be scrapped and replaced with a 'variable' control which allows speeds of up to 80mph, according to the country's largest motoring organisation.
The AA has abandoned its opposition to a higher limit in favour of a scheme that allows drivers to travel faster when traffic is light.
Britain's motorways, the most congested in Europe, would be transformed into a 'controlled' network with a 'variable' speed limit of up to 80mph that automatically responds to traffic flows.
More than 40 years after the 70mph limit was introduced, the high performance and improving safety standards of cars has made the case for a higher speed limit persuasive, AA officials say.
The government has signalled its interest in raising motorway speed limits when traffic is able to move freely. Transport experts believe the surprise backing of the AA, which has 12 million members, will lead to the scheme being trialled later this year.
'In 1964 when the 70mph limit was introduced, it was set at the 'flat-out' speed of most cars. These days cars cruise easily at 80mph,' said Bert Morris, director of the AA Motoring Trust.
Road safety groups, however, condemned the group's policy shift as 'disgraceful' and believe it will lead to more rests. In its defence, the AA quotes recent traffic speed data which reveals that more than half of all motorway traffic exceeds the speed limit and a fifth travel at more than 80mph.
The decision follows last month's controversial installation of mobile cameras on the M4 to enforce the 70mph limit. Under the AA plans, an 80mph limit would be strictly enforced in order to curb fears of a slide towards an unofficial 90mph limit.
Gear changes summing up! 5569Mike G formulated the question : Because there is no logical explanation and no hard and fast rule. As Mr Bitsy seems unable to provide an argument, then I...
Introducing a variable 80mph speed limit on motorways would be relatively simple under new technology installed on the M25. Speed limits are already set according to traffic flow and density on a stretch of the London orbital in Surrey. During free-flowing traffic, the limit is 70mph but can fall to 30mph.
Gear changes summing up! 5571Well that's just typical isn't it. You don't read it, draw totally wrong conclusions and then start complaining. No maybe not, sorry, it was perhaps a little over the...
This week the AA will submit its plans to the Highways Agency, the government agency responsible for maintaining Britain's motorway network, and is confident a pilot scheme will be agreed.
A higher speed limit will be resisted by anti-speed campaigners. Jools Townsend, campaign manager for road safety group Brake, said: 'This is an irresponsible standpoint by the AA that panders to drivers who are putting lives at risk by breaking existing speed limits.'
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80mph limit on Mways backed by AA 5567PeterE 'flat-out' Bert If very few cars could exceed 70mph then what was the point of the limit? Some could have exceeded it, but they could've just overtaken. If the limit was...
Arguably a "strictly enforced" 80 mph limit (whatever that may mean) would be worse than the current situation - but at least it is a sign that the logjam in official thinking on speed may be starting to break up.
Perhaps they could trial it on the M6Toll - oh no, hang on, that would lead to a substantial reduction in average speeds ;-)
-- "If a river bridge were not guarded by a parapet, the slackness of the defaulting authority deserves the blame, not the people who fall in" - Lieut. Col. Mervyn O'Gorman.
