[Sloper]

I'm quite happy to have 20mph zones in town, by schools etc but before we reduce the speed limits why don't we try enforcing the ones we already have?  The average speed coming down the hill into Grindleford seems to be about 45 mph in a 30 zone and yet i've never seen any enforcement.

While speed is a significant cause of and contributory factor to RTI's the poor standard of driving is I would suggest the true underlying cause.

I would propose making the driving test much more difficult, raising the age at which one can drive and limiting the BHP per tonne (as per bikes) of cars that young drivers drive.

Oh and mandatory re-testing every 10 years to yearly on the basis of age.

Anyway that's the pre drive to Manchester rant.

[dave]

although it pains me to admit it, I do, for once and once only, agree with Sloper on this one. Excess speed isn't the cause of the problems its a symptom. I do find it remarkable that you can pass a test when you're 17 and that gives you the right to drive, however badly, for the rest of your life as long as you don't get caught. Retesting should be mandatory, and not just the basic test, people shold be expected to become better drivers as they gain experience, not just to maintain the basic minimum standard. Maybe you should have to pass ASM tests etc. The culture needs to change from driving being a right to driving being a privelidge.

The problem with dropping the speed limits left right and centre is that as soon as a toddler gets killed by someone at 20mph then it'll be down to 15, then 10, then before you know it you're cruising through the countryside being overtaken by stationary objects. The logic to reducing speed limits applies all the way down to zero unfortunatley.

[GCW]

Around our house is all 30 limits at the moment.  Bot racers burn around at 60 and nothing gets done.
They're dropping the limit to 20 soon.  Now I'm happy with that, windy roads with poor visibility.  But will the tits in their shitty hatches with big exhausts slow down?

It's interesting that motorway limits aren't changing though.

[tomtom]

although it pains me to admit it, I do, for once and once only, agree with Sloper on this one. Excess speed isn't the cause of the problems its a symptom. I do find it remarkable that you can pass a test when you're 17 and that gives you the right to drive, however badly, for the rest of your life as long as you don't get caught. Retesting should be mandatory, and not just the basic test, people shold be expected to become better drivers as they gain experience, not just to maintain the basic minimum standard. Maybe you should have to pass ASM tests etc. The culture needs to change from diving being a right to driving being a privelidge.

The problem with dropping the speed limits left right and centre is that as soon as a toddler gets killed by someone at 20mph then it'll be down to 15, then 10, then before you know it you're cruising through the countryside being overtaken by stationary objects. The logic to reducing speed limits applies all the way down to zero unfortunatley.

Its daft to reduce speed limits everywhere - and if you read the reports more carefully and ignore much of the media hype, they say that the lower speed limits should only be introduced where there are problems or blackspots. I'm going to sound like a moaning old giffer here, but since speed cameras have been introduced in the last 10-15 years, I think people do drive alot more slowly through towns and built up areas.....

But - I do worry there is an element of increased legislation/big brotherness... Putting my cynical hat on, I suspect within 5-10 years we'll find all cars fitted with some sort of black box that not only works out our road charging (something I think may be a good idea btw) but will also monitor our speeds 24/7. So that will mean we all start driving like robots. Maybe thats a good thing (for safety) but it will take most/all of the pleasure out of driving.

[tomtom]

It's interesting that motorway limits aren't changing though.

Despite the high speeds motorways are still the safest roads when worked out on accidents/miles travelled....

[GCW]

I was meaning upwards.

[Fiend]

although it pains me to admit it, I do, for once and once only, agree with Sloper on this one. Excess speed isn't the cause of the problems its a symptom. I do find it remarkable that you can pass a test when you're 17 and that gives you the right to drive, however badly, for the rest of your life as long as you don't get caught. Retesting should be mandatory, and not just the basic test, people shold be expected to become better drivers as they gain experience, not just to maintain the basic minimum standard. Maybe you should have to pass ASM tests etc. The culture needs to change from driving being a right to driving being a privelidge.

The problem with dropping the speed limits left right and centre is that as soon as a toddler gets killed by someone at 20mph then it'll be down to 15, then 10, then before you know it you're cruising through the countryside being overtaken by stationary objects. The logic to reducing speed limits applies all the way down to zero unfortunatley.

Dave how can you make a perfectly sensible serious post and still have me   by the end of it. You need your own TV show / webcast / something at least.

P.S. Sloper enjoy the tedious slog to Manchester through a never-ending 50 limits on roads where it's perfectly safe to drive 70 on much of it  

[tlr]

I don’t think that many people will really object to 20mph by schools etc.

What I am getting increasingly annoyed by is the insidious creep of the 40mph and 50mph limits where once the limit was 60mph. Round here in the last few years these have appeared on the Snake Pass, Froggatt Hill, across top of Burbage, A625 into Sheffield. Anybody who drives these roads regularly will know that the accidents on these roads aren’t caused by people doing 60mph when 50mph would have been safe, its people doing inappropriate speed for the conditions. I bet lots of the people who fall of the road at the cattlegrid on Burbage Moor are doing less than 30mph in the winter.

As Dave said, bad driving causes accidents, nothing else and cameras only police one small aspect of this.

As for the accident blackspot only element to this proposal – wasn’t this the guideline for speed camera sites originally? Conveniently got forgotten after a while when the revenue stream was needed. 20mph for the Snake Pass in 5 years time?

[Will Hunt]

Bot racers burn around at 60

Amazed no one did this sooner.