50MPH National Speed Limit

By fletch Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

The government have been talking for a while about dropping the national speed limit down from 60 to 50MPH, they’ve also been talking about allowing councils to blanket impose a 20MPH limit in areas of their towns and cities. Today they announced a consultation into it.

Seems a little excessive.

The stats they quote seem simple enough so presuming they’re correct and not bodged then 60% of all road related deaths occur on rural roads yet those roads only see 40% of the traffic. Something should probably be done but does it need to be this?

Whilst it’s absolutely bound to have an effect since it’s true that going slower means less carnage in the event of a crash, I think it’s the wrong way to go about it.

They’d be better off spending the money on any number of other initiatives:

1) Loads of people already do 50MPH on rural roads, if you lower the limit to 50MPH they’re going to sit at 40MPH. Educate them about driving smoother, quicker and safer. Bottom line, if you can’t control your car at 70MPH then give your licence back.

2) Make the test a bit more real world. Perhaps three tests, rural, urban and motorway that you’ve got to pass before you can get a licence. Lower the points ban barrier to 3 for the first year, 6 in the second, 9 in the third finally rising to 12 in the fourth.

3) Retests every ten (five?) years as part of the licence renewal process. Get sloppy drivers tuned up and people that have lost it off the road.

4) Foreign drivers to complete a UK drivers orientation course (I’d be cool with doing the same in another country – probably wise given some the manouvres witnessed on various ramshackle rallys)

5) More traffic cops. They can make human decisions. Speed cameras only punish drivers that break the law and not all of those people are driving unsafely – remember cameras are just money-makers for local councils.

6) Variable speed limits. At 2AM on a lit motorway in a modern car you can do way over 70MPH and be safe.

7) USABLE road signs. In New Zealand which is one of the best places I’ve ever driven, any major bends in the road have the corner layout and a suggested safe speed for attempting it printed on it. How simple is that? The speeds are always accurate too. If it says hairpin 15.. it means it.

The problem with all of these suggestions is that the results are going to take a while to show through. No government is going to try and put them into place because they’re not going to be in power to wank each other off about it when the benefits come through.

I’m well aware too that it’s been announced during a time of increased government focus. Policing tactics are being questioned, MPs are being held to account for ludicrous expense claims and we’re in the midst of a pretty shocking financial crisis..

Distracted by a car story, me?!

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Hello! Fletch.cx has been going since 1999 in one form or another, yep incredible, when will it end? For more of my bullshit see last.fm, lluckj.com, facebook and if you really want a constant avalanche of musings, observations and lies then follow me on twitter..