Is a new 50 mph law being introduced by stealth?

[Caliban]

Suddenly a whole series of 50 mph limits have appeared on country roads where I live.

They are nowhere near villages or towns and the limit is completely inappropriate and widely ignored.

Once again our wonderful New Labour government is fiddling with the regulations to introduce an unpopular law that they could not get through Parliament.

The reason country roads are so dangerous is not speed. It's suicidal idiots overtaking on blind bends and brows of hills etc. The reason the casualty rate is so high, is because so many collisions are head on.

It doesn't matter if your closing speed is 100 mph or 120mph - you are going to die!

Added to which, these fools ignore the speed limits anyway!

The 50mph limit only affects us sensible ones who stick to the legal limit.

By trying to control every aspect of our lives, they are making petty criminals of us all!

 

[Chris A]

it is generally applying to all roads which currently apply the national speed limit of 60mph it isn't applying to motorways reduced from 70mph as far as I know and they are making some exception that the 'safest rated class' A roads like if it was a really long straight section those type may remain at 60 but the generally narrower ones with more twists, bends etc will be reduced to 50 as far as they're currently planning
and i agree every bit with you m8, its not speed that kills (or that makes any difference to the causes of accidents and deaths) you can't measure a safe speed by default (except for 0mph) ppl are pricks to think it works like that, its idiots who drive recklessly, overtake at dangerous spots, tailgate, ppl who can't drive a car at all yet have licenses and no common sense like a lot of foreigners out there, a lot of old ppl (should av compulsory retest at 65 or summin) when I drive, so long as I'm going at the appropiate speed for the road conditions and type of road so obviously I would generally go somewhat slower through a residential road with kids and stuff than I would on an open motorway I don't give a flys bout the speed limits so long as its the right speed for the right conditions, thats what makes the difference to good and bad driving, generally good practise, thinking ahead, concentrating ahead, not all about sticking to every stupid rule of the road, starring at that needle making sure its constantly not above 30, or whatever, beliveing in s*** like 80/20 chance of a person living being hit at 30mph and 80/20 chance of a person dying being hit at 40mph, just as distracting as if you were watching a film in the car whilst at the wheel, hitting a person or crashing at almost any speed can have pretty much equally as bad enough consequences, the best we can do is think bout all those problems that cause the crash in the first place, general poor driving, dangerous driving, driving too fast 'for the road conditions'
thats how we should be dealing with it by, not by blankingly cutting down speed limits, introducing more speed cameras, introducing more speed limiter devices in vehicles, fair enough speed can play its part in a collision or leading up to one like increase stopping distances,
increase impact in a collision) but the whole point of cars is for speed so to get us to places quicker and easier, thats wt ppl need to realise, its not speed that kills, its bad driving, ye accidents happen but the best we can do is worry bout what causes them in the first place thats what I'll belive to the day i die no matter what anyone or anything says
(sorry for long essay but hope ive made a point there)

 

[NeoNerd]

Most of the speed limits around me are fine. There is one stretch off= dual carriageway at 30 mph for no good reason, though.

 

[Timbo is here]

Some Counties are doing this and there is talk of a country wide 50 limit on all but motorways.

 

[The Rikstir XIV]

I totally agree . We need more traffic police and less cameras and tell the police to catch dangerous drivers not fast ones .

Speed isn't the problem incompetence is . When you see the retards they let drive it's no wonder there are so many accidents !

 

[Hoof Hearted]

They feel that they need to impose these more stringent measures because driving standards are dropping.

So unfortunately those of us who can drive are being punished because of idiots and foreigners.

 

[Matty]

I used to vote new labour under Tony Blair but this Gordon Brown government is not new labour it is old left wing socialist labour. Control and power is everything to this government. I drove to southend where i lived on sunday all the way down the A127 were the speed check cameras checking average speed over distance for miles, and what was the speed? Well oh well oh well 50 mph.