If there were no speed limits

[tgabber]

Most of us on here (I'm guessing) break the odd speed limit from time to time and don't appreciate the growing presence/menace of speed (sorry, safety ) cameras.

Just going off on a random thought, I started musing on what the situation would be like if all blanket speed limits were abolished at a stroke and instead a new (and perhaps much more severe) penalty of dangerous speed was introduced, only enforcable by human beings.

Would your own personal riding habits change much?

Would the roads suddenly be filled with speed-mad twats?

Would there be a big increase in road accidents?

Or would most people realise that as road speed safety was now firmly in their own hands they had to act responsibly?

(please ignore all government revenue arguements in your responses, ta. )
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[Flip]

Yes, I think the roads would be filled with speeding tw*ts. It would be lethal to consider using the roads. Christ every major road would become a drag strip at night. F*ck that mate. I think I'd move to a place without roads ie a field in the middle of lots of other fields.

Surely this would have a knock on effect on society? Food deliveries not being made due to the increase in RTA's which would cause gridlock in some areas. Emergency services being in pile ups and not attending them.

It would f*ck everything. Wouldn't it?

[NSR125-Kid-UK]

To be honest I am one of those retarded people that think a speed limit is a good idea in a general sense.... but a bad idea in my specific sense....
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[Bendy]

I've pondered this in the past and it led me to conclude that you could probably get away with national speed limits being removed in a lot of places but you'd still have to have local ones, or some other way of slowing people down in more built-up areas and hazard spots.

On the motorways, I think you could get away with no official limit. The 70mph limit is pretty much ignored anyway and we're talking long and reasonably straight roads. What would need some re-education would be lane discipline - keeping people over to the left until they actually have the speed to be passing something. Of course, remove the speed limit and the bloody-minded person sitting bang on 70mph in the outside lane no longer has an excuse.

On your average NSL dual carrigeway you can have miles and miles of road where you could happily do more than 70 and people do. The problem presents itself where you have junctions trying to join the carrigeway... So I'd suggest that when there's a nice long view up the road you leave them be, and when there's not you perhaps think about a local limit around them if they're busy enough or the accident rate suggests it's needed. I'm thinking specifically of the 'killer junction' near Aberdeen that has loads of signage telling you how terrible it is... you do slow down. Of course, a 'killer road' is generally bad design but that's another matter.

The twisties. Surely your speed is limited by the road / your vehicle / your abilities anyway? People speed on them anyway cos there's little chance of being caught / they know the road well enough to do so, people also travel under the speed limit because they can't go any faster. They're full of 'fast vehicle coming round corner to find slow vehicle' anyway so I'm not sure if it would make a massive difference. One thing I noticed the other day when I was riding near Henley was the frequency of signposts telling me about the corners and many recommending a speed at which I should be going to get around them... very useful, but does that not remove the responsibility from the driver somewhat? It made me think of the twisties I used to drive up in the Highlands, where it had to be getting on for a 180 degree hairpin with a drop off a cliff before you even got a simple 'corner' sign. Surely if you're not being told what's coming, you'll take it easier?

Now, towns and residential areas. Obviously we can't have people screaming through them at 100mph but again in most cases the road design (and the congestion) means that you can't go all that fast anyway. I think you'd have to keep speed limits for general safety really, although doing it between certain hours would be interesting.

Thing is, if the speed limits were taken away as an experiment, the initial accident figures would probably be terrible, the question is whether they would stay terrible, or whether things would stabilise once the novelty had worn off?


I have one major concern about all I've said. Am I giving people too much credit in thinking that they won't be idiots?

[katana]

Speed limits are imposed to cope with the poorest driver. The driving test here is quite easy but recently improved (in theory) with a theory test and hazard perception.

People who use the roads want to get somewhere quickly and this is usually defined as going fast. What we should see it as is always making steady progress and avoiding harsh braking or acceleration. But in places like Germany where test involves certain criteria before you can go for the test driving is so much better there. But the flip side is the test is very expensive.

We are forever told speed kills. This is the biggest lie ever. The wrong speed for the conditions kills. Idiot near a school at start time or finishing time it would (impossible) silly to speed but people do. Then again people also get distracted and don't see whats a danger.

Here's a did you know fact in England motorways did not have speed limits until the suez crisis and were implemented as fuel conservation.

Finally if they were safety cameras it would look at reeducation of drivers NOT money and get caught four times and good buy licence.

[bazza]

[katana]

I admit I was wrong but it was for a petrol shortage not the suez one sorry that the speed limit of 70 was introduced.

Also Aston Martin used to use the M1 as a test track. The summer before the 70 limit introduced aston martin racing driver was caught, in the Le Mans car for that year, at over 150 mph I think or 165 but an extra ordinary speed for that time.

[Kram]

i think the 'safety' cameras should work for cars, but not bikers
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[Bendy]

Just to throw an idea into the mix...

Howabout an advanced driving/riding test that permits you to exceed limits by some percentage, as you've proved that you could handle it and have good enough judgement not to abuse it?

[Kickstart]

Hi

It would probably not change the speeds I do that much. Maybe a small amount on A roads, and maybe go over 100 a bit more often on motorways, but I tend to treat the NSL zones as though they have no limit anyway (and if they use loads of cameras I just use a different road).

I doubt it would have much effect on road deaths. Possibly reduce them as the Police were forced to deal with the small number of dangerous drivers rather than just going for the easy catches.

In America they abolished the Federal requirements for speed limits a few years back (money to individual states for the roads was limited if they did not have the 55mph limit, but this had slowly been relaxed before being abolished). The response in Montana was to return to their old limit of "reasonable and prudent" outside town. The death rate dropped quite noticeably. Someone got caught several times for speeds that were not reasonable for the conditions so took the state to court saying the law was unconstitutional. The state backed down and implemented a fixed speed limit outside towns. The result of this was that the death rate rose again.

In summary I would say that abolishing out of town speed limits would make things safer and stop vast amounts of law enforcement time being wasted on offences that are of no real relevance.

All the best

Keith
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[iCraig]

The only areas in my opinion that require speed limits are those in towns and outside schools etc.

Motorways should not have a speed limit at all, anda vast ammount of A roads and dual carriageways should also be derestricted.

I personally think the UK Government should do some kind of pilot scheme on a few motorways by taking away the speed limit for a few months, see what affect it has, if any.

[JonB]

[TheShaggyDA]

Would your own personal riding habits change much?
No. I'd have to be more defensive (see 2nd question) but my own speeds wouldn't change.

Would the roads suddenly be filled with speed-mad twats?
Most definately. Mostly male, under 25.

Would there be a big increase in road accidents?
Big increase, no. Increase in the male under 25s, yes. Should decrease over time by Darwinian selection.

Or would most people realise that as road speed safety was now firmly in their own hands they had to act responsibly?
I think not. People think that just because there is a speed limit, then it's safe to do that speed. 70 on a motorway, in near zero visibility, 3 foot from the car in front isn't safe, but people do it.

Personally, I'd go for dropping the speed limits on motorways/A roads except in builty up areas.
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[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[iCraig]

[iCraig]

[TheShaggyDA]

Dropping as in getting rid of, not dropping as in lowering.
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Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[stinkwheel]

[mrchips]

Regarding no speed limits on motorways, here is a thought for you...

I was sitting on the fast lane in a car with someone doing about 130-140 - road clear ahead except a van and a car. We were nearly up to the van when it decided to pull out and overtake (with no indication or nothing) the car. The van was only doing about 80 max and thankfully we slowed down enough just in time.

I agree with the advanced driving test thing though

[Ste]

In general tersm, if they remove the speed limits or not, the police should spend far more time and effort on dangerous/ bad driving rather than just simply "you're 15mph over the speed limit!!" type things. Removing speed limits would also mean the speed cameras would have to go which would be good, as I could go past a speed camera whilst doing 10mph under the speed limit with no problem, although I could be doing it whilst at night when raining and about a foot away from the car in fronts bumper. Concentrate far more on what is actually dangerous rather than just the blanket of "speeding is dangerous".

Would change how I rode, but only as I would be spending less time looking out for police cars, gatsos and at my speedo and concencentrate more on the actual road and whats going on around me.

[mchaggis]

Here is the timeline for the introduction of the motorway 70mph limit:

1964 - The AC Cobra caused a sensation by racing along the M1 motorway at 183 mph, leading to questions being raised in Parliament. Two AC Cobras were entered in the Le Mans 24 Hour Race, the AC entry was the first British car to finish. By now, the 427 AC Cobra had the distinction of being listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest production car in the world, a title which it held for several years.

1965 - The AC Cobra wins The Sports Car World Championship. Following the previous years motorway sprint, a 70 mph legal speed limit was introduced.

https://www.quotecheckers.co.uk/achistory.htm
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[Rory]

[Andy99]

I think having no speed limit on motorways would lead to an increase in accidents as the general standard of driving is too low.Too many people have poor lane discipline and change lanes without looking or paying any attention to faster moving traffic in the lane they are pulling into.
I do however think that if the motorway speed limit was increased to say 90 or 100 MPH and lane discipline was improved there would be very little difference in accident rates.
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[skyline]

Ok so if speed limits were removed we could all go around doing 180mph etc, instant death if something went wrong imo. But think of this, what if speed limits were removed, but machine limits improvised. As in, only been able to do 100mph maximum on any machine, that way excessive speeding wont happen.
Or prehaps like someone else has said we could have licences to speeds which we would be capable going, and restrict machines untill passing the licences maby?

[Rory]

I think car drivers should start off with restricted licenses anyway, like young bikers. At the moment, you can pass your test, get insured for Mummy and Daddy behemoth saloon and go crazy on the highway. Madness.
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[mrchips]

I think Northern Ireland has a good idea. As a learner you do 45mph, then after you pass your test you display R plates for a year and still are restricted to 45mph. Good idea just crap in practise.