60 mph speed limit for M1

[PeterE]

The Highways Agency have announced a consultation on imposing a 60 mph speed limit on a 32-mile stretch of the M1 through Derbyshire and South Yorkshire for "air quality" reasons:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25619914

Thin end of the wedge, maybe?

The online consultation can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/m1-junctions-28-to-35a-maximum-mandatory-speed-limit

[martine]

Stuff it...why don't we just make all roads 30mph be it for 'environmental' or 'safety'?

Aaaaarrrgghhh.

[Horse]

I spent almost 3 months last summer (albeit their winter!) driving in New Zealand, where the highest speed limit is 100kph, even on motorways. It's not the end of the world. Nor is NZ

If that chunk of the M1 is anything like the M4 from 7am - 7pm, there's not too much of that time when particularly high speeds are possible, let alone reasonable.

[true blue]

If that chunk of the M1 is anything like the M4 from 7am - 7pm, there's not too much of that time when particularly high speeds are possible, let alone reasonable.

My (very limited) experience of the M4 is that anyone doing 70 is overtaken by almost everyone, with a speed differential of at least 10mph. That's based on about 2 trips though; these days I tend to stay on the M25 and use the M3/A303 for the south-west.

My instinct is that a new 60mph limit on the M1 would simply slow everyone down to 70mph - enough to cut emissions but not to impede theoretical motorway progress. Meanwhile I'll continue to enjoy the relatively decent A1 whenever I head north and avoid (most of) the hassle...

[fungus]

Stuff it...why don't we just make all roads 30mph be it for 'environmental' or 'safety'?

Aaaaarrrgghhh.

+1

[Grahar]

I spent almost 3 months last summer (albeit their winter!) driving in New Zealand, where the highest speed limit is 100kph, even on motorways. It's not the end of the world. Nor is NZ

If that chunk of the M1 is anything like the M4 from 7am - 7pm, there's not too much of that time when particularly high speeds are possible, let alone reasonable.

You may well be right in respect of the average speeds that can be achieved at peak use, but the problem is that this is the thin end of the wedge.

There will more of this nationwide and in another 10 years or so, once people have forgotten that the speed limit on certain stretches of road have already been reduced by 10 mph, the green fundamentalists and bureaucrats will lobby for speed limits to be reduced again, and so we will continue on the path of ever increasing 'Orwellian' EU state control. I don't object to genuine efforts to clean up the air (more for immediate human health benefits than the new-age religion of 'climate change') but this has to be balanced with liberty and the practicalities of everyday life.

Given how hopeless the various British governments have been at resisting the undemocratic way the EU continues to erode and override our sovereignty and liberty, I have little hope for the future. EU law and politics means we no longer have full control of our borders, so what hope have we of maintaining control of our road laws?

I must away now; I have work to do on increasing my 'carbon footprint'. . Now there's a term that the thought-police would be proud of!

[PeterE]

My instinct is that a new 60mph limit on the M1 would simply slow everyone down to 70mph - enough to cut emissions but not to impede theoretical motorway progress. Meanwhile I'll continue to enjoy the relatively decent A1 whenever I head north and avoid (most of) the hassle...

My understanding is that it will be camera-enforced as part of the Managed Motorways setup, so 60 will mean 60

[Grahar]

My instinct is that a new 60mph limit on the M1 would simply slow everyone down to 70mph - enough to cut emissions but not to impede theoretical motorway progress. Meanwhile I'll continue to enjoy the relatively decent A1 whenever I head north and avoid (most of) the hassle...

My understanding is that it will be camera-enforced as part of the Managed Motorways setup, so 60 will mean 60

Time to dust-offthe chainsaw again...

[MGF]

...and so we will continue on the path of ever increasing 'Orwellian' EU state control. I don't object to genuine efforts to clean up the air (more for immediate human health benefits than the new-age religion of 'climate change') but this has to be balanced with liberty and the practicalities of everyday life.

Given how hopeless the various British governments have been at resisting the undemocratic way the EU continues to erode and override our sovereignty and liberty, I have little hope for the future. EU law and politics means we no longer have full control of our borders, so what hope have we of maintaining control of our road laws?

Informed post of the year (and a good candidate for retaining the title for the rest of it)

I might take 60 if it was a guaranteed 60.

[Grahar]

...and so we will continue on the path of ever increasing 'Orwellian' EU state control. I don't object to genuine efforts to clean up the air (more for immediate human health benefits than the new-age religion of 'climate change') but this has to be balanced with liberty and the practicalities of everyday life.

Given how hopeless the various British governments have been at resisting the undemocratic way the EU continues to erode and override our sovereignty and liberty, I have little hope for the future. EU law and politics means we no longer have full control of our borders, so what hope have we of maintaining control of our road laws?

Informed post of the year (and a good candidate for retaining the title for the rest of it)

I might take 60 if it was a guaranteed 60.

Is this a complimentary or a sarcastic comment; I am not sure?!

[GJD]

Is this a complimentary or a sarcastic comment; I am not sure?!

Pretty sure it's sarcastic. It said "MGF" at the top after all.

[Gareth]

I thought it wasn't meant in a sarcastic manner.

[sussex2]

I've posted this before but will repeat it again as I believe it to be relevant:

A few years back in greater Barcelona they imposed a blanket 80kph speed limit on the areas many multi laned ring roads and motorways.
The stated reason for this was to reduce both casualties and pollution.
After a while it emerged that pollution was hardly affected and that casualties, especially serious ones and deaths, had risen by more than 40 percent.
A system of graduated electronic speed limits has now been put in place. The limits depend on traffic volume and could be anything from 50kph to the maximum of 120kph.

[WhoseGeneration]

Stuff it...why don't we just make all roads 30mph be it for 'environmental' or 'safety'?

Aaaaarrrgghhh.

The aim of many "comrades", especially the EU ones who want all on public transport for the "social mixing" benefits.
Look it up.

[WhoseGeneration]

I spent almost 3 months last summer (albeit their winter!) driving in New Zealand, where the highest speed limit is 100kph, even on motorways. It's not the end of the world. Nor is NZ

We're in NZ often and that limit is little problem because of the so easy uncongested roads outside of the few major connurbations.
Fun is keeping up to the limit on many of the roads, then, there's always the remaining metalled ones.
Their problem is, as usual, local drivers not using AD techniques and piling into unsighted bends and not considering the possibility of a fully laden logging truck towards that might need to use extra space.