What are your views on the speed limits and the laws regarding speed limits and penalties 4 breaking them etc?

philipscown

Speed is related to accidents. Your "thinking time" remains roughly constant regardless of your speed - but at higher speeds you travel further in that time.

What we'd like to be able to do is identify rubbish drivers (like random lane changers, people bimbling along at 35 in a 60 limit oblivious to their surroundings, etc.). However, this is difficult. What is easy is to measure is speed - so that's what's done. This approach doesn't catch all bad drivers (or, possibly, even any), but it does limit the damage.

One way to identify bad drivers would be to fit a black box recorder to all cars. This would be a big help, if managed with safety in mind. However, I don't think we want that do we; so we have to tolerate second best.

I would like to see a tougher driving test, with more rigorous enforcement of the license laws. But that would be costly, and would require methods for positive ID (e.g. biometric ID cards) to check that the license belonged to the person who i) took the test, and ii) was driving when stopped. Do we want biometric ID cards for this reason? It might save more lives by getting bad drivers off the road than it would through other law enforcement (e.g. anti-terror). But I suspect, even with better drivers, the authorities wouldn't relax the speed limits to take improved competence of the driving population into account. We'd also need much better public transport - for all the poorer drivers kept off the road.

Sarah

I think that speed restrictions should be put in place where they are required for safety purposes e.g. schools, housing estates and places where there is a lot of public presence (regardless of day or night) however I believe that as long as you are driving sensibly on motorways and dual carriageways and that you are in control of your car, can stop in time if the car in front slams on their brakes and wont cause an accident then a speed limit should not be imposed for cars on dual carriageways and motorways but everywhere else I think there is a valid reason

The Bricklayer

Raise the limit on Motorways/Duel carriageways
Lower the limit in built up areas/near schools

Angela

I'm surrounded by 15mph speed limits for several miles around my house and it drives me CRAZY! It's so hard to maintain 15, because the ironic thing is that while that limit has been imposed to protect residential pedestrians (which there are hardly any EVER), I have to spend more time staring at my odometer just to maintain 15, that I feel like so much of my focus is on the odometer than on possible pedestrians, though I try to keep looking back and forth from the road to the odometer. I only wish cars could cruise control at such low speeds, then I wouldn't mind the 15 so much.

In general, speed limits need to be there in order for safety. If there were no limits, and people were left to rely on their common sense, there will always be those people who go way too fast for the conditions and cause accidents.

sheetwowsheet

Quite simply, speed kills and there is no escaping that fact. I don't have a problem with the present speed limits, they are fine but they do need to be better enforced. I see morons driving at 50+ mph in 30mph limits every day - do these potential killers think they are cool?

Timbo is here

Too many camera around with no discretion.
Too few traffic cops around to see and get the bad drivers doing stupid things

Crazy Larry

I speed; excessively. My average speed when there is no other traffic can and does exceed 80 MPH. And I won't even try to justify it because I AM in the wrong.
Any speeding ticket that I have ever received has been richly deserved and it is only my attitude towards the ticketing officers that has allowed me to keep my license. I simply pay the fines and carry on.

Speed limits are determined by a variety of factors such as road surface and the mean average speed that the majority of drivers are comfortable at. And if I am in traffic I don't have a problem with that. I will not put other drivers at unnecessary risk just to satisfy my need for speed.

BTW - I have been driving this way for 40 years and have had no tickets for the last 25 years.

knownout

Yes they are not always relevant to the site or conditions . Motorways could easily be 80 .. some urban areas might be lower ,, like 20 near schools or areas with lots of pedestrians . Ok penalties are reasonably O K . but what annoys a bit is the cameras and the newer average speed things which cover several miles of road, The emphasis seems more on collecting fines rather than improving road safety . Speed is not the major cause of accidents . It is incompetent or careless drivers, or the arrogant pigs who hog the road, swap lanes at random and ignore all other road users . These are the ones to be banned and fined.

tex k

present speed limits are probably fine (they are for me) but if they were to be increased and I recognize the advantage of increased motorway speeds the punishment for breaking the new speed limits must be severe I would suggest crushing the cars of offenders on their second offense

eric

I think the speed limits are too low on interstates (I prefer 80-85 mph limits and not over 100 as another answer suggested) and some roads. And then again the speed limits are too high in other places.

Cops generally allow 5-10 over the limit. I think that's fine. I think cops should only stop aggressive speeders, those weaving in and out of traffic and changing lanes too often, and those tailgating or following too close. These are the type of drivers that are more likely to cause an accident. People can speed safely if none of these poor driving habits apply.

I think the penalties for speeding is fine. But I never gotten a ticket, so I wouldn't know. I think reckless driving should only be ticketed if a driver did something reckless or aggressive and not an automatic for going 15+ over.

BOBBER

They are there for a reason. If you obey them there is no penalties.

UCANTCME

Following the posted speed limit saves lives and the laws should be stricter for people that don't obey them......

holiday1

The 'bricklayer' and 'knownout' have the correct answer 'nuff said.

Jesus

Speed limits are ****. aslong as there is none in the bedroom and i can pla o.o

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