Raising the limit – a pre-emptive strike: Guardian

11.00 | 3 October 2011 | | 1 comment

The proposal to increase the national speed limit to 80mph is a pre-emptive strike against those able to present compelling evidence that a lower limit of between 50mph and 60mph would have substantial and lasting social, economic and environmental benefits, according to a report in the Guardian (2/10/11).

The announcement about raising the limit is expected at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this week.

The Guardian reports that excessive and differential speeds are the main causes of road congestion, costing over £20bn per year, and will also prevent the UK meeting its carbon reduction targets set by the Committee on Climate Change, which supports a 60mph limit.

According to the Guardian, the DfT has admitted that such a reduction in speed is "necessary but politically impossible".

Click here to read the full Guardian report.

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    Soon we will be able to do 80mph on the motorway! Such a relief to know that the Government has its finger on the pulse of the average road user!
    • Traffic cops CUT
    • road safety budgets CUT
    • roads maintenance budgets CUT
    • road safety in schools CUT
    • safety partnership budgets CUT
    • safety cameras CUT
    • funding for air ambulances CUT
    • funding for road safety charities CUT
    • funding for community road safety schemes CUT….
    …..not so much ‘ending the war on the motorist’ as ‘beginning to undermine a decade of road safety progress’ in getting the death toll down on UK roads to its lowest ever – to JUST over 2000!

    Surely the only people who will benefit from an increased motorway speed limit are HMT and we know the tax take from the extra fuel consumption won’t be diverted back into road safety interventions….oh no…deficit reduction plan B! A ‘stealth tax war on the motorist’?

    What a shame we have a Government keen to promote ‘high speed follies’….at any price!


    Susan, Northamptonshire
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