Looks like plans for an 80mph motorway speed limit have been scrapped. Some suggestion the idea had broad support, but the Tories got cold feet because it might alienate women voters: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2013/j ... otorway-80 Will this actually affect anyone, given that many car drivers tend to sit at about 80-85mph when conditions permit? And the police don't really take interest until you get above that sort of speed.

Looks like plans for an 80mph motorway speed limit have been scrapped. Some suggestion the idea had broad support, but the Tories got cold feet because it might alienate women voters: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2013/j ... otorway-80 Will this actually affect anyone, given that many car drivers tend to sit at about 80-85mph when conditions permit? And the police don't really take interest until you get above that sort of speed.

As you say, it'll take speeds of 85+ to make the cops pull you right now. If the speed limit was 80 it would mean that it would take speeds of 95+ that brought the cops to your attention.

It isn't the maximum speeds that are dangerous, it is high speed without taking attention to the road conditions. 100mph on an empty motorway with clear visibility is safer that 69mph in heavy motorway traffic after a rain shower.

The actual limit is not an issue, whatever it is set at is not really a huge issue at all and 80mph makes very little difference but would probably be enforced more seriously than the current one.

What is a problem is the potential differences in speed between on vehicle and another and the ability, or lack of ability of the human eye and brain to judge approaching speeds from behind when viewed in a rear view mirror - the important point here being that we must never consider a completely delimited motorway system.

I have experienced a derestricted autobahn at dusk in a PSV vehicle that was cruising along nicely at 70mph, the driver pulled to the left to overtake a truck and judged that the car headlights that he saw in his mirror were sufficiently far away to not be a problem to us or the other driver - wrong - the other car was some sort of Merc or BMW sports variant that must easily have been traveling in excess of 120mph, probably well in excess - our driver swerved back to the right and the car was gone in half a second.

Its not the fact that the other driver was driving so fast but the fact that the differential in our speeds was then so much greater and the fact that its impossible to judge those approaching speeds in the dusk/dark - at least with a 70 or 80 mph limit you have a much lower differential, often just 10mph or so.

Now they're putting up all the motorway average speed cameras like the M42 birmingham and M1 Luton just do the whole network and have variable speeds set to conditions. Including open speeds at night on clear motorways. Surely a common sense approach is what's needed.

"open speeds", "night", "common sense".

Yep, makes no sense at all.

I've been on a motorway at night with nothing in front or behind me, if i do 160mph who does that affect?

Like wise 70mph in rush hour is too much, i'd happily do 50mph.
We have people constantly monitoring the motorway, how hard is it to change the speeds accordingly, especially with those blue cameras that give them all the data.

The poor sod you crash into the back of.

I don't particularly care if someone wants to do 80-90 on the motorway, as long as they're paying attention and being careful. Much faster than that and I don't believe the vast majority of drivers have the ability to react quick enough or the skill to react in the correct way if something out of the ordinary happens.
If someone wants to drive at race car speeds then they can drive on a race track.
As Jerry points out, it's often bad enough with a speed difference of only 10-20 mph between vehicles.

Until all the morons on the roads are dealt with and those who think that rules/laws do not apply to them then nothing will change.
MORE SPEED CAMERAS
MORE ON THE SPOT FINES
MORE TRAFFIC COPS
MORE VEHICLE TAKING AWAY
DRIVING TEST FOR EACH TYPE OF VEHICLE YOU USE AND RETEST EVERY 3 YEARS
Then I will be able to drive on the empty roads without let or hindrence

I live in Germany and most of the autobahn network in my area is unrestricted.

Most people cruise at around 100mph. The irony of this is that if you do much less you are probably creating a hazard by not keeping up with the flow of traffic. That said, people go far, far faster; especially when the roads are quiet. In a high powered sports saloon 150mph is perfectly safe and sturdy; until someone pulls out into your path.

I give a particular wide berth to anything on Polish plates, because the driver is probably drunk. I have seen these boys stopping at service station to 'refuel' with booze.

I said if there was no one in front of me.

Granted at some point there will be but that wasn't my point, if there was just myself, why can't i do 160mph on a dry empty road?
Doesn't Germany have a safer record on the motorway than us