Will The Speed Limit On Motorways Increase To 80mph?

Saturday, 29. October 2011

I just love the way that the press looks at a fact and pretty much turns it into fiction in an effort to make a headline. Lets take all the talk recently about raising the speed limit to 80mph from 70mph. Whilst 79% of company car drivers are in favour of the increase we hear all the arguments from the do-gooders that spout on about increase in accidents, increased fuel consumption and an increase in CO2 output. Now I’m not saying that I’m in favour of it I just hate the way that arguments are constructed. Let’s take the safety issue.

Since the limit was set umpteen years ago the safety of cars has vastly improved lessening the danger and cars are easily capable of cruising at 80mph.

The increased limit will only apply to motorways so dual carriageways will remain at 70mph. When you drive on a motorway you will see thousands of drivers driving at 70mph or less.

They are hardly likely to start sticking it to the floor just because the limit has increased so the number of drivers who would take advantage of the increase are probably driving at this speed anyway.

Will it encourage those travelling at 80mph currently to suddenly increase to 90mph? I very much doubt it so I can’t see there being a significant rise in accidents. Moving on to the CO2 emissions.

The headline is that CO2 emissions from a petrol engine travelling at 80mph compared to the current 70mph is 14% higher. Lordy Lordy, let’s keep the limit at 80mph.

The actual statistic says that travelling at 80mph a petrol car emits 14% more CO2 per Km. Now if you think about it you only emit CO2 when you are driving, not when you are sitting in your office having a cup of Earl Grey and munching on Choccy Hob Nobs so let’s say you were on a 100 mile trip, at 70mph you would take 1.43 hours but at 80mph you would only be driving for 1.25 hours, which is 12.6% less time driving and spitting out CO2’s.

Bearing in mind that they have based this on a petrol car (as CO2 output is higher) not a more likely diesel car. All a load of bunkum – up it to 80mph and let’s all start to watch Emmerdale by getting home earlier.

What do you think? By Graham Hill