Tony Bryer wrote:
On Fri, 11 May 2007 10:35:47 +0100 Frank Erskine wrote :
I would imagine that it is close to the 130km/h limit common in the rest
of Europe and that it is de facto the limit observed by most drivers in
the UK.
So by that argument, if the speed limit was raised to 85 mph, "most
drivers" would then do 100 mph, then there'd be campaigning for the
limit to be 100....

Speaking purely for myself, if there was no speed limit on motorways I
would drive at 80-85 given free-flowing traffic. What ought to be picked up
and punished on motorways is following too close, overtaking and then
cutting in sharply, and cutting across several lanes to the slip road exit
at the last minute. The emphasis on speed cameras leaves these behaviours
(dangerous at any speed) unchecked.

Hear bloody hear.
I would drive at any speed between 45mph and 140mph that I felt the
conditions allowed.

When I had a luxurty sports coupe, and traffic was light, sometimes just
sitting on cruise control listening to a bunch of nice CDS at 60mph was
more relaxing and less fuel hungry than trying to beat records.

Conversely, sometimes at midnight plus getting home from afar, its nice
to simply say 'sod the cost' and do it at 120 mph.

In heavy traffic, the hazard is the man who wants to travel at a
radically different speed from anyone else..faster OR slower.

Which is why my 'stay legal: use cruise control' fell apart.. there were
times when everyone slowed to 55..and there were times when everyone was
doing 85..

The only safe course of action was to simply use the power to get into a
clear bit of road, and stay there as long as possible.