Is a Speed Limit of 70 mph Reasonable?

Our recent regular trips to the ROI and the UAE has made me consider how archaic our speed limits are in the UK.

The 70 mph limit for motorways was introduced as a trial on 22 December 1965, at that time cars were effective death traps with no crumple zones or modern safety features, the brakes were so ineffective they took hundreds of yards to bring the vehicles to a halt.

So here we are 57 years later with the same draconian law.

Drivers are limited by the inability of the few rather and scared politicians, than what is fair and reasonable.

The EU of which we were a part up until 2021, has motorway limits of  varying degrees due to the type of road either 120 km/hr (74mph) or 140 km/hr (87 mph), the UAE has similar limits.

Both are higher than in the UK, are we supposed to believe that the drivers in this country are better than the UK or are the law makers more understanding of the advances in modern cars, both from a safety point of view and the ability to stop from speed.

The police message ‘Speed Kills’ is incorrect, speed never killed anyone, crashing or running someone over someone kills people.

We need to make drivers aware of the issues of driving not just limit the speed they drive at.

What is also rathe draconian is the 3 points for speeding rule, other countries quite rightly fine you for minor infringements and only increase the stakes for excessive speeds, a more reasonable approach to the situation.

Having driven in all of Europe and the Middle East for many years, I can confirm that drivers there, on the whole drive sensibly aware of the conditions and drive at limits accordingly, there are exceptions to the rule and there are drivers that exceed the speed limit, sometimes quite excessively, but that is the same in the UK, they are however, like everyone  aware of the consequences if caught.

So why are we in the UK inhibited by a law introduced so long ago, without any sensible or review, I don’t know, and it makes my mind boggle.

Another ‘Nanny State’ issue that has also started to be on the increase is the 20mph limit, now I am all for this on roads around schools, hospitals, care home etc, where there are pedestrians not always aware of moving cars, but to introduce blanket 20mph limits on all residential areas is ridiculous.

I am not aware of one serious accident in the roads around our home in the last 34 years we have lived there, but what have we now got 20 mph limits everywhere, to what end I ask.

I have ranted before, that rules are for fools, for people that are not aware of the true circumstances while driving.

Let’s be clear we are not in need of more restrictions but a more conciliatory approach to all matters including driving. I am for checks on older drivers, even though I am approaching 70 in 4 years, many drivers who passed their tests many years ago are not aware or even concerned about any Highway Rule changes,.

Perhaps more updates with drivers would be a better approach rather than continuing to adopt a speed limit law introduced when I was a boy and not appropriate for modern living.