Should speed limits on country roads be cut?

Yes
15% (295 votes)
No
85% (1630 votes)
Total votes: 1925

Speed limit on country roads

Thu, 03/12/2009 - 15:59
Janiebird

Even through the busy village in which I live, countless toads, birds, etc. are run over every day. Wildlife doesn't stand a chance against even moderately fast cars.

It is often the inappoepriate

Wed, 02/12/2009 - 13:31
superglide

It is often the inappropriate use of speed that is the problem. Most of the accidents on motorways happen at below the speed limit, it's a case of people driving too close, being tired, not paying attention, not considering the road and weather conditions.
On country roads, sometimes it's people misjudging bends, not looking properly when emerging from road junctions, mud or other contaminates on the road surface.
Many speed limits do seem to be at odds with their environment, an example of some roads near to where I live:
A single track lane across open farmland with drainage ditches either side, bumpy sections with a couple of blind corners caused by hedgerows, and farm access gates and some houses; this is 60mph where I think 40mph would be more suitable.
A two lane single carriageway, with several houses and road junctions, a church, a school, and a playing field all within a quarter mile is 60mph, again 40mph would be better.
Now take a look at some roads in the wilds of Wales, Cumbria, Northumberland and Scotland. These roads are 60mph, have very good road surface, open views, sparse population, very few road junctions, light traffic; these roads are perfectly safe to travel at well over the national 60mph speed limit. Yet I have seen speed cameras placed on some of these roads purely because the authorities know people will exceed the limit (generate more revenue)and on coming onto the villages where the limit is 30mph and more potential danger there is no speed camera!
Better driver training is needed, perhaps a two tier test where drivers are restricted to lower horse power vehicles for the first three years of passing test.

Speed limits on country roads

Tue, 24/11/2009 - 18:30
Johnnytheboy

Speed limits on country roads should not be cut.

The number of unjustified speed limits on country roads should be cut.

How often in the last decade have I driven past a farm and three houses to find this "village" has 500 yards of 30 limit?

Daft, and just makes drivers disrespect wisely set limits.

Speed Limits are Wrong

Mon, 23/11/2009 - 01:10
fluffnik

Arbitrary speed limits are NEVER appropriate, we should abolish them all.

Road Maintainance

Sun, 22/11/2009 - 20:22
ErikPickles

If we want to reduce death and serious injury, perhaps actually maintaining the roads would help...

More bureaucracy on the roads

Sat, 21/11/2009 - 11:12
tedrick1946

While I am in general favour of reducing the speed of some individuals as they pass down our country roads and lanes, just reducing speed limits will do little to alleviate the number of accidents. What it will do is to create further bureaucracy. We already struggle under the mass of useless, ill considered legislation, often created as a knee jerk reaction to a couple of isolated incidents. As an example 'the dangerous dogs act' where surely a curb on owners rather than wholesale slaughter of often family pets was undertaken !
Would it not be better to inculcate drivers with, an all too frequently lacking, awareness of what inappropriate speed will do. Make dangerous driving an offence carrying 'real' penalties. Fools who drive madly along our country roads are not going to be slowed down by a further proliferation of speed limiting road signs.

Rural speed limits

Mon, 23/11/2009 - 11:32
brianjgregory

What is required is primarily better road user education & training accompanied by appropriate road engineering; not more regulation. A "sense of speed" is what is needed. Putting the speed limiter in the road user's head through better education; not compulsion or electo-mechanical constraint. Greater logic & consistency in speed limit setting; plus strictly time-limited lower limits e.g., around schools during opening & closing hours. AND raising some limits (.e.g. on high quality A-roads & motorways) to more realistic levels would also help encourage road users to respect lower limits if they are used with appropriate selectivity - where they are REALLY needed; not via the current "carpet-bombing" approach which treats road users like errant chlidren & breeds disrespect & even contempt for all speed limits

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