Following on from the IAMs motorway poll...

[Benbay001]

I thought they missed an interesting question. So... i will ask it my self
If an autobahn-esk, as fast as you wish - speed limit was introduced, how fast would you aim to drive, on average, if the conditions were perfect and traffic was minimal?

[nixon1]

I have no idea since I have a built in "what if I see a camera and need to slam on the brakes" sensor. At a guess probably around 95. But in the real world more like 80 as this feels most safe and seems to give me enough time to react to the odd car pulling out from behind a truck at 58 mph, or duelling truckers.

If petrol prices would come down I'd be going 120 but only as I know my car can actually do this speed comfortably.

[Hooli]

Benbay001 said:

I thought they missed an interesting question. So... i will ask it my self
If an autobahn-esk, as fast as you wish - speed limit was introduced, how fast would you aim to drive, on average, if the conditions were perfect and traffic was minimal?

80-100mph is an easy safe cruising speed in most conditions for me & I still get high 40s mpg on one of the bikes

[Benbay001]

Hmm, interesting. Just for reference, i would probably say id do around 80-90, with the occasional top speed run, which for me is just 125
I say 80-90 because its fast enough not to feel like a lemon, but slow enough to allow time to react.

[Steve Evil]

Depends on conditions and level of other traffic, anywhere between 90 and 140 for me, with the occasional VMax for when it's nice and empty.

[oldcynic]

around 80 in the MPV (Alhambra), 80-100 in the Volvo (V70)

[_Neal_]

Did several hundred miles in Germany last summer, and my normal cruising speed on derestricted autobahns in the M3 seemed to be between 85 and 95, with occasional blasts at higher speeds, so I reckon it'd be similar if they derestricted UK motorways.

[waremark]

I have been comfortable at 120 to 130 on autobahns - much more than that and the amount I have to slow to pass other traffic with a sensible speed differential seems excessive.

[GW65]

It's a difficult question to answer... Initially 140-150mph might sound and feel fast, but after a little while it would feel normal. Having driven around Thruxton in my car a few years ago, I could max out at around 140mph in places, the car felt stable and secure under braking and turn-in, and it was all very undramatic. Driving home along the A303, going with the traffic flow felt incredibly slow...whereas normally it would feel, well, normal!

So I'd expect that, if it were legal, on a clear, dry, warm traffic-free motorway I'd cruise at around 150mph. However, introduce any other traffic and then it moves back into maintaining-a-safe-speed-differential territory. Given that much of the traffic in the middle lane could consist of not-very-fast drivers overtaking trucks I'd say it'd be hard to maintain a cruise much above 90mph, and even that might be a struggle.

And if anybody's tempted to say that 150mph can never be safe, I acknowledge that a catastrophic mechanical failure would be far worse at 150mph than at 70mph. However, with run-flat tyres, pressure monitors, and a well-maintained vehicle I consider it a manageable risk. (And it seems to work in Germany...)

[havoc]

Steve Evil said:

Depends on conditions and level of other traffic, anywhere between 90 and 140 for me, with the occasional VMax for when it's nice and empty.

Similar answer for me. Dry, daylight, minimal traffic I'd happily cruise at 100-120, dropping lower when approaching slower traffic - I've read somewhere that a 30mph differential is as much as you want when overtaking a vehicle in an adjacent lane.

[Blakewater]

I'd probably not do more than 90-100 if there was any traffic around. The trouble is you're always going to get the idiots who want to do warp speeds with no consideration of what might happen who, as things stand, are at least slightly restrained by the threat of law enforcement at the moment.

[Nigel Worc's]

Up to about 100 mph I guess, I don't do much more in Germany, if at all, even though the car is capable of more.

[Benbay001]

Blakewater said:

I'd probably not do more than 90-100 if there was any traffic around. The trouble is you're always going to get the idiots who want to do warp speeds with no consideration of what might happen who, as things stand, are at least slightly restrained by the threat of law enforcement at the moment.

Thats very true.