Rural Roads, 40mph blanket speed limit??

[Solos]

Any information or opinions on the news that 'Direct Line' are pushing for a blanket speed limit on rural roads.

Apparantly they suggest this, as their survey of the all knowing British motorist suggests that people drive too fast along rural roads. The survey supposedly indicates that people think rural roads should be included in the driving test.

[Alex@POD]

I can appreciate rural roads are more dangerous at speed due to poor surface, poor visibility, rural traffic etc. But if a lower speed limit is to be respected unfortunately, fear has to be created, by speed cameras and patrol cars. Given most of these roads are rather quiet most of the time, the governement(sp?) would not make enough money off it. I can't see the point of a lower speed limit in ths case, as it would cost a lot on signs...

Until most people know how to drive at a safe speed, rural roads will stay more dangerous I think...

[Smoker]

Totally agree. I live in the sticks and you have more chance of wildlife appearing in front of you than another car. If you drive these sorts of roads then you have to adapt your driving accordingly.

[RDE]

Seems a bit idiotic, considering that anyone who has half a brain will slow down at dangerous points anyway, but anyone who doesn't will ignore a new speed limit. It would just involve people who are law abiding getting frustrated when a safe piece of country road does appear. Still, I suppose a politician in London won't really give a monkeys what the speed limit is in the sticks.

[Scraggles]

tend to slow down on a router from ware to baldock, regulry meet special plods, last lass reliased i could not reverse that far and so she reversed back over several large rocks designed to stop people parking on the grass, not sure what happened to her exhaust

[Fiskkeeper]

about time the people coming up with these dumb laws realised that the safe speed for a raod can vary drasticly in just a few hundred yards. blanket limits arent the answer, its control of speed as & when required.
60ish is no problem on an open straight, but if you dont almost stop for a blind single lane tight bend then 30 is sucidal.

[tigger1]

Drove from A19 to Northallerton yesterday along a NSL lane - 60mph??? Got to be kidding, and 30mph would have been suicidal in places, never mind 40! HOWEVER, there were plenty of stretches were higher speeds were perfectly safe.

[skintrich]

My absolute favourite road is the cut through from Abergavenny to Builth Wells.

All rural and twisty dippy. yet excellent visibility, road surface and run off. A blanket ban would be ridiculous on a three mile straight downhill (well its straight if you hit the apex every time on the wiggles)

[mybrainhurts]

Already have a blanket 40 near me on open moorland.

Opposed the limit, as did the police...unnecessary, and don't have resourses to enforce. Official justification was to prevent sheep deaths.

Police persuaded to drop objection when assured it would be "self enforcing".

Twelve months later, Council called for enforcement because sheep deaths increased.

Ho hum...

Purely the work of the anti car green brigade.

Most people ignore the limit. I do. Good for 100+ in places.