Motorways Cut To 60 Mph

[lankeela]

Some sections of four motorways are going to be cut to 60 mph to reduce pollution - surely it would be better to cut it to 60 across the board rather than just in small sections. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-54130862

[dave50]

Pointless exercise. More war on the motorist.

[Mamyalynne]

Well,it is a trial therefore it makes sense ti target the areas of greatest emission levels first to see what the improvements are I imagine.

[Mamyalynne]

* to

[david small]

That will achieve nothing except make journeys longer.

[bookbinder]

This is only a trial, to see how it goes. If every motorway had their top limit cut, and it didn't work as planned, it might mean that some money has been wasted.

[youngmafbog]

Teh green brigade are on a high at the moment. Currently blocking loads of rads and causing pollution. You really couldnt make it up.

And now this. Its just a revenue raiser as they know it is difficult to keep changing speed so many will get caught out. People should be concentrating on motorways not having to spend half their time looking at a speedometer.

[douglas9401]

From the same massive brains that bring you random rules on socialising and shopping.

Pathetic.

[lankeela]

Apparently there is a good reason to do it:
https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/transport/speed-limits-fuel-consumption-and

[andy-hughes]

If you cut the speed across all m ways, you will have mass congestion - loads of stationary vehicles belching out pollution, which rather defeats the object of the exercise.

[Atheist]

Andy; I don't understand why you predict stationary vehicles; surely just vehicles going more slowly.

[237SJ]

It's only between a couple of junctions though. Can't see it will make a huge difference. We already have it on parts of the M3 (50mph)

[gulliver1]

If it slows down the Imbeciles on motor bikes, it can only be a good thing

[Old_Geezer]

Don't trust trials. I'm sure they're only a facade used as a cover for what they intend to do anyway. So, maybe the aim is to catch more "speeding" motorists to boost income.

[Old_Geezer]

Throughput lower, difficulty joining, therefore jams.

[237SJ]

OG - I know I must have gone through the 50mph on our end of the M3 at some point. There are average speed checks there. I haven't been 'done' yet.

[fiction-factory]

It is a trial. Unless they have been told to come up with a certain result, it might identify great potential environmental benefits or might keep the environmental lobby quiet for a while. i thought they had already found from some trials on the M25 that traffic sometimes runs more smoothly when the limit is set at 50 or 60 than when it's 70 and you get all that braking and accelerating.
I think it's worth researching these things rather than just sticking to 70 because it's always been 70. Hopefully they'll also do trials based on 80mph limits as well though - otherwise some might suspect the motives of the trial. Some sort of conspiracy theory

[237SJ]

You`re lucky to get above 50 on the M25 most of the time

[fiction-factory]

>If you cut the speed across all m ways, you will have mass congestion - loads of stationary vehicles belching out pollution, which rather defeats the object of the exercise.

Have you already seen the results of previous approved experiments then, andy?

[tonyav]

It will be on M6 junctions 6 to 7 by Witton,

and M5 1 to 2 by Oldbury.

Both of these stretches of motorway are fairly close to me, during the day you'd be lucky to be able to reach 60 mph.

[Deskdiary]

Gulliver, this is a trial to reduce emissions; motorcyclists produce significantly less emissions than car drivers.

FF raised a good point - If they’re going to trial 60, why not 80? It could be argued travelling at 80 gets you to your destination quicker therefore reducing emissions. I should say I have no clue about the science so I have no idea whether my argument holds any water.