Plan To Increase Speed Limit Ditched Because Of Fears That It May Alienate Women Drivers.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346316/Government-ditches-plans-raise-motorway-speed-limit-80mph-amid-safety-concerns-fears-alienate-women-voters.html

/// The Prime Minister's inner circle is said to fear that an increase in the speed limit could alienate women voters. Polls have shown a majority of drivers would support the move, but significant numbers of women were against it. ///

So is this proof that it does not matter how some measures could be beneficial, it is all down to the fear of losing votes from some quarters?

[TWR]

The majority of Motorway drivers do 80mph now. women are amongst them.

[jomifl]

That's democracies for you.

[douglas9401]

I see you're finally getting the hang of this politics thing, Mr Git. :)

[rockyracoon]

Noooo, I'm a woman and I want it upped to 80, but then I want it reduced to 20 near a school.

[tonyav]

What a croc of crap, ok then make it 80 for men and 70 for women !

[FredPuli43]

The Times cynically suggests that the real reason is that the government is more concerned about the loss of revenue from speeding fines than about the feelings of women drivers. Surely the authorities would not think like that, would they?

[woofgang]

rocky I want ENFORCED double yellow lines around schools. Its a nightmare around here at dropping off and picking up time.

[woofgang]

lol Fred, perish the very thought!!

[TWR]

but then I want it reduced to 20 near a school. I also think that parents should leave their cars away from the school area as this can cause an accident & congestion.

[Old_Geezer]

So alienating most motorists wasn't a consideration ? Sounds a dodgy claim to me.

[ichkeria]

Right decision, wrong reason, if that IS the reason.
I never understood the logic behind raising this limit - reasons given:
"most motorists support it" (most people would vote themselves a pay rise if they could :-)
"it'll cut journey times " (!)

Reasons against:
likely to increase the number of deaths on the roads and get people driving at 90 who now drive at 80. Not convinced by the latter, but I'm intrigued by the "cut journey times" argument. Has anyone really looked seriously into why, were it the case, that would necessarily be such a great idea?

[Gromit]

Beneficial? So impatient drivers get there a few minutes earlier but at the expense of more injuries and fatalities.

I doubt very much that this has been scrapped because of fears it will not be favoured by women. It isn't really something a woman would change her vote over.

Perhaps it was scrapped because it was a really stupid and dangerous idea?

[jd_1984]

I agree that if you raise the limit to 8omph, 90mph will become an acceptable "cruising" speed where as now, 90mph is excessive and only a few drivers would dare driving consistently at this speed. Its all about mind set in my opinion yet speed kills!

[TWR]

So you think it's speed that causes Motorway accidents? In my experience, it's not,

It's drivers thats just passed their test & never used a Motorway.

Drivers that leave Journey times until the last min & try to catch up on time.

Drivers that drive too close.

Drivers Not planning their journeys.

Drivers that Join the the Motorway expecting the Motorway traffic to slow down because they are Joining the Motorway.

Drivers that do not read the road.

Drivers that cut across other traffic to come off at Junctions that they have nearly missed.

Drivers that lack Concentration.

[New Judge]

This government’s policies on motorway management are utter nonsense.

We have, on one hand, hard shoulders being abandoned and used as an additional lane. A more ridiculous idea is hard to imagine. Then, on the same motorways, we have this proposal (albeit now abandoned) to raise the speed limit to 80mph as it may “help boost the economy”.

Leaving aside the fact that on many motorways, outside the hours of 10pm to 4am it is impossible to travel at anything like 70mph, quite how raising the speed limit will “boost the economy” is difficult to fathom. Of course it will lead to higher revenue being taken as a result of increased fuel consumption (though this will be offset by loss of revenue from speeding fines and extra costs to be borne by the NHS as a result of the inevitable increase in accidents). As far as freeing up motorists’ time goes, a hundred mile journey (which is far longer than most drivers travel in a single stint) will take just ten minutes less at the increased speed - hardly time to boost the economy significantly.

As with many other ideas this is a badly thought out policy, hastily constructed, accompanied by lots of nice sound bites to make it sound attractive, and then quietly ditched.

[New Judge]

"..Drivers that leave Journey times until the last min & try to catch up on time."

Quite TWR. Another way of describing those who speed.

[Old_Geezer]

IMO being late has to be a minority reason for going faster than the speed limit. A belief that they are set too low must be more likely, or else one can not account for almost every driver being late.

An increased limit would just be accepting of reality, that folk probably the majority judging by motorway traffic, tend to have contempt for the existing limits and wish the powers that be to reflect the belief that higher limits would be better.

[TWR]

Old_Geezer, Someone asked me How long would it take to get from our home town to Man/Airport & in said, an Hour! I said as long as it takes to get there, he then asked what sort of reply was that, I replied a positive reply as you can not underestimate the volume of traffic or what could happen, Breakdown, Flat tyre, Road / Motorway blocked, / closed, the trouble with drivers, they rely on the SATNAV to give then a timed journey, You can estimate a journey, It does not work in reality,

[Gromit]

// So you think it's speed that causes Motorway accidents? //

No, I did not say speed causes motorway accidents. I said that when accidents occur, the faster you are going the more likely you are to be injured or killed. Increasing the speed limit will result in more deaths and injuries.

// In my experience, it's not //

So, you've been in a lot of motorway accidents, and lived to tell the tale, well done.

[TWR]

// In my experience, it's not //

So, you've been in a lot of motorway accidents, and lived to tell the tale, well done.

You have not seen much have you Gromit. ( If your reply was directed to me)