TRANSPORT Secretary Philip Hammond has formally announced his intention to consult on raising the national speed limit on motorways from 70 to 80 miles per hour. Following consultation, the government has a view to implementing change in early 2013.
The government reasons that vehicles have changed dramatically since the current national speed limit was set in 1965. Technological advances mean that cars are significantly safer then they were – contributing to a fall of more that 75% in the number of people killed on British roads since 1965. Which is why the Government feels now is the time to look again at whether the speed limit set in 1965 is still appropriate.
While acknowledging the issue of road safety, the government believes safety cannot be the only consideration when setting speed limits. Previous analysis shows that raising the motorway speed limit would generate significant economic benefits, worth hundreds of millions of pounds per year from savings of travel time.
Initial work undertaken by the Department suggests that setting the motorway speed limit at 80mph is likely to represent the best balance of costs and benefits and it is similar to the motorway speed limit in other EU countries.
As many as 49% of drivers currently break the 70mph limit. Ministers believe that raising the limit to 80mph would mean that millions of otherwise law-abiding motorists would be brought back inside the boundary, restoring the moral legitimacy of the system.
Philip Hammond said: “I want to make sure that our motorway speed limit reflects the reality of modern vehicles and driving conditions, not those of 50 years ago.
“While we must ensure that our roads remain among the safest in the world, we must also consider the huge economic benefits that can be created by shortening journey times.
“Increasing the speed limit on motorways from 70 to 80 miles per hour for cars, light vans and motorcycles could provide hundreds of millions of pounds of benefits for the economy and I will put forward formal proposals for making these changes later this year.”
Reaction to the proposal for raising the motorway speed limit
The IAM welcomed the proposals for a trial to increase the motorway speed limit from 70 to 80mph. IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: “We support a trial of an increase to 80 mph on controlled sections of the motorway.
An increase may yield economic benefits of shorter journey times, but this has to be balanced against the potential road safety issues.”
However, insurer Direct Line was more circumspect.
“Whilst the UK’s motorways have proportionately less accidents than other roads, speed is still the biggest killer of road users. We believe it is better to save lives than to save a few minutes of journey time. If this 80mph increase is introduced, Direct Line would like the Government to also increase the amount of 20mph speed limit areas, particularly in urban areas and town centres, where this has led to a huge decrease in road deaths. We would also like to see a review of rural road speed limits where there are proportionally more collisions than any other road type,” said Andy Goldby, director of motor pricing & underwriting at Direct Line.
Read what SMEs think
Business wants increase in motorway speed limit
